zavvi

Hello,

I have been a UK Citizen resident in Spain since 1990. I have my 'Certificado De Registro De Ciudadano De La Union' and my UK Passport as ID.

My problem is, that my passport is due for renewal in 12 months time. I have read that all UK passports being renewed from overseas now go via Belfast office and not the Madrid hub and the process can be carried out online.

What I have been told by the Extranjeria and, Police is that my Resident card is not a form of ID UNLESS, accompanied with a valid Passport, it states this on the Resident card.

So, if I send my Passport back to the UK for renewal I am basically illegal even without setting foot out of my house. I asked if I could have a photocopy of my Passport (Compulsado by Extranjeria or a Notario) and was told by all means but, if the Police stop me or Guardia Civil and I am without both original documents I could be detained or fined.

How on earth do I get around this red tape lunacy?

I do not plan on going back to the UK within the next 12 months so I cannot renew there, and even if I did go back I could not be there for the time it takes to renew.

Thanks

zavvi

HKG3

Can you not apply for Spanish citizenship, then a Spanish passport, before renewing your British passport?

HeikeundAlan

what is the problem thousend of us send the passports back to the uk, did my'n in august last year, dont panick you wont be put into irons.

Rosemary

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

Rosemary

I renewed my passport last year, it came back very fast due to the fact that I completed all of the paperwork on line first so when they received my old passport things were already ready.

Incidentally I have not carried my passport around with me for years because I use my driving licence for ID and this has never been queried.

Rosemary

HeikeundAlan

we carry a copy's of our passport shrunk and stamped by town hall

zavvi

It's not the irons that bother me it's the thought of not being legal and ending up with a whopping fine. I tend to have limited luck in that dept.

zavvi

I suppose it depends on where you are in Spain as certain police/guardia en certain provinces look at things differently. Guardia en my area told me that driving licence is not the correct form of ID for day to day.

zavvi

I cannot see how that will help me at all...

HKG3

When you become a Spanish citizen, you can apply for a Spanish passport as your ID in Spain. Once you got a hold of the Spanish passport, you then can send your British passport back to the UK for renewal.

Given the likelihood of a hard Brexit, it is a good idea to have an EU passport post Brexit.

chopera

I was told by the immigration office that I only need to carry around my Spanish driving license (which has my NIE and photo on it) as ID, along with a photocopy of my residency certificate. I've only ever needed my passport as ID when in a government office, or when using the post office.

If you can pick a month when you don't need to do any of that then you should be ok. These days I hardly ever need to show my id in shops, and the police have only ever asked to look at my id once in 13 years.

zavvi

In other words dual nationality?

zavvi

And if one does not possess a driving licence?

HKG3

Yes

zavvi

Dual nationality in Spain

Spain only has agreements for dual citizenship with countries with which it shares a colonial history or by proximity, for example several South American countries, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Andorra and Portugal. For the passport holders of any other country, obtaining Spanish nationality requires renouncing their nationality of origin.

So, not possible