Since July 9th, the Spanish Government has made available a new residence document for all those UK citizens who are protected by the Retirement Agreement: the Foreigner’s Identity Card or TIE. This new document means certain changes in the appointment process and anyone who registers from now on will receive the biometric TIE card, instead of the current green paper document.
In this sense, given the concern of the British community residing in Spain, we would like to highlight two key points:
- All British nationals, who are legally resident in Spain by the end of this year, will have their rights protected, including the right to live and work here, and lifelong access to healthcare for UK state pensioners, including those who claim a pension in the future. These are not affected by the current negotiations taking place between the UK and the EU.
- Whether you already have the green residency certificate – A4 or credit card-sized version – or the new TIE, they are equally valid in demonstrating your residence status and your rights as a beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement. And whilst you may choose to exchange your current certificate for a TIE at some point in the future, there is no requirement to do so. The green residency document gives you the same rights as the new TIE card.
If you are already resident in Spain, but have not yet obtained an ecological residence certificate, you should apply for the new TIE as soon as possible. To do this, you can request an appointment (essential after the new standardization of procedures after the Covid-19) in the following link:
You must take into account that all the procedures and processes have slowed down considerably, so the number of appointments available daily will be lower and this procedure may take longer than expected.
However, individuals have time to obtain their certificate of residence and as long as they are legally resident in Spain (meeting the current residency requirements) they will be covered by the Retirement Agreement, even if they do not have the document before December 31, 2020.
