ID CARDS FOR EXPATS IN SPAIN

Listen to this article

‘Twitters from the Atlantic’ – by Barrie Mahoney

Barrie Mahoney was a head teacher and school inspector in the UK, as well as a reporter in Spain, before moving to the Canary Islands to launch and edit a new English language newspaper. He enjoys life in the sun as a columnist and author, and continues to write a series of popular novels, books for expats, as well as designing mobile apps and websites to promote the Canary Islands.

ID Cards for Expats in Spain

Most expats living in Spain are anxious to do their best to fit into their local communities, as well as doing their best to abide by the law. However, sometimes Spain does not make it easy for expats to abide by the law, and the issue that I raise here is a good example.

How many expats in Spain remember that rather useful identification card that was awarded to those expats who could meet the residency requirements a few years ago? This credit card size piece of identification not only carried the all important identification number and fingerprint, but a photo as well, which meant that it could be used for identification purposes in shops, banks, dealing with the authorities, as well as internal flights.

Sadly, someone complained bitterly that an ID card was an insult to the status of being a European citizen, and it should not be necessary. Sadly, he was taken seriously and the implications were insufficiently considered. The fact that most European countries have their own system of ID cards was overlooked, and so the decision in Madrid to cancel ID cards for all expats was no big deal, because expats from other European countries could manage quite well with the ones issued by their own governments, although still lacking the Spanish ID number.

Not so in the UK. No doubt many will remember the furore that the possible introduction of National Identity Cards in the UK caused. There was a predictable response about human rights and personal freedom in the press, which meant that the UK government could not proceed with the planned introduction to bring the UK in line with the rest of Europe, and the project was scrapped.

To the irritation of many expats in Spain, who were now left without any form of national identification, other than an A4 green sheet of paper issued by the Spanish authorities, this turnaround was nothing short of a disaster. The new form of identification did not contain a passport photo, which meant that a passport has, in theory, to be made available at all times, as it is the only valid and recognised form of identification that Brits have. Passports and UK driving licences do not carry the all important Spanish national identification number, and so the A4 green paper has to be carried as well. The authorities are also quite strict in insisting that the original A4 green sheet of paper be used and that copies are not acceptable. You can imagine the state of some of these flimsy and well-worn documents. A credit card sized version of the document was made available by the authorities in 2012, but was of little use since it still did not include a photo.

Many expats have tried to get around the issue by continuing to use a laminated version of their old ID card, which is against the law and can lead to a hefty fine. In my own case, I photocopied the A4 green sheet of paper, together with my passport, which I had validated by a notary, as well as the police. Both have been rejected on a number of occasions, with the authorities insisting on seeing the original documents. Most expats that I know now tend to use their UK driving licence, if they still have one, in conjunction with A4 green sheet of paper, but there remains a strong likelihood of the document being rejected by an over zealous ‘jobsworth’ without an accompanying passport.

It now seems that all is about to change with the reintroduction of the ID card for expats, sometime in 2014. This is an initiative that has been spearheaded by a group in the Balearic Islands who made representations to the EU, as well as to Members of Parliament in Madrid. The matter is now in the hands of the Head of Police and the Secretary of State who are studying the issue. It seems that something is moving, but as yet no there is formal confirmation or announcement.

For fear that this could be yet another case of ‘bar room gossip’, I checked the information with the British Embassy in Madrid, who have issued the following statement, albeit in Diplomatic Non-Speak:

“All EU citizens planning to reside in Spain for more than three months should register in person at the Oficina de Extranjeros in their province of residence or at designated Police stations. They will then be issued with a Residence Certificate stating their name, address, nationality, NIE number (Número de Identificación Extranjeros) and date of registration.

“We are aware of a campaign by some EU citizens resident in Spain to seek changes in the format of the Residence Certificate. Ultimately it is a matter for the Spanish authorities to decide.”

Although the timescale is uncertain, it does seem that something is happening at last, and it should become a little easier to abide by the law.

If you enjoyed this article, take a look at Barrie’s websites: www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com or read his latest book, ‘Escape to the Sun’ (ISBN: 9780957544444). Available as paperback, Kindle and iBooks. iPhone/iPad and Android Apps: ExpatInfo, CanaryIsle and CanaryGay now available.

© Barrie Mahoney

Filed under: http://www.theleader.info/article/42010/

Car and Motor Insurance | Spanish Home Insurance | International Money Transfers | Send Money to Spain | Spain Property | Online International Payments | Property in Spain
Costa Blanca Property for Sale | Cabo Roig Property for Sale | International Payments |