[Anonymous]

Hi All,

Can anyone tell me the current position on EU citizens having to obtain residence cards when living permanently in Spain. I will be moving over shortly with my family and will not be working initially. I have heard various conflicting reports as to whether or not residency cards are required by EU citizens.

The Costa Blanca News Almeria states that the whole situation is in total chaos.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Regards
Ronnie

[mariadecastro]

http://europa.eu.int/youreurope/nav/en/citizens/guides/living/index.html

This site contains official information on residency of EU citizens.

Best,

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reply,

The link was very informative, from what it says EU citizens no longer need a residence card as of 30th April 2006.

Ronnie

[Anonymous]

As a Spanish tax-paying British citizen I am legally free to live and work in Spain without a residence card. And I did so for several years. Last December, I even managed to renew my Spanish driving licence without a residence card.

However, earlier this year I finally gave in and applied for a residence card. I gave in because I eventually became tired of explaining to everyone that I didn’t actually need one.

The fact of life is that every Spanish citizen is entirely accustomed to producing his little national identity document whenever asked, and every bureaucrat is equally used to asking everyone to show his or her card at every possible occasion.

If you haven’t got a card – or you produce a foreign passport when asked for a card – then in the eyes of most Spaniards you are obviously not resident. Of course, you know that you don’t need a card to be resident, but the onus is on you to prove to a sceptical official that you don’t need a card. This will definitely put your Spanish language skills to the test.

It is easier to go with the flow and give everyone what they want to see – an identity card. To help matters, the police have made it much simpler and quicker for Europeans to get a card than it was a few years ago.

[Anonymous]

Hi,

How and what do you need to get your recidencia then?

We have FINALLY got our NIEs as here in Asturias, because of the area we live in, we had to go to a central office for them…to get through on the phone took the best part of a month calling everyday several times, then the appointment was 5 months later…and now we have to wait 3 months for our cards…or maybe just for a letter asking us to get our finger prints done and thwen another wait for the cards!!!

What is the system for getting a residencia as the above process put me off the idea!!

Thanks
Heather

[Anonymous]

@heatherpsk wrote:

Hi,

How and what do you need to get your recidencia then?

We have FINALLY got our NIEs as here in Asturias, because of the area we live in, we had to go to a central office for them…to get through on the phone took the best part of a month calling everyday several times, then the appointment was 5 months later…and now we have to wait 3 months for our cards…or maybe just for a letter asking us to get our finger prints done and thwen another wait for the cards!!!

What is the system for getting a residencia as the above process put me off the idea!!

Thanks
Heather

The process can be a bit tiresome and the only alternative is to pay somebody to do it for you – perhaps your lawyer or a local gestor. However, your presence at the police station will still be required for leaving some fingerprints.

I believe the express residencia service is reserved for professional footballers. 😕

[Author]

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