Travel documents for non-EU family members

Travelling in the EU with your non-EU family members

Under EU rules, you have the right to travel together with your core family members (non-EU spouse, children, dependent parents or dependent grandparents) to an EU country other than the one you are a national of. If you have moved to another EU country, they can also join you there. These rules also apply to your non-EU registered partner if the country they are travelling to considers registered partnerships as equivalent to marriage.

Other non-EU extended family members - such as siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, as well as your non-EU registered partner (in countries where registered partnerships are not considered as equivalent to marriage) - may under certain conditions be entitled to have their entry facilitated when travelling together with you or when joining you in another EU country. EU countries do not automatically have to grant this right but they do at least have to consider the request.

Your non-EU family members must carry a valid passport at all times and, depending on the country they are from, they may also have to show an entry visa at the border.

There are a number of countries (see Annex II) whose nationals do not need a visa to visit the EU for three months or less. The list of countries whose nationals require visas to travel to Ireland differs slightly from other EU countries.

Contact the consulate or embassy of the country you are travelling to well in advance to find out which documents your non-EU family member will be asked to present at the border.

Read more about your non-EU family members' residence rights if they move with you to another EU country.

Do your non-EU family members need a visa?

Your non-EU family member can check if they need an entry visa from the country they are travelling to using the tool below:

Do you have a residence document from an EU country?

• Yes - I have a residence card as an EU national family member issued by an EU country other than the country my EU spouse / partner is a national of
• Yes - I have a residence document issued by the EU country my EU spouse / partner is a national of
• No

You don't have a residence card as an EU national family member - issued by an EU country -  or a residence document - issued by an EU country

• You must have a visa

In what EU country was your residence card issued?

• Schengen area country (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.)
• Non-Schengen area country (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania)

In what EU country was your residence document issued

• Schengen area country (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.)
• Non-Schengen area country (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania)

What EU country are you travelling to?

• Schengen area country (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.)
• Non-Schengen area country (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania)

What EU country are you travelling to?

• Schengen area country (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.)
• Non-Schengen area country (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania)

What EU country are you travelling to?

• Schengen area country (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.)
• Non-Schengen area country (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania)

What EU country are you travelling to?

• Schengen area country (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.)
• Non-Schengen area country (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania)

Your residence card was issued by a Schengen country and you are travelling to a country in the Schengen area

• You do not need a visa if you have a residence card as an EU national family member issued by an EU country other than the country your EU spouse / partner is a national of

Your residence card issued by a Schengen country and you are travelling to a non-Schengen country

• You do not need a visa if you have a residence card as an EU national family member issued by an EU country other than the country your EU spouse / partner is a national of. You must either be travelling together with your EU spouse / partner or you are joining them in the non-Schengen country

Your residence card was issued by a non-Schengen country and you are travelling to a Schengen country

• You do not need a visa if you have a residence card as an EU national family member issued under by an EU country other than the country your EU spouse / partner is a national of. You must be either travelling together with your EU spouse / partner or you are joining them in the Schengen country

Your residence card was issued by a non-Schengen country and you are travelling to a non-Schengen country

• You do not need a visa if you have a residence card as an EU national family member issued by an EU country other than the country your EU spouse / partner is a national of. You must be either travelling together with your EU spouse / partner or you are joining them in the non-Schengen country

Your residence document was issued by a Schengen country in a standard format in line with EU rules and you are travelling to a Schengen country. Or your residence documents was issued in a non-standard format which has been notified to the EU and is published online in the Public Register of Authentic travel and identity Documents

• You do not need a visa if you have a residence document (national residence permit) issued under national rules by a Schengen country and you are travelling to a Schengen country.

Your residence document was issued by a Schengen country in a standard format in line with EU rules and you are travelling to a non-Schengen country. Or your residence documents was issued in a non-standard format which has been notified to the EU and is published online in the Public Register of Authentic travel and identity Documents

• You will need a visa if you are travelling to Ireland
• You do not need a visa if you are travelling to the non-Schengen countries which unitlaterally recognise certain documents as equivalent to their national visas (Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania)

You have a residence document issued by a non-Schengen country and are travelling to a Schengen country

• You will need a visa

Your residence document was issued by a non-Schengen country and you are travelling to a non-Schengen country

•  You will need a visa, if you are travelling from a non-Schengen country which unilaterally recognise certain documents as equivalent to their national visas (Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Romania) to Ireland
• You will need a visa, if you are travelling from Ireland to a non-Schengen country which unilaterally recognises certain documents as equivalent to their national visas (Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania)
• You do not need a visa if you travel between the non-Schengen countries which have unilaterally recognised certain documents as equivalent to their national visas (Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania)

Applying for an entry visa for short stays up to 90 days

If your non-EU family members need an entry visa, they should apply for one in advance from the consulate or embassy of the country they wish to travel to. If they will be travelling together with you, or joining you in another EU country, their application should be processed quickly and free of charge:

• countries which are members of the border-free Schengen area should issue visas within 15 days, except in rare cases, when the authorities should provide an explanation for their decision
• all other countries (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania) should issues visas as quickly as possible

Visa application - supporting documents

Your non-EU family member must include the following documents with their visa application:

• a valid passport – to prove their identity and nationality
• a document proving family ties with the EU citizen (e.g. marriage certificate, birth certificate etc.) and dependency (if required)
• proof that the EU citizen is already living in the host country (if they are joining them)
• a declaration that the couple will travel together (if the family member will be accompanying the EU citizen)

This list is exhaustive: your non-EU family members cannot be required to produce any other documents to support their application.

(Visas issued by a country belonging to the border-free Schengen area are valid for all countries in that area.)

Arriving at the border without an entry visa

It is always best for your non-EU family members to be well-informed in advance and to have all the necessary documents before starting their journey.

However, if they arrive at the border with their passport but without an entry visa, the border authorities should give them the opportunity to prove by other means that they are family members of a mobile EU citizen. They can do so by providing proof of their identity and family ties with an EU citizen (for example a marriage or birth certificate) and, proof that they are joining or accompanying the EU citizen (for example, proof that the EU citizen is already living in the country where entry is sought). If they manage to prove it, they should be issued with an entry visa on the spot.

If your family members are having difficulties getting a visa, you can contact our assistance services.

Entry refusal

In very rare cases, an EU country can refuse entry to you or your family members for reasons of "public policy, public security or public health".

If this happens, the authorities must prove that you or your family members pose a "genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat".

You are entitled to receive this decision in writing, stating all the grounds, and specifying how you can appeal and by when.

Read more about EU entry procedures