Do Argentine passport holders need a partner / family visa for Spain?

Spanish Citizenship by 2-year Iberoamerican Residence. Maximum stay is 9999 days. Apply: https://www.exteriores.gob.es/en/ServiciosAlCiudadano/Paginas/Servicios-al-ciudadano-otros-servicios.aspx

How much does a Spain partner / family visa cost?

Mandatory fees total approximately 101.00 EUR. Service fees may apply.

How long does it take to get a Spain partner / family visa?

Typical processing: 365–1095 days. Allow extra time during peak seasons and for biometrics appointments.

What relationship qualifies for a Spain partner or family visa?

Spain family visa eligibility typically covers spouses, civil partners, dependent children, and in some cases parents. The family visa details panel shows the specific relationship types and any sponsor income requirements.

Stunning view of the Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park, Patagonia.

A detailed view of the iconic Casa Milà facade in Barcelona, Spain.

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Can an Argentine traveller move to Spain with family?

Partner / Family visa requirements · See all destinations for Argentine travellers

Recent change · Oct 2025

Schengen EES (Entry/Exit System) is now operational

All non-EU travellers entering the Schengen area now have biometrics (fingerprints + facial photo) registered at the border on first entry. Adds 5–15 minutes to your border crossing on first arrival; subsequent crossings within 3 years use the stored data.

Most Argentine travellers go through the embassy or consulate before they travel when heading to Spain for partner / family.

The route most travellers use is the Spanish Citizenship by 2-year Iberoamerican Residence. Stays of up to 9999 days, expect to pay around €101 in mandatory fees, processing usually takes 365–1095 days.

The paperwork is heavy — approval is likely if your documents are in order.

Straight from mjusticia.gob.es.

Partner / Family visas have major life consequences.

Long-stay visa decisions affect your right to live, work, study, or remain with family. Always verify with a qualified immigration adviser or the destination's embassy before making travel, employment, or relocation decisions.

Embassy visaPartner / Family

Spanish Citizenship by 2-year Iberoamerican Residence

Max stay: 9999days
Processing: 365–1095days
Fee: €101.00≈ $118.79

Apply on official sitemjusticia.gob.es

Difficulty3/10·Realism9/10

Why? ▾

Difficulty

Heavy paperwork

3/10

Lots of documentation, eligibility thresholds, or a sponsor required. Start months ahead and consider professional advice.

Why this score?

—Embassy/consulate visa application
+1Strong baseline access — visa-free tourism eases the application footprint
-2Long processing time (up to 1095 days)
-1Long documentation list (8 items)

Approval realism

Approval is likely

9/10

Most applicants with the right paperwork get approved.

What drives this score?

—Embassy visa applications generally succeed when documentation is complete and ties to home are clear
+1.5Visa-free baseline access — approval rates are routinely high for this passport

Step-by-step checklist

Your application checklist

1
Check your passport validity
1673+ days before
Most countries require 6+ months of validity beyond your travel dates and at least one blank page. If it's close, renew before applying.
2
Gather supporting documents
1657+ days before
You'll need: National of an Iberoamerican country, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, or Portugal; Continuous LEGAL residence in Spain for 2 years (other nationals: 10 years); Spanish DELE A2 language exam (waived for Spanish-speaking applicants); Spanish CCSE constitutional & cultural knowledge exam; and others (see full list above).
3
Submit the application to the embassy or consulate
1643+ days before
In person at the consulate with jurisdiction over your residence. Bring originals + photocopies of every document. Most consulates require a prior appointment.
4
Track the application; print the approval
7+ days before
Decisions typically take 365–1095 days. Print or save a clear PDF of the approved visa — airlines check this at check-in.
5
On the day of travel
day of travel
Carry: passport (printed visa if applicable), onward ticket, proof of accommodation, proof of funds, travel insurance. Border officers retain discretion regardless of visa status.

Show full requirements, fees, and source

Passport valid 6+ months

What you need

National of an Iberoamerican country, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, or Portugal
Continuous LEGAL residence in Spain for 2 years (other nationals: 10 years)
Spanish DELE A2 language exam (waived for Spanish-speaking applicants)
Spanish CCSE constitutional & cultural knowledge exam
No criminal record (both in Spain and home country)
Renounce prior citizenship — BUT Spain has bilateral dual-nationality treaties with most Iberoamerican countries, so this is a formality (you keep your original)
Apply through the Ministry of Justice once 2-year residence is complete
On approval: Spanish + EU citizenship

Fee breakdown

Citizenship application fee€101.00≈ $118.79

View primary source (mjusticia.gob.es) →

What you'll need

Partner / Family visa for Spain

Specific to Argentine passport holders.

Start ~0–12 weeks before your intended travel date.

Order these first — they have the longest lead time

Police certificate
Background2–12 weeks
A criminal-record clearance from every country you've lived in for 6+ months in the past 10 years. Universally required for work, study, family and PR routes.
How: FBI Channeler (US), ACRO (UK), AFP National Police Check (AU), state police of each country lived in.
Valid passport
Identity2–8 weeks
Most countries require your passport to be valid for at least six months beyond your departure date, with two or more blank pages.
How: Renew via your own country's passport office if expiring within 12 months.
Evidence of genuine relationship
Relationship2–4 weeks
Joint financial accounts, lease/mortgage in both names, photos across the relationship, communication logs, statements from family/friends — every modern partner visa requires this.
How: Self-compile over time. Most routes want 12+ months of co-habitation evidence; some accept communication-only for long-distance.
Medical examination
Medical1–4 weeks
Conducted by a panel physician approved by the destination's immigration authority. Includes chest X-ray, blood tests, and an interview.
How: Book directly with a panel physician — find them on the destination's immigration website.
Apostille / certified document copies
Credentials1–4 weeks
Hague Apostille on civil documents (birth, marriage, education certificates) for countries that recognise the convention. Other countries require consular legalisation instead.
How: US: state Secretary of State or US State Dept. UK: FCDO Legalisation Office. Other: ministry of foreign affairs of the issuing country.

Then gather these

Marriage / civil-partnership certificate
Relationship1–4 weeks
Original or certified copy of the marriage or civil-partnership registration, apostilled if applicable.
How: Issuing registry office of the country where the marriage was registered.
Birth certificate (and children's)
Relationship1–4 weeks
For family and dependent-child routes. Original or certified copy, apostilled if applicable.
How: Vital records office of the country of birth.
Biometrics (fingerprints + photo)
Background1–4 weeks
Captured at a Visa Application Centre (VFS, BLS, TLScontact). Walk-in is rarely possible — appointment slots fill up.
How: Book on the VAC website after submitting your online application.
Sponsor's income evidence
Financial1–3 weeks
Last 6–12 months of payslips, employment letter, or tax returns from the citizen-sponsor in the destination country.
How: Sponsor supplies. Tax returns may need an IRS / HMRC / CRA transcript, which takes a few weeks to order.
Certified translation of documents
Credentials1–2 weeks
If your documents are not in the destination's official language, you may need a sworn or certified translator.
How: ATA-certified (US) / ITI-qualified (UK) translators, or a sworn translator registered with the destination's consulate.
Proof of funds (long-stay)
Financial1–2 weeks
Country-specific minimum savings — e.g. ~CAD 14,000 (Canada study/work permits, single applicant), ~£1,334/month + £8,000 reserve (UK family), proof of income for digital-nomad routes.
How: Bank statements going back 3–6 months, sometimes a sworn affidavit of support from a sponsor.
Passport-style photograph
Identity1–3 days
A recent biometric photo to the destination's specifications. Most consulates require their own dimensions, not your home country's.
How: Any high-street photo studio, or app-based services that meet ICAO 9303 spec.
Online visa application form
Application1–3 days
The destination's online form (DS-160 for US, gov.uk for UK, IRCC portal for Canada, ImmiAccount for Australia, e-Visa portal for most others).
How: Apply directly on the destination government website — never via a third-party paid service.
Application fee payment
Application1 day
Payable to the destination government directly. Fees range from ~$25 (e-Visas) to $2,500+ (US EB-1).
How: Card payment on the destination's portal. Receipt required for the application.

Make your case

★ Hand-written for this route

Tailored guidance — Argentine applying for a partner / family visa to Spain

The same things a £1,000 immigration consultation would tell you — what evidenceSpain's caseworkers actually weight, a personal-statement skeleton you can adapt to Spain's framing, common mistakes that get argentine applications refused, and when it's worth hiring a lawyer.

What caseworkers actually weight

1
Ley de Memoria Democrática / Ley de Nietos — Argentinian descent of Spanish exiles route
October 2022 Spanish 'Ley de Memoria Democrática' (also called 'Ley de Nietos') allows Argentinians descended from Spanish Republican exiles (and broader Spanish emigration) to claim Spanish citizenship through original Spanish ancestry. Window: October 2022 to October 2025 with possible extension. Eligible: descendants of Spaniards who emigrated due to political, ideological, or labour reasons (broadly interpreted), Spanish-born grandparents/great-grandparents who lost Spanish nationality, women who lost Spanish nationality by marrying foreigners pre-1978. No residency required in Spain — apply via Spanish consulate Buenos Aires / Mendoza / Rosario / Bahía Blanca / Córdoba / Mar del Plata. ~700,000+ Argentinians have applied since 2022.
2
Spanish consulate application + Argentine civil registration documentation
Apply at Spanish Consulate Buenos Aires (Calle Maipú or Florida) or regional consulates. Documents required: Argentine birth certificate (apostilled per Hague Convention — Argentina is signatory) showing parent/grandparent name, Argentine marriage certificates linking generations, Spanish-born ancestor's birth certificate from Spanish civil registry (Registro Civil — apply to municipality of birth via family historian or Spanish consulate-accredited researcher), Spanish ancestor's emigration records (passenger lists from CEMLA Centro de Estudios Migratorios Latinoamericanos in Buenos Aires can help). NO Spanish language test required for Ley de Nietos applicants.
3
Sephardic route alternative — closed October 2019 but reopened cases continue
Argentinian Jews of Sephardic origin had a separate Spanish citizenship route under 2015 Sephardic Law — application window closed October 2019 but cases filed before that date continue to be processed. Required: certification of Sephardic ancestry by Spanish-recognised rabbi or DERSO Federación de Comunidades Judías de España attestation, DELE A2 Spanish exam, basic Spanish history/civics test (CCSE), proof of historical ties to Spain (surname, family records, language). If your Sephardic application was filed pre-October 2019 it remains processing — check with Spanish consulate Buenos Aires.
4
Naturalisation by residence — 2-year fast-track for Argentinians
Spain offers Argentinians (and other Latin American + Filipino + Sephardic + Andorran + Equatorial Guinean / Portuguese) a 2-year naturalisation route (vs 10 years for other nationalities) — requires legal residence in Spain for 2 continuous years. The 2-year fast-track is the second-fastest option after Ley de Nietos (which requires no residency). Apply for Spanish 'Tarjeta de Residencia' first, then after 2 years apply for citizenship via Ministerio de Justicia. DELE A2 Spanish exam + CCSE test required (Argentinians are first-language Spanish speakers, exempt from DELE A2 with proof).

Personal-statement skeleton

Fill in each section with your own facts, dates, and details. The structure mirrors what caseworkers expect to find.

Your route — Ley de Nietos, Sephardic, 2-year residence, or family reunification
Argentinians have many routes to Spanish nationality. State explicitly: Ley de Nietos (descent from Spanish ancestor with no residency required — window closes October 2025), Sephardic (pre-2019 filed cases only), 2-year residence + naturalisation (requires Spanish job offer or family ties), or family reunification (if you have Spanish parent / spouse / minor child). Each route has different documentation requirements.
Your Spanish ancestry — exact lineage chain
For Ley de Nietos: document the chain. Spanish-born ancestor's full name, birth date, birth municipality (e.g., 'María García López, born 15 March 1928, Vigo, Galicia'). Emigration date and reason if available (CEMLA records). Each generation linking ancestor to you via Argentine civil registry birth/marriage certificates. Include ancestor's profession, religion (if relevant for Sephardic), and any documents from Spanish or Argentine archives.
Argentine documents + Spanish ancestor's birth certificate
Argentine documents (birth, marriage, death certificates) need Apostille per Hague Convention. Spanish ancestor's birth certificate requires application to Spanish municipality of birth — many Spanish municipalities digitised civil registry pre-1900 and accessible via family-history researchers or consulate assistance. If birth certificate destroyed (Spanish Civil War 1936-1939, fires, natural disasters), 'Declaración con valor de simple presunción' notarial declaration accepted as substitute.
Future plan — Spanish citizenship benefits + dual nationality
Spanish citizenship grants EU passport with free movement / residence / work across EU + Schengen. Argentina permits dual citizenship; Spain permits dual citizenship for Latin American nationals + Sephardic Jews + Filipino + Andorran + Equatorial Guinean + Portuguese (under specific treaty). For Argentinian-Spanish dual nationals: maintain Argentine ID + passport while gaining Spanish ID + passport. State plan: settle in Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia have large Argentinian diaspora), settle elsewhere in EU (Spanish passport = EU citizenship), maintain Argentine residence with Spanish passport for travel.

Save thousands on lawyer fees

Use Claude to tidy your application documents before you submit

Caseworkers read thousands of applications. Tightly-structured, plain-prose statements get approved; rambling ones get refused or sent back for more evidence. I built this site after using Claude to polish my own partner-visa application — the £10,000+ I would have paid an immigration lawyer stayed in my pocket, and the visa was granted.

How to use it:

Open claude.ai (free tier works)
Paste your draft personal statement, sponsor declaration, or relationship narrative
Tell it: "Tighten this for a [destination] [purpose] visa application. Cut filler. Match the structured tone caseworkers expect. Flag anything missing that the officer will ask about."
Iterate until each paragraph earns its place. Then submit yourself — you don't need a lawyer for a clean, complete case.

For genuinely complex cases (refusal history, criminal record, prior overstay, sham-marriage concern) hire a regulated immigration adviser. For everything else, documentation quality matters more than legal representation — and AI is now extraordinarily good at the documentation part.

Mistakes that cost real money

Ley de Nietos application has NO Spanish residency requirement — saves Spanish housing + tax-residency costs entirely
Application fee at Spanish consulate: ARS 5,000-15,000 (~USD 5-15) — extremely cheap; don't pay 'Spanish citizenship consultancies' charging USD 1,000-5,000
Spanish ancestor's birth certificate via 'familysearch.org' (free) often substitutes for Spanish civil registry trip — many Spanish municipalities cooperate with FamilySearch digitisation
CEMLA (Centro de Estudios Migratorios Latinoamericanos) Buenos Aires has free immigration record search — Av. Independencia 20
Spanish municipality civil registry: free; allow 3-6 months turnaround by mail
Argentine document apostille: free via Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (Cancillería) Buenos Aires — same-day in-person; don't pay agencies ARS 30,000+
Argentine notarised translation (traducción pública) into Spanish — wait, your documents are already in Spanish; this saves translation costs entirely
Don't pay 'genealogy services' for Spanish ancestry research — Spanish civil registries are free; FamilySearch is free; many Argentinian historical societies offer free assistance
If applying via Argentine consulate in Spain (i.e., you're already in Spain), the process is reverse — apply at the Madrid Argentine consulate first for Argentine documents, then Spanish municipality for citizenship
Spanish DNI / NIE / passport application fees are nominal (€10-30) — pay direct at Spanish police / Foreign Office; don't use 'Spanish immigration consultancies'

DIY or hire a lawyer?

✓ DIY is fine if

• Standard Ley de Nietos application with clear ancestor documentation chain
• 2-year residence + naturalisation application via Ministerio de Justicia (after qualifying Spanish residence)
• Family reunification (Reagrupamiento Familiar) for Spanish spouse / minor child / parent
• Spanish DNI / NIE / passport issuance once citizenship granted

⚠ Get a specialist if

• Spanish ancestor's birth certificate destroyed (Civil War 1936-1939) — Declaración con valor de simple presunción notarial declaration needs specialist drafting
• Sephardic route case filed pre-October 2019 with pending decisions — specialist Spanish lawyer with Sephardic-Latino expertise
• Multi-generation chain with non-marital births (hijos naturales) or adoption — legal documentation chain needs careful framing
• Argentine criminal record
• Spanish ancestor was Spanish citizen but lost Spanish nationality before emigration (rare, complicated)
• Past Spanish visa refusal (rare for Argentinians, but if any flag)
• Multiple-country ancestry chain (e.g., Spanish + Italian + Lebanese great-grandparents) — choose strongest route
• Pre-existing Argentine military / political controversial role affecting Spanish good-character assessment
• Spanish ancestor's surname is unclear due to historical Hispanic naming conventions (paterno-materno reversal, religious name vs civil name)

Other visa types for this route

We also have data on these visa categories between AR and ES.

Tourism

9/10

Schengen short-stay (Annex II — visa-exempt)

2 options · See details

Work

2/10

Spain Digital Nomad visa (Ley 28/2022)

5 options · See details

Study

1/10

Long-Stay Student Visa (Visado de Estudios) — Spain

1 option · See details

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Sources & references

Every link below is a primary government source. We aggregate; the source is the authority. If anything on this page disagrees with a link below, the link wins.

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Who needs a visa for Spain?

Informational only. A valid visa permits entry subject to officer discretion at the border. Always verify with the destination's embassy or official source before travel, employment, or relocation.