Rich1966

Dear all, hope someone can help me with this question.

I am dual national British/Irish.

I lived and worked in Spain for 18 years (1995 - 2014) paying tax and social security with a NIE registered with my British passport.

Can I return to Spain using my Irish passport and continue my contributions using the same NIE in order to safeguard my Spanish pension rights?

Thanks for any input!

Rich

Barriej

Your NIE is for life. Just like your NI number in the UK.

So yes can't see why not.
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DLC

Your NIE is still good but your residency has lapsed and I guess you'll be down as British, you would need to apply for a new green card using your Irish passport.

Lou71

I'm in a similar situation. I am not resident in Spain but I am now fortunate enough to have an Irish passport and was wondering if I should go to a notary with my NIE certificate to get my nationality changed?

It's a very old style NIE certificate obtained in May 1998 so it might need to be updated anyway.

Rich1966

Thanks, I was worried that, if I am resident with a different passport, that the authorities might not recognise me as the same person.

Rich1966

Thanks, how do I link that green card to my NIE? How do I prove that I am the same person, or will they even ask?

Rich1966

That might be a way to do it, maybe someone knows if it is possible

Rich1966

That might be a way to do it, maybe someone knows if it is possible

Moses2013

I suppose the answer is that it's just a Foreign National ID. Regardless of Nationality, it's not a green card and you still have to register residency. Obviously being Irish and still in the EU the normal regulations apply.

https://www.dfa.ie/irish-embassy/spa...-requirements/

Rich1966

Thanks!

DLC

Not sure, I wish I had your problem.

I guess you can show both an Irish and a British passport when renewing the green card. Maybe even show them the original expired British passport if you've still kept it so they can check it against the passport number they have on file.

I don't think your nationality (or rather, what nationality Spain thinks you are) affects your ability to draw a pension based on what you've already paid into Spanish social security. The only thing is things are much easier if you apply for residency as an Irish citizen.

bobd22

Although you have to show your passport to get either an NIE, Green Residencia or TIE. The passport is not identified on either green residencia or TIE. So on your residencia the number it shows is your NIE which is for life. I'm not sure about Irish passports but Spanish passports I believe retain the same number on renewal but UK ones don't.

DLC

Spanish passports used to just have the DNI as the passport number but that got changed to be a new different number on each new passport, even so the DNI is still present on the details page.

Rich1966

Thanks, that really puts my mind at ease

Notdunroamin

If you're not resident, or planning to become resident, then what does it really matter which passport you have?

The only time it might come into play is if you wanted to overstay your 90 days because unlike a UK passport an Irish one would not be stamped in and out.