I too had a green residency card that I exchanged for a permanent residency card just before the TIE cards came in. Exchanging the permanent green card for a 10 year permanent TIE was simple.

Steve

The only extra right you gain by being permanent resident is you can be away from Spain for up to 5 years before your residency is lost. Before attaining permanent residence, it's lost if you stay away more than 6 months in a year.

From the horses mouth: I changed my green card to a TIE before I had 5 years and had a temporary residence status. In January I changed that TIE card for a permanent in Alicante. First you need to get a cita previa - which is exactly the same as your original TIE one. Then complete the form - but this time ticking the box for renewal. Then pay the Tasa in the bank. Go to the office extranjería/ police station. Take passport and photocopies and old TIE. I had to explain what I wanted them to do which , admittedly was something new for them and the woman had to ask the manager. Then they said it was fine and gave me a paper telling me to gi to a different office in 5 weeks to pick up card. No need for more photos or prints ( altough I had a new padron but they didnt ask for it). Have to point out that I speak spanish so that makes it alot easier for them. All in all it was very straightforward and they were very efficient. So it can be done. Good thing is you have a card for 10 years and you can spend 6 months in UK and 183 days in Spain or up to 5 years in UK without losing residency. Incidentally went through passport control for 7 time since getting TIE yesterday. I show my TIE and tell them I'm a resident and not to stamp passport and they simply nod and wave me through. So everything does work as it should.

Nope. Not true. It is 5 years from your original application.

Rubbish

Fantastic! I will do the same. Iactually have an appointment for next week to go but was starting to lose hope. Hopefully in Valencia they will do it too. I don't really need the ability to be away as I vary rarely return to the UK, but my partner and I often talk about taking a year out to travel so it would be great to have the freedom to do so,

That's why I ended the post with it would seem. Because as I said earlier in the thread I was of the belief one could get a permanent TIE 5 years from official date of issue of green card. You have now explained how that can be done which is useful information. One issue for some of us is at Malaga they took the green card back when applying for TIE.

Everyone's green residencia form was requested and had to be handed over when we collected the TIE in Alicante. And everyone I know was given a 10-year TIE if they were a permanent resident (ie had done 5 years plus) I have found it extremely useful to have and much easier to provide name/NIE when I have been in Iberdrola and Movistar offices recently.

That's exactly how I understand it here as well. However I seem to remember reading on this forum that some did get to keep their green residencia, Ronnyone per his post kept his which was useful.

In Huelva Region we were able to keep our original Green Residency Card too.

Yes I was told this also by the Spanish lady who did my residency. When the 5 years expires on the TIE she said their is no real rigmarole and you then get a new TIE for 10 years and then renews every 10 years after that.

Not sure what you mean by no rigmarole? It doesn't automatically renew. You have to make sure you do it or else you lose your residency. So you will still have to go through the whole process again. The green card was automatic and there was no need to renew it.

The rigmarole of proving income and showing bank accounts etc etc is what I mean. Obviously there’s a process but nothing like the original one.

She specifically told me in 5 years time not to worry it won’t be denied.

That's my understanding we've already proved all of that.

We had green credit card size residency cards, and it was made plain that after the initial five years, we needed to apply for permenant residency. So we waited until after the five years had expired then applied for the TIE and were given permenant TIE Cards ( 10 Years). straight swop. This in Seville
Pete.