Floor 08 · British & other non-EU passports
The residence card for non-EU relatives of Europeans
Hold a non-EU passport, with a European spouse, partner, child or parent who lives in Benidorm? Then you apply on form EX-19 for a residence card as the relative of an EU citizen, the tarjeta de residencia de familiar, rather than through the ordinary permit system. One exception matters here: if your relative is Spanish, this card is not your route.
The relatives the card covers
- The European’s husband or wife
- A registered partner (pareja de hecho inscrita)
- Children under 21, and older children who depend on the couple
- Parents who depend on the European or on their spouse
Papers that tell your story
- Form EX-19, filled in and signed
- Your valid passport, with a copy
- The marriage, partnership or birth certificate that proves the link, apostilled or legalised, and translated by a sworn translator if it is not in Spanish
- The European’s passport or ID and their green certificate, or proof of their registration
- Proof that the European works, has a pension, or has enough resources and health cover
- The paid 790-012 slip and, often, a padrón certificate
Which office, and where
On the Subdelegación del Gobierno en Alicante’s page, the family-member card appears in the list for the Oficina de Extranjería in Altea, Calle San Isidro Labrador 1. Public hours there are 9:00 to 14:00, and the phone given is 965 019 300.
Fingerprints for the card itself, the toma de huellas, are taken by the police. Book through the cita previa system for the province of Alicante: your appointment confirmation names the office for each step.
Married to a Spaniard? A different route
Spanish citizens are EU citizens too, yet their non-EU relatives no longer use this card. The Delegación del Gobierno’s page on foreigners’ offices lists a separate procedure for them, the autorización de residencia temporal de familiar de ciudadano español. Write to us first, and we find out which office takes it before you book anything.
While the application is decided
When the application is lodged you receive a receipt. Keep it with your passport, and keep copies of everything you handed in. Once the card is granted, you give your fingerprints and later collect it, as with any residence card.
Questions on this floor
We are not married. Can we still apply?
Often, yes. A registered partnership counts. A durable relationship that is not registered can also be considered in some cases, provided it can be shown; ask us how.
Does the card let me work?
Yes. It allows you to work in Spain, for an employer or for yourself.
Does my European partner need to register first?
Yes. They need to be registered as a resident, with the green certificate. Many couples arrange the two steps close together.
Official sources for this page
- Subdelegación del Gobierno en Alicante: the Oficinas de Extranjería of Alicante and Altea
- Policía Nacional: directory of offices and their procedures for foreigners (province of Alicante)
- The administration’s cita previa system
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