Residency
 

Just to confirm, can someone point me to written official notes on how long you can be in Spain before you have to apply for residency. My solicitor has always told me 30 days, but someone else is telling me they think 90 days

Re: Residency
 

Hi Mitzy; try http://costablanca.angloinfo.com/cou.../residency.asp

Re: Residency
 

It's definitely 90 days.

From the Embassy website at http://ukinspain.fco.gov.uk/en/help-.../residence-req


Residence requirements

From 28 March 2007, Royal Decree 240/07 requires that all EU citizens planning to reside in Spain for more than 3 months should register in person at the Oficina de Extranjeros in their province of residence or at designated Police stations. However, you will no longer be issued with a residence card. Instead you will be issued a Residence Certificate stating your name, address, nationality, NIE number (Número de Identificación Extranjeros) and date of registration.

There is also a leaflet in English which explains the new registration process in detail on the Ministry of Work and Immigration site:-

http://extranjeros.mtas.es/es/Inform...ION_INGLES.pdf

Re: Residency
 

Hmm OK, I know a lot of advice given on forums has pointed to 30 days

Reggie, thanks, but I wanted official documentation not forums, just for clarification

Re: Residency
 

It`s in the free beer thread. :rofl:

Re: Residency
 

Yes, it's the same link I posted.

I think I may have found a reason for the confusion over 30/90 days.

If I stretch my (ageing) memory back to the early days of the residencia card, the rules then were that you had to apply within 90 consecutive days in Spain or apply for a "permanencia" which extended it by another 90 days - you got the same effect by leaving Spain and coming back again, so at that time 6 months was often quoted as the period after which you had to apply.

However the rules also said that if you came to Spain with the intention of staying permanently, then you had to apply within 30 days.

I am not sure if legally you could ever be proved to have such an intention but that certainly was the advice given at that time - we are talking well over 5 years ago.

Mitzy, maybe it was at that time that you had that (at that time, correct) advice from your solicitor.

It seems pretty clear under the current rules that the "intention to stay permanently" rule no longer applies.

Re: Residency
 

are residencia cards being renewed? mine has just run out & am not sure whether I need to renew it.

Thanks in advance

Re: Residency
 

You need to apply for a green A4 sheet, which is the new Residencia certificate, you only get a card if you are non EU.

Re: Residency
 

What is the relevance of a residency certificate.

We have our padron,NIE,OH has social security number.

What are the benefits of it.

I remember the residencia and permanencia from my first time in Spain but that was before Spain joined the EU.

Confused???

Re: Residency
 

no benefits at all to us - as far as I can see

you just have to do it

I think you now have to show it to get a SIP card, sign on the padron, get kids into school etc

probably not everywhere yet - but it will come.....................

Re: Residency
 

It is a requirement of living in Spain, read the attachment.

Re: Residency
 

The SS office won`t talk to you without it here. :D

Re: Residency
 

Thanks for the replies.

Will sort that out.

Re: Residency
 

I have had to produce my residency certificate a couple of times: to change my driving licence and to join a health club for some reason.

Does the 30/90 day thing really matter given that so many people seem to ignore the foreigner's registration and don't seem to suffer any adverse consequences. Has anyone ever been in trouble for not having their residencia when they should have?

Re: Residency
 

You could have trouble by having to pay an on the spot traffic fine with no discount, with residencia you get time to pay and a big discount. ;);)

And with the councils looking for money I am sure they could soon think of some fine for you for not having one.