What is pareja de hecho?

Pareja de hecho  is a legal status that a couple can apply for, provided that they have maintained a stable relationship within which they have lived together for at least 12 months (1 year). It is required that this relationship be considered public and continuous, meaning that there must be documentation available to prove it and that there has been no interruption in the time you have been together during the last year. This can be done using your empadronamiento, rental contracts, household bills etc.

If you do not apply to be a pareja de hecho you can only be considered as a stable couple, which, while useful in certain situations, does not come with the same rights or benefits.

A pareja de hecho is not the same as a marriage, please be careful with this as it is this is a common misconception.

So to be clear, to officially be recognized as a pareja de hecho you must register.

Many people try to register as pareja de hecho even when they are not in a real relationship, this is not allowed and you could get in trouble for doing it with a friend, roomate, or someone you are not really in a relationship with.

Pareja de Hecho in Spain

Spain does not have the same rules for pareja de hecho in each community and state. It is very important to remember that each community has their own rules about pareja de hecho, so you must pay attention to the rules of the community where you live.

Pareja de Hecho in Madrid

In Madrid, you must reserve a cita (an appointment in advance) to be able to apply for pareja de hecho.

Applicants must go in person to Los Madrazo.

They are open Monday through Friday between 9:00 am and 2:00pm.

If you have previously had residency or an authorization to be in the country as a student, we would like to remind you that the 12 month requirement of being empadronado (registered as living in spain) together are not as rigorous.

Before your appointment:

You can only take the documents to present in person if your presentation package is complete, in any other case you must present them through a registro (registry office).

Requirements to apply for pareja de hecho:

1. Must be of legal age
2. At least one of the members of the couple must be empadronado (registered) at an address in Madrid.
3. Live together in a free, public and recognised  way, during an uninterrupted period of twelve months – this means that there must be a papertrail of your time together and that neither one of you are legally restricted in your ability to be in the relationship, some of these restrictions are…
4. You must be single, widowed, divorced or legally separated.
5. The couple cannot have any family link (such as being brother and sister, cousins etc)
6. You cannot have any other unión with another person
7. You cannot be pareja de hecho with another person in a different community
   1. If you have just canceled a previous pareja de hecho, remember that to request a new one you must wait twelve months from the cancellation date.
8. You must not be affected by a deficiency or psychological anomaly that affects your ability to consent to the union.

What documents do I have to take?

1-   The request form

2-   Proof that you paid your tax form (model 030)

3-    Identification (NIF, NIE, Passport or your residency card) which must be valid, not expired

4-   Certificate of registration of your address (empadronamiento)

5-   Signed authorisation for the consultation of personal information and presentation of the request.

6-   Accreditation of emancipation (only applicable if one of the applicants is not of legal age)

7-   Certificate of your civil status.

A certificate showing civil status varies from country to country. This includes documentation showing you are single,  divorced, widowed (you must bring a certificate proving your spouse passed away, etc).

If you are interested in registering as pareja de hecho and you still have questions about this process, contact us and we can help you with the details in relation to your specific situation.