I am from the U.K and my wife is from Thailand. We are currently in Barcelona, Spain (wife has a Schengen visa) and we would like to move here permanently.

 

Does anyone know the correct steps we need to take, and can the process be done locally (in Spain) without the need to return to Thailand?

 

Any help will be much appreciated.

first I need to know a couple of things, are you working in Spain?, are your wife planning to work? you say she has schengen visa but from which country? I suppose you are married in Thailand. I am spanish married with Thai living in Spain.


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I work remotely and my wife is a full-time Mum right now (doesn't plan to work within the next year or two). And yes, we got married in Thailand.

 

Any help will be much appreciated!

The first stage is to go to the police station and tell them you wish to make an application for residency. They will provide the application form and a list of required documents. You can employ the service of a censor who is not a lawyer but can assist you in making the application.

If we are still in the EU you simply walk up to immigration in Spain and tell them you claim Treaty of Rome rights for r your wife. Since you are a citizen of an EU Member State you are entitled to have your wife with you in any other Member State no mater where she comes from.

 

My wife is Kiribati - I am Irish and we lived in England no problem at all because of the Treaty of Rome rights.

 

Fly in the ointment is - are we in or out of the EU and when does that take effect? is it in 2 years time? or does it count from when we signed article 50?

 

All ye who voted for Brexit will come to know what exactly it is that you forfeited

 

 

For the eu citizen
http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/residence/documents-formalities/registering-residence/spain/index_en.htm

For the non-eu family member
http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/residence/documents-formalities/non-eu-family-members-residence-card/spain/index_en.htm
 

Excellent link mgb. From it I see that until we actually exit from the EU all rights still apply. Good news for me and the wife, as we can return home while we are still in the EU. Applications for residency permits for non EU family members can be in process, and presumably honoured even after final Brexit.

 

 

A topic well handled mostly by newbies. Congrats. 

The point you should bear in mind is the link provides an indication of required documents. In my experience of dealing with the Spanish they will almost certainly demand additional documents. I suspect some of the request will seem excessive but the best approach is to go along with what they ask. You will never win by argueing. You will simply be labelled a difficult customer which will make your life difficult.

At the bottom of the referred internet sites are links to the portal de immigracion.
There are simply orders in place in Spain.

The EU links should help you out for the most part. You may also wish to read the Freedom of Movement Directive if you are interested in what exact legislation you are relying on:

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2004:158:0077:0123:en:PDF

 

Sadly Spain is notorious for asking more documentation than they should, such as insisting that your marriage is recognized by your home country. So you may wish to read through the experiences others had:

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/965728-nie-number-spain/