Planning to
live in Spain and biting your nails
about applying for your residence
permit? Don’t worry ... once you
start the ball rolling, it’s not as
bad as you think, especially if
you’re an EU citizen. And, to get
you started, here is a guide of what
you will need ...
Once you have lived in Spain for a
certain time (depending on your
country of origin), you are no
longer considered a tourist and
should apply for a residence permit.
Fortunately, the revised foreigner’s
law, which went into effect on 1
March 2003, makes it easier for
European Union citizens to apply for
residence; also, those EU citizens
who are working in Spain, do not
need to renew their permits.
The normal residence permit is
renewed once every five years and
renewal is usually a fairly
straightforward matter.
Normally, you apply for your
residence card at your local police
station or "oficina de extranjeros".
As laws constantly change and tend
to vary slightly anyway from one
area to another, it is best to pop
along first to ask for a list of
exactly what you will need to
present.
How long can you expect to wait
before actually receiving your card?
This varies from town to town and
can be days, weeks or even months in
smaller towns. However, you should
be supplied with a document showing
that you have applied for residencia,
which can be used in place of the
residence permit.
Spain's "Tarjeta de
Residencia"
RESIDENCE CARD AND EU CITIZENS
Since 1 March 2003, two groups of EU
citizens no longer need to hold
residence cards: those people who
are legally working in Spain and
presently paying Spanish Social
Security; also, retired workers
entitled to a Spanish State pension
who have lived in Spain for more
than three years and have worked in
the 12 months prior to retirement.
Having said that, and although it
isn’t obligatory for these people,
the residence card is always useful
as easy proof of your status.
Everybody else should apply for a
residencia.
EU citizens no longer need to show
proof of income nor that they have
medical insurance – either private
or, for example, the British E111
form.
However, they will need to present:
- completed application form
- four photographs
- passport plus photocopy
RESIDENCE CARD AND NON-EU CITIZENS
Non-EU citizens will need:
- the visa or visado de residencia
obtained from home country;
- proof of financial means;
- certificado de antecedentes
penales showing you have no criminal
record;
- medical certificate – necessary
for obtaining the visa;
- consular inscription;
- medical insurance with a company
which has offices in Spain;
- passport and photocopy;
- three passport-size photos;
- payment of fee (not high);
- Spanish bank statement showing
income arriving from abroad;
- deeds to Spanish property or a
rental contract, plus photocopy;
- completed application form.
Non-EU citizens requesting the
unified work permit/residence permit
will need further documents relating
to their employer.
Your residence permit will include a
número de identificatión de
extranjero (NIE), which identifies
you to the Spanish tax authorities.
Many EU
citizens I know shy away from taking
out their residencia. This is really
not a good idea for, if you are
living in Spain, there are tax
advantages to being resident and,
for EU members, it is not a
complicated process if you have
basic Spanish. For those who do not
want the bother of seeing to it
themselves, it does not cost a lot
to use the services of a gestor
(licensed administrative expert).
So ... go on ... go ahead and take
the plunge! Get yourself legal!
(Due to changing laws, we strongly
recommend you consult the nearest
Spanish consulate in your own
country, or any "oficina de
extranjeros" in Spain for any
special requirements regarding your
own particular situation. More
information on residence permits may
also be found on Spain's
Home
Office webpage)
