Royal decree scraps ‘residencias’ for EU citizens – at last!
By James Parkes
Expats’ main bureaucratic headache, the residence card procedure, has been scrapped by a royal decree that finally brings Spain in line with EU directives.
Hundreds of thousands of EU residents in Spain will no longer have to queue up for hours to obtain or renew their ‘residencia’ cards thanks to Ministry of Presidency Royal Decree 240/2007 published in the BOE official state bulletin on February 28.
Although under European Directive 2004/38/EC residence cards for member state citizens were no longer a requirement, Spain had not carried out the transposition of the directive until the approval of the royal decree by the Cabinet on February 16.
The decree states that EU citizens who wish to live in Spain more than three months must personally request their signing on the Registro Central de Extranjeros register – a procedure that can be carried out at the provincial Foreigners’ Office or at a National Police station.
Residents must present a valid passport or national identity card to sign on the register and a certificate will be issued on the spot indicating the person’s name, nationality, address, NIE number and registration date.
EU citizens in Spain who already have residence cards will not need to re-register until their residence card expires, upon which they will be issued with a certificate.
A WORD OF CAUTION
Royal Decree 240/2007 comes into effect on March 28, a month after its publication in the BOE.
However, past experience tell us that one thing is the official date of enforcement but filtering it down to all local authorities and establishments used to dealing with ‘residencias’ as identification will not be as swift.
A press release on this subject from the British Embassy in Madrid recommends British citizens in Spain always carry with them some proof of identity.
Despite the non-obligation of carrying a residence card, residents are advised to carry existing non-expired residence cards or a passport when approaching certain local administrations or purchasing items with credit cards – as formal ID should be requested.
Turning up with the Registro de Extranjeros certificate, although officially sufficient, could prove an obstacle course that will be easily avoided by carrying ID.
OTHER BENEFITS
Royal Decree 240/2007 also includes residency benefits for non-EU citizens who are close family members (spouses, registered partners, children or parents) of EU citizens living in Spain.
You can download the royal decree as published in the BOE at: http://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2007/02/28/pdfs/A08558-08566.pdf.