EX-19 Form: Card for a Family Member of an EU Citizen

The EX-19 is the application for the residence card of a family member of a Union citizen. It is the route for non-EU relatives of an EU — or Spanish — national, and it is faster and cheaper than the national family reunification route.

Who can apply on the EX-19

• Spouse, or registered partner in an analogous relationship, of an EU or Spanish citizen.
• Children under 21, and older children who are dependent.
• Dependent relatives in the ascending line.
• In some cases other relatives living with and dependent on the citizen, assessed individually.

EX-19 or EX-18: the difference

• The EX-18 is filed by the EU citizen themselves and produces the green registration certificate, which has no photograph and no fingerprints.
• The EX-19 is filed by their non-EU family member and produces a physical card — so it does require the fingerprint appointment.

Documents normally required

• Full copy of a valid passport of the applicant.
• Document proving the relationship — marriage or birth certificate — apostilled or legalised and with a sworn translation.
• Documents of the EU or Spanish citizen: ID or passport, and their registration certificate where applicable.
• Evidence that the citizen resides in Spain: work contract, working life report, self-employment, studies with insurance, or sufficient means.
• Health cover, and proof of dependency in the routes that require it.
• Registration certificate showing you live together.
• Receipt for the fee.

Timing and the card

• The application is filed within three months of entering Spain, at the Oficina de Extranjería or electronically.
• The legal deadline for the decision is three months; in practice it varies by province.
• With a favourable decision you book the fingerprint appointment, and the card is collected later at a separate appointment.
• The card allows work from the outset, employed or self-employed, and is normally issued for five years.

What files get refused on

• Relationship documents without apostille or without a sworn translation.
• No evidence that the EU citizen actually resides in Spain — this is the most frequent gap.
• Filing after the three-month window without explaining the delay.
• Registered-partner routes documented only by a private agreement, with no official registration or cohabitation evidence.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I download the EX-19 form?

From the Ministry of the Interior’s electronic office, free of charge, in the immigration forms section.

Does the EX-19 card require fingerprints?

Yes. It is a physical card, so there is a fingerprint appointment and, later, a collection appointment.

Can the family member work with this card?

Yes, employed or self-employed, from the moment the card is granted, without a separate work permit.

I am married to a Spanish national — do I use the EX-19?

Yes. Family members of Spanish nationals go through the same EU-citizen family route, not through national family reunification.

What if both spouses are non-EU?

Then this route does not apply. The route is family reunification, with its own income and housing requirements.