Workers and pensioners

As EU nationals your husband or wife, (grand) children or (grand) parents may stay in another EU country with you under the same conditions that apply to you.

Check conditions and formalities for:

• workers/pensioners
• students

Your spouse, (grand) children or (grand) parents, as EU nationals, may live in your new EU country under the same conditions that apply to EU nationals.

Check conditions and formalities for:

• workers/pensioners
• students

If your spouse, (grand) children or (grand) parents do not meet these conditions (for example, you work and your spouse stays at home with your baby), they may still stay with you in your new country as your family members as follows:

Workers

If you are working in another country – as an employee, self-employed or on a posting, your spouse, dependent (grand)children or (grand)parents can stay there with you without having to meet any other conditions.

Pensioners

If you are a pensioner living in another country, your spouse, dependent (grand)children or (grand)parents can also live there if you have (for you and your whole family):

• sufficient income to live without needing income support
• comprehensive health insurance in that country.

Registration

Your husband or wife, (grand) children or (grand) parents, as EU nationals, may stay in another EU country with you under the same administrative conditions that apply to EU nationals.

Check conditions and formalities for:

• workers/pensioners
• students

If they stay as your family members, your husband or wife, dependent (grand) children or (grand) parents will need following documents to obtain their registration certificate:

• valid national identity card or passport
• your registration certificate or other proof of your residence in that country
• proof of the family relationship with you (e.g. marriage or birth certificate)
• for (grand)children, proof they are under 21 or dependent on you
• for (grand)parents, proof they are dependent on you
• if you are a pensioner, proof of sufficient income and proof you have health insurance for you and your family in that country.

No other documents may be requested.

If you have problems getting a registration certificate for your family members, you can call on our assistance service.

Their registration certificate should be issued immediately and cost no more than nationals pay for identity cards.

It should be valid indefinitely (does not have to be renewed), though they may need to report any change of address to the local authorities.

Equal treatment

During their stay in your new country, your spouse, (grand)children and (grand)parents should be treated as nationals of the country, notably as regards access to employment, pay, benefits facilitating access to work, enrolment in schools, etc.

Request to leave / Expulsion

Your spouse, (grand)children or (grand)parents may live in the country with you as long as they continue to meet the conditions for residence. If they no longer do so, the national authorities may require them to leave.

In exceptional cases, your new country can decide to expel them on grounds of public policy or public security, but only if it can prove they represent a very serious threat.

The expulsion decision or request to leave must be given to them in writing. It must state all the grounds and specify how they can appeal and by when.

As EU nationals, your spouse, (grand)children and (grand)parents can acquire the automatic right of permanent residence if they have lived legally in the other country for 5 years continuously, under the same conditions that apply to you.

This means that they can stay there as long as they want – even if they don't work or need income support. They should enjoy the same rights, benefits and advantages as nationals.

Find out more on applicable conditions for:

• workers/pensioners
• students

Death

Workers

If you were working or self-employed in another EU country and died before acquiring permanent residence there, your spouse/(grand)children/(grand)parents who were also living with you as family members may receive special treatment. This may include permission to stay permanently if:

• your death resulted from an accident at work or occupational disease

or

• at the time of your death, you had lived continuously in that country for at least 2 years.