Residency for Non EU national married to an EU national

I wonder if you can help.

I am a British National and my wife is from a S.E. Asian country. We have two children, both have dual nationality.

We are contemplating moving to Marbella. We intend to purchase a (re-sale) property outright. My wife would not work and our children would attend private schools in the area.

Our income would come from businesses and investments that are both EU and non-EU.

What difficulties would we face getting the necessary paperwork for my wife? She's not interested in Spanish citizenship, she would just need the right to reside in Spain.

Many Thanks.

Hello Potential Expat,

Once you settle in Spain and register as an EU resident, your wife will be able to apply for the residence card as a relative to an EU citizen residing in Spain. The main requirement is to show proof of financial resources ( dependent on you I believe ) and an updated marriage certificate duly legalized by the corresponding authorities that certifies the validity of the marriage in all countries involved; in this case, the SE Asian country, Great Britain and Spain. The usual obstacle in this kind of application is the legalization of the marriage certificate from the corresponding embassies involved in each country, as sometimes it takes long and the certificate expires ( the validity is 3 months ). Retaining the services of a solicitor to take care of the process and communicate with the official bodies is highly recommended.

If you have any more questions related to your specific case, you can contact me by e-mail by clicking on my profile.

Regards,