How to fill in the EX-19 form (residence card for family of an EU citizen, Spain)

What the form is for

The tarjeta de residencia de familiar de ciudadano de la Unión is the card that proves your right to live in Spain for more than three months as the family member of an EU citizen who is not Spanish. The EX-19 is the form you fill in to get it: the first card, the permanent card, a renewal, or to keep your own right to reside if your situation with the EU citizen changes (for example death, divorce or gender violence).

You hand it in personally at the Foreigners' Office (Oficina de Extranjería) of the province where you will live or, if there is none, at the police station (Comisaría de Policía), together with proof that you paid the fee with form 790 code 012. The form is filled in by two people: you and the EU citizen both sign it.

The form asks for the original and a copy, in block capitals. The Ministry's own information sheet lists the exact documents for each situation; this guide follows the Royal Decree (RD 240/2007) and the National Police page.

Who needs it

The rules come from Royal Decree 240/2007 (articles 2, 2 bis, 8, 10, 11 and 14) and the National Police page for this card:

• You must be a family member who is not a national of an EU/EEA state or Switzerland, and you must come with the EU citizen or join them in Spain. Family members are: the spouse, the registered partner, direct descendants (under 21, older if they live at the EU citizen's expense, or incapacitated) and direct ascendants who live at their expense.
• Other family members who depend on the EU citizen or live with them, and a stable partner who can prove the relationship, can also ask (the form's "Otros familiares" and "Pareja estable debidamente probada" boxes). A stable partner has to prove a lasting relationship. One year of living together is always accepted as proof; if you have a child together, proof of a stable shared life is enough; in other cases the office judges it case by case.
• The citizen in section 2 must be "NO ESPAÑOL" (not Spanish). Family members of Spanish citizens do not use the EX-19: Royal Decree 1155/2024 (articles 93 to 97) has its own residence authorisation for them, and a card issued before that stays valid while the conditions are met (third transitional provision).
• The EU citizen themselves does not use this form. Citizens of EU/EEA states ask for their own registration certificate with the EX-18.
• You must ask for the card within three months of entering Spain. When you hand in the application you get a receipt (resguardo) that proves your legal stay until the card is issued.
• The card should be issued within three months of the application, and it takes effect from your date of entry. The police page says that if there is no answer in that time, the effect is a refusal ("desestimatorio"), not an approval.
• The first card is valid five years or, if shorter, for the period the EU citizen is expected to live in Spain. The permanent card (after five years of continuous legal residence) is valid ten years and is renewed automatically; ask for it in the month before the first card expires, or up to three months after, which can bring a fine.
• The fee (form 790 code 012) is €12 for the registration certificate or residence card of a family member of an EU citizen (National Police fee table, checked on the date above). You pay at a bank; you don't need an account there.

Before you start

• The EX-19, filled in and signed by you and by the EU citizen. The form asks for the original and a copy.
• Proof that you paid the fee: form 790 code 012, generated on the National Police website and paid at a bank.
• A valid passport. If it has expired, bring a copy of it and of your renewal request.
• Proof of the family link (marriage, registered partnership, birth certificate...), apostilled or legalised and translated if it comes from abroad.
• The EU citizen's "certificado de registro de ciudadano de la Unión" (the registration certificate that proves they are registered in Spain as an EU citizen).
• If your case needs it, proof that you live at the EU citizen's expense.
• Three recent colour passport-style photos on a white background.

Section by section

Here is what each part asks, in plain words, in the order it appears.

1. 1

   Espacios para sellos de registro

   The box at the top right is for the office's registration stamp. Leave it empty.

2. 2

   1) Datos de la persona extranjera: Pasaporte, N.I.E., names

   This section is about you, the applicant. Passport number, then your NIE if you have one, split into three boxes: the first letter (X, Y or Z), the 7 digits and the last letter. Then first surname (1er Apellido), second surname (2º Apellido) only if you have one, and first name (Nombre), as in your passport.

3. 3

   Sexo

   Tick one: X*, H (hombre, man) or M (mujer, woman). The form says X can only be ticked by people who have it recognised in their country of origin.

4. 4

   Fecha de nacimiento, Lugar, País, Nacionalidad

   Date of birth as day, month, year (dd/mm/aaaa, 2 + 2 + 4 digits). Then place and country of birth, and your nationality.

5. 5

   Estado civil

   S = soltero/a (single), C = casado/a (married), V = viudo/a (widowed), D = divorciado/a (divorced), Sp = separado/a (separated). Tick one.

6. 6

   Nombre del padre, Nombre de la madre

   Your father's and mother's names.

7. 7

   Domicilio en España, Nº, Piso, Localidad, C.P., Provincia, teléfono, e-mail

   Your address in Spain (street, number, floor), town, postcode and province, then your mobile phone and e-mail.

8. 8

   Representante legal, en su caso (NIE/PAS, Título)

   Only for applicants who have a legal representative, such as the parent of a minor or a guardian: their name, their own NIE or passport number and the title of representation (for example "Padre" or "Tutor"). Adults applying for themselves leave this row empty, and never write your own passport here.

9. 9

   2) Datos del ciudadano de la Unión que da derecho a la aplicación del régimen comunitario (NO ESPAÑOL)

   The details of the EU/EEA/Swiss citizen you are a family member of: passport, NIE, names, nationality and their address in Spain. The citizen must not be Spanish.

10. 10

    3) Datos del representante a efectos de presentación de la solicitud

    The form says to fill this in only if the person handing in the application is not the applicant. Otherwise leave the whole section empty.

11. 11

    4) Domicilio a efectos de notificaciones, and Dehú

    Where letters about this request should go. If you leave it empty they go to you, the applicant. The box "CONSIENTO…" asks to receive notifications electronically through the Dehú (Dirección electrónica habilitada única); you then need a digital certificate or Cl@ve to read them.

12. 12

    5) Situación en España del solicitante

    Tick the one situation that applies. RESIDENCIA TEMPORAL/INICIAL is your first card; then tick your link to the EU citizen (cónyuge, pareja registrada, pareja estable debidamente probada, descendiente under or over 21, ascendiente a cargo, progenitor de menor ciudadano de la UE, otros familiares). RESIDENCIA PERMANENTE is the permanent card. RENOVACIÓN DE TARJETA is a renewal. MANTENIMIENTO A TÍTULO PERSONAL is to keep your own right to reside after the death of the EU citizen, annulment, divorce or cancelled registered partnership, gender or sexual violence or human trafficking, or other cases such as child custody.

13. 13

    Declaration box ("Las personas abajo firmantes…")

    By ticking it, the people signing say the data and the documents they attach are true. Footnote 8 adds that you don't have to bring documents that an administration already issued or that you already gave in another procedure.

14. 14

    Place, date, two signatures, Dirigida a

    Town and date, then two signatures: the EU citizen on the left (or their legal representative) and the applicant on the right (or their legal representative). "DIRIGIDA A", "Código DIR3" and "PROVINCIA" at the bottom name the office you hand it in to; if you don't know the DIR3 code, ask that office.

Common mistakes

• Waiting too long

  The card must be requested within three months of entering Spain.

• Using the EX-19 for a Spanish partner or parent

  Section 2 says "NO ESPAÑOL". If your family member is Spanish, a different procedure applies under Royal Decree 1155/2024.

• Filling in the legal representative row

  Leave the "Representante legal, en su caso" row (NIE/PAS, Título) in section 1 empty unless the applicant is a minor or has a legal guardian. Do not put your own passport there.

• Only one signature

  The form has two signature boxes: the EU citizen signs on the left and the applicant on the right.

• Ticking several situations in section 5

  Tick only one main situation (initial, permanent, renewal or maintenance). For an initial card, also tick the one box that describes your link with the EU citizen.

• Writing the whole NIE in one box

  The N.I.E. has three boxes: first letter, 7 digits, last letter. Y1234567Z is written Y / 1234567 / Z.

• Foreign documents without apostille or translation

  Documents that prove the family link and come from abroad must be apostilled or legalised and translated.

• Arriving without the fee paid

  Pay the fee at a bank with form 790 code 012 and bring the stamped receipt.

• Bringing a single copy

  The form says to hand in the original and a copy. Print it twice.