Family reunification for foreign doctors and nurses in Spain: requirements, income and timelines 2026

Who can apply for family reunification, and from when?

Anyone holding a residence permit in Spain can apply: the employee residence and work permit requested by the hospital, the EU Blue Card, arraigo or non-lucrative residence. What matters is the type of permit, not the profession: a doctor, a nurse or a physiotherapist reunify under the same rules.

There is one change that many generic websites still get wrong. Under RD 557/2011 you had to wait for your first renewal, that is, one year. According to Instruction SEM 2/2025 (cited by machelindiaz.com and by CaixaBank's summary of the reform, May 2025), under RD 1155/2024 it is no longer necessary to wait a year or change the type of permit before applying. In practice, Bookahospi checks in every file that the permit is valid and that income and housing meet the thresholds, and from there Booka files the application.

A special case: the MIR resident. A doctor doing their specialty is on a stay for specialised healthcare training (estancia), not residence, and ordinary family reunification is not designed for that situation. According to Instruction SEM 3/2025 (machelindiaz.com, 2025), family members of people in specialised healthcare training may apply for a joint stay authorisation linked to the holder's. If you are in the MIR, that is your route, not the one in this article.

Which family members can you bring to Spain?

RD 1155/2024 widened the circle of eligible relatives. The most cited change is the age of children: up to 26, where the previous limit was 21. It also recognises de facto partners without requiring registration if a relationship equivalent to marriage is proven.

How much do I need to earn to bring my family?

The income requirement is measured in multiples of the IPREM, Spain's public income indicator. In 2026 the IPREM is 600 € per month (7,200 € per year in 12 payments) and has been frozen since 2023 because the state budget was rolled over. A doctor's or nurse's contract with a Spanish hospital comfortably exceeds the threshold for two members, but it is worth running the numbers for the whole family.

According to abogadadeextranjeria.es (financial means under the new regulation, 2025), the rule under RD 1155/2024 is 150 % of the IPREM for a two-member family unit, that is, 900 € per month, plus an additional 50 %, 300 € per month, for each further member. The same source notes a reduced threshold, linked to 110 % of the Minimum Living Income (IMV), when reunifying minor children if the sponsor has a permanent contract with income at or above the minimum wage. The exact figure is set by the Immigration Office when it decides.

Housing report and documents legalised in your home country

Besides income, the Immigration Office requires a housing adequacy report issued by the town hall or, in some regions, the regional authority. It certifies that the home where the family will live has enough space and proper conditions. It is the document that most often delays files because it depends on each town hall's schedule, so it is the first thing requested.

• Housing adequacy report (town hall or regional authority) with a lease or title deed in your name.
• Marriage certificate or proof of de facto partnership, apostilled or legalised, with a sworn translation if not in Spanish.
• Birth certificate of each child, apostilled or legalised and translated; consent of the other parent when they are not travelling.
• Valid passport of each relative and a copy of your TIE and your current permit.
• Your latest payslips, your contract with the hospital or clinic and your employment record.
• For parents: proof that they depend on you financially (remittances, absence of other income).
• At the consulate visa stage: criminal record certificate from the countries of residence of the last 5 years (no older than 3 months at Latin American consulates) and a medical certificate no older than 3 months with the wording of the 2005 International Health Regulations, for adult relatives.

Apostille or legalisation depends on the country of origin. Countries in the Hague Convention apostille; those outside it legalise through the consulate. Bookahospi tells you which applies to your country and in what order to request each certificate so none expires before filing.

Family reunification step by step: who does what and how long it takes

Reunification has two phases: the authorisation, requested in Spain, and the visa, requested by your relatives at the consulate in their country. This is the full route with the person responsible for each step.

1. 1

   Income and housing assessment (Bookahospi, 1 week)

   We check your current permit, your payslips against the 900 € + 300 € per additional member threshold and your housing contract. If anything is missing, we fix it before requesting reports.

2. 2

   Housing adequacy report (town hall or region; timing depends on each office)

   Requested with the lease or title deed. It is the slowest document in the file, which is why it goes first. Booka prepares the request and follows it up.

3. 3

   Documents from your home country (your family, guided by Bookahospi; 2-6 weeks depending on the country)

   Apostilled or legalised and translated marriage and birth certificates. We tell you which document to request first so none expires.

4. 4

   Filing form EX-02 and fee 052 (Booka; the day the file is complete)

   Booka files the residence authorisation application for family reunification with the Immigration Office of your province and pays the 10.94 € fee 790-052 per relative.

5. 5

   Decision by the Immigration Office (Administration; legal deadline 3 months)

   The Office may request additional documents; Bookahospi replies within the deadline. Silence on this initial application is negative: without an express decision there is no approval. In overloaded offices the legal deadline may be exceeded.

6. 6

   Reunification visa at the consulate (your family; timing set by each consulate)

   With the favourable decision, each relative applies for the visa at the Spanish consulate in their country of residence, with passport, criminal record certificate and medical certificate where required.

7. 7

   Entry into Spain and TIE (your family + National Police; TIE within 1 month of entry)

   After entering with the visa, each relative applies for the Foreigner Identity Card at the police station and pays the 16.08 € fee 790-012. Booka manages the appointment and the paperwork.

8. 8

   Work and Social Security registration for the reunified relative (your spouse or adult children; immediate)

   The residence permit for family reunification allows work from the moment it is granted, with no further procedure. If your partner is also a healthcare professional, they can start their degree recognition with Bookahospi in parallel.

How much does family reunification cost and how long does it take?

Official fees are low; the real cost lies in apostilles, sworn translations and, where applicable, the consular visa, whose amount varies by consulate and currency, so we do not publish a single figure for all of Latin America.

Can my partner work on arrival, and what happens with their residence afterwards?

Yes. Under RD 1155/2024 the reunified relative is authorised to work as an employee or self-employed from the moment their permit is granted, without applying for a separate work permit. This is a major change for healthcare families: if your spouse is a nurse or doctor, they can sign a contract as soon as they have their TIE, provided their degree is recognised and they are registered with the professional college. Those two tracks, degree recognition at the Ministry and registration with the provincial college, are independent of immigration and Bookahospi handles them too.

Residence through reunification is legal residence for all purposes: it counts towards long-term residence after 5 years and towards citizenship by residence, which for nationals of Ibero-American countries requires 2 years of continuous legal residence. In other words, your family joins the same calendar as you. What does not count towards citizenship is a stay for studies or training, which is why it matters that the chosen route is residence and not a stay.

By country of origin

What changes if you come from Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, Mexico, Peru or Cuba?

Your family members' marriage, partnership and birth certificates are apostilled (or legalised, if Cuban) in the issuing country, and each family member applies for their visa at the consulate for their district once reunification is granted.

• All are Ibero-American countries: Spanish citizenship after 2 years of legal residence (art. 22 of the Civil Code) and exemption from the DELE exam as Spanish speakers.
• Documents must be filed less than 3 months old and with a sworn translation if not in Spanish.

Consular addresses and districts: exteriores.gob.es. Apostille authorities: Hague Conference (hcch.net).