SimonMicheal

Hi,

I'm British and moving to Spain with my none-eu wife and British son in November. I want to get my wife the residency card that EU citizens are entitled to before England leaves EU.

I think this gives me about a year to get her Spanish card so she can stay in Spain for 5 years.

Can anyone advise-me and let me know if there would be any difficulties?

Thanks

senp

The card with your NIE is obtained from the "Policia Nacional - Extranjeria"

You will need to be retired or working to get the residency card, or alternatively they will require you to have a medical insurance policy. This must provide the same cover as the public health service would provide.

If you are working the employment needs to be registered and the employer paying your social security.

Depending on the region of Spain you might also need a "certificate of empadronamiento" from the town hall - to get this, in turn, you need a rental contract of 12 months or over for your home, or proof of ownership.

Paperwork for all this can be a nightmare. I had to go about 4 or 5 times before I got mine! As far as I've been able to discover, you can only get this by attending, they don't do much on-line around here.

Good luck.

davidinspain

"You must be able to demonstrate that your life in Spain is financially sustainable. You will be expected to show bank statements that cover the previous three months and that you have a monthly income of above €800 per person" the amount can vary depending on Province you apply to.

soltopia

I thought EU nationals were entitled to a residency card without needing to prove any income?

Not sue if this will help the OP but can anyone recommend a region in Spain where it's easier to get the residency card?

I want to move to Spain soon before the chance is lost forever!

senp

Not in my experience. If you are retired, then you will be accepted. If not, you need to be working. In Girona, they required me to have a contract of employment for a minimum of 6 months and a minimum salary of 650 euros per month. In Malaga, they simply required me to have a contract of employment registered with the Employment office. So there are regional variations.

If you are neither retired nor working, you must show an income or funds of over about 5000 euros per year plus have health insurance that provides the same level of cover as you would receive under the local public health service.

Fred James

The residency card for EU citizens was scrapped some years ago. The only people who get one are non EU family members of an EU citizen.

Now, you have to register on the register of foreigners with the national police. To do this you must prove that you have adequate income and health cover. In return you either get a paper form or small card which is not proof of identity.

The rules about income and health cover are not clearly defined in the law, as a result, the requirements are interpreted in each office and sometimes by each person so it is difficult to say that one area is easier than another.

kenny35

Do they have fixers who can do the paper work and help with the process for a fee ?

Fred James

Yes they do and they are usually worth the relatively small fee to avoid the bureaucratic problems that can face the individual.

They are called "Gestors" in Spanish and describing them as "fixers" is a very apt description.

SimonMicheal

Anyone have a contact number of a decent Gestor in the Alicante area?
Thanks

OTA63

Oh Oh!! that could be a problem. My wife state pension is less than 800 euros per month. My own pensions will be fine though.

Fred James

Dont worry about it, combined with your pension is will be enough.

There is no "official" figure for the simple reason that the EU Directive on Residency and the equivalent Spanish law specifically state that there can not be a specific figure as it all depends on personal circumstances. To quote figures like €800 a month can be misleading.

A sufficient credit card balance is also accepted as proof of financial security. Ownership of a property and production of the relevant escritura can suffice.

You just have to put together as much evidence of your finances that you have and turn up and see if it is accepted. It's not even a question of the province you are in as it is a national law. Often it just depends on the individual who you end up sitting in front of. If you have a problem just try again on a different day or in a different office.

OTA63

Thanks Fred, that puts my mind at rest. I think!!
Bryan

davidinspain

"the amount can vary depending on Province you apply to"