Hello Fellow Expats, sorry for the long post, but the information I am finding on the internet is too basic to help us strategize on how to relocate back to Spain with our situation. Looking for some help!
My non-EU spouse (US citizen) was temporary resident of Spain through my EU Citizenship (I am a Belgian citizen) / family reunification from 2014-2018 — she had a both a valid NIE and SS# and worked for several Spanish companies and paid renta/taxes. Due to a family emergency on her side, we had to relocate back to the US for a period of time, and then were in limbo due to covid. We would like to return to the EU and would prefer Spain (over my home country of Belgium) since it is the most like our home and the residency process is pretty much the same if not easier for her (Belgium can be tricky too).
During this time away, her Spanish NIE expired (late 2019) and we did not have the knowledge on how to request a renewal from the US during this time or the implication of letting the NIE expire.For the record, she was not in Spain when it expired so she did not overstay or violate any residency requirements that would cause an infraction.
We are now are planning a permanent move back to Spain and I am inquiring to understand the following:
- Is it possible to renew her NIE and regain her family reunification residence status?
- Do we have to start the family reunification card process all over again upon return?
- Can we start this process while in the US (we are currently in North Carolina).
- I am not currently employed (my spouse is head of household) and I will need to re-establish myself back in the EU (i.e. look for work in Spain), but can show proof of funds (savings) and health insurance if required.
Please advise, I realized we have a non-standard situation, so it is very hard to understand what process we would follow to support our move back to the EU and secure my spouse's residency. Thanks for reading!