Whatever you want to call it there is a difference between a non Spanish EU citizen arriving, registering and staying in Spain as opposed to a non Spanish EU citizen taking full residency after a continuous 5 years. The first one is temporary by nature for a number of reasons even if you don’t want to call it that. I’ve just been looking at this myself as my wife is now an Irish citizen.

Either way the absence restrictions should not apply to an EU citizen.

You don't take full / permanent residency or apply for it, it just happens after you've been continually resident for 5 years. You're not required to have the EU document attesting to it, since EU regs say it can't be made obligatory to apply for one. Your rights are the same with or without it.

Permanent residence for EU nationals after 5 years

The first document - which you have to apply for if staying for more than the 90 days visitor allowance - is obligatory in Spain.

If you read the information linked by Red Eric it seems to suggest that you have to live continuously for 5 years, perhaps meaning there are absence restrictions.

I dont think I mentioned applying for it and 'take' is just my terminolgy meaning obtain it....... I think you got the gist of what I was saying ! I suppose some might ask how you prove permanent residency (to obtain the benefits it gives) without the relevant document even though it's not obligatory. In practical terms one would need the document.

Agreed that it makes perfect sense to obtain one - my response was really also to reassure the OP that her friend is not subject to any condition which requires him to obtain a replacement residence permit or document in order for him to continue to be legally resident.

The date residency started is also on that certificate, if it's more than five years ago then you've got permanent residency.

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I’d be very cautious with the “no passport scan = still in Spain” idea. I’ve heard that line of thinking quite a lot from people dealing with residency questions in the course of content creation and interviews, but it’s exactly the kind of assumption that gives people false confidence. No stamp inside Schengen does not mean the trip didn’t happen; it just means there may be no obvious stamp. If continuity is ever questioned, it can be assessed through many kinds of evidence, such as tax residency or Schengen trackers, not only passport records.

I don't think you have to get too hung up over the number of days absent, if you haven't left the country and registered elsewhere and are still a resident by the time of renewal then you're a permanent resident.

The thing that ensures you don't stay too long outside of Spain is your job or unemployment benefit, or the course you're studying, or your proof of income (and spending it inside Spain) on bank statements, or your Renta, or not registering elsewhere, etc... if there were an absence of evidence of living inside Spain then that could raise a flag when processing the application. But what's the worst that could happen? Starting a new residency again from the date of application.

Cunningham's law says the best way to get the right answer on the Internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer.

ChatGPT certainly helped post the wrong answer, it mentioned residencia de larga duración-UE which is for non-EU citizens and talks about residency cards when EU citizens don't have them...