Residency Certificates for EU residents

[mrypg9]

Today we went to the Foreign Police Office in Estepona to get our NIE.To do this you need a one-page A4 form you can download from the internet, thanks to Stravinsky,your passport and one photocopy of it. On the A4 form you write only your name, address, date of birth, passport number and reason for living in Spain and the first names of your parents, e.g. Jan and Jana.We got there at 9.00 a.m., were given a number - 28 - on a slip of paper, waited an hour in a very pleasant, light and airy office with comfortable chairs. When our turn came, a very kind lady who spoke good English took the form we had downloaded from the internet plus the photocopy and after two minutes she gave us a piece of paper each, told us to go to the nearest bank, pay 10 euros each, get the paper stamped and bring it back to her. The nearest bank was 50 metres away, we paid, got the papers stamped, returned to the Police and the kind lady immediately took our documents, stamped them and gave us an official form with our NIE number. I then asked her how to get a Permanent Residence Permit and she said she had given us a lifelong one with our NIE as we had written on our NIE application that we wished to live permanently in Spain!!!
I am still reeling from the shock at how easy it was, compared to getting a temporary residence permit in Prague. You really don't need a lawyer as the process is so simple and the most basic knowledge of Spanish will suffice.
Thanks again to Stravinsky for making the forms accessible.
And I opened a bank account here BEFORE I got my NIE -just showed passport and gave my address.
Now for the next task -transferring to my ownership of a Landrover with left-hand drive, on Spanish plates. I have all necessary documentation, including Certificate of Conformity, itv etc.
Any helpful advice would be most welcome

[Eva33]

Originally Posted by mrypg9

Today we went to the Foreign Police Office in Estepona to get our NIE.To do this you need a one-page A4 form you can download from the internet, thanks to Stravinsky,your passport and one photocopy of it. On the A4 form you write only your name, address, date of birth, passport number and reason for living in Spain and the first names of your parents, e.g. Jan and Jana.We got there at 9.00 a.m., were given a number - 28 - on a slip of paper, waited an hour in a very pleasant, light and airy office with comfortable chairs. When our turn came, a very kind lady who spoke good English took the form we had downloaded from the internet plus the photocopy and after two minutes she gave us a piece of paper each, told us to go to the nearest bank, pay 10 euros each, get the paper stamped and bring it back to her. The nearest bank was 50 metres away, we paid, got the papers stamped, returned to the Police and the kind lady immediately took our documents, stamped them and gave us an official form with our NIE number. I then asked her how to get a Permanent Residence Permit and she said she had given us a lifelong one with our NIE as we had written on our NIE application that we wished to live permanently in Spain!!!
I am still reeling from the shock at how easy it was, compared to getting a temporary residence permit in Prague. You really don't need a lawyer as the process is so simple and the most basic knowledge of Spanish will suffice.
Thanks again to Stravinsky for making the forms accessible.
And I opened a bank account here BEFORE I got my NIE -just showed passport and gave my address.
Now for the next task -transferring to my ownership of a Landrover with left-hand drive, on Spanish plates. I have all necessary documentation, including Certificate of Conformity, itv etc.
Any helpful advice would be most welcome

Your post is really interesting and proves how differently thing can turn out in Spain, depending the civil servants and the place you do your paperwork.
I am Swiss and my wife and stepson are Filipinos. Following the bilateral conventions between Switzerland and Spain we (the whole family) is entitled to the same status as a Spaniards, with the only exception that we can not vote. But my wife did need to stay for 8 weeks in Manila in order to get her family regroupment visa. After arriving in Alicante it was very difficult to get the right information, where to go and what to do. Finally they gave a list with requirement and we had to do a “sita” per Internet. After three weeks the we went to the sita and it turned out that the civil servant forgot to put on the list that the birth certificate of my stepson has to be legalized by the “Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores” in Madrid. They gave us 10 days to do this, but where not able to explain how to do it. We only found out, because we did happen to know someone who also had to do the same thing. Thank to the numerous “dias festivos” they did accept our legalization even as it was more as 10 days….
And now, the big paradox. Last week more the 2 weeks after all was settled, a very friendly lady from the “Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores” did call me for asking if everything was ok with our paperwork, or if we do need some help!
Spain seams like one of those countries with the best and the worst.

[john j]

If you have to go to the police station to get them, where do you go to renew them? I need to do mine soon!

Thanks!

[mrypg9]

Originally Posted by john j

If you have to go to the police station to get them, where do you go to renew them? I need to do mine soon!

Thanks!

I went to Estepona, it's our 'local'.

[mrypg9]

Originally Posted by mrypg9

I went to Estepona, it's our 'local'.

Sorry, John, didn't read your post properly. I presume you go to the police station for renewal. Buyt once you have one, isn't it 'for life'?

[Eva33]

NIE is for life. I have mine since 10 years and no renewal needed. Even if you leave the country and come back a few years later, it is still the same.
some banks do ask for a NIE number if you want to have a resident bank account. If it is non resident, then it may be different. But this seams not to be applied in very consistent way. I was resident of Spain for several years and found out that my account was non resident, even that they had my NIE.....

[mrypg9]

Originally Posted by Eva33

NIE is for life. I have mine since 10 years and no renewal needed. Even if you leave the country and come back a few years later, it is still the same.
some banks do ask for a NIE number if you want to have a resident bank account. If it is non resident, then it may be different. But this seams not to be applied in very consistent way. I was resident of Spain for several years and found out that my account was non resident, even that they had my NIE.....

Yes, I have quickly learnt that there is no 'one size fits all' rule here!!!!

[flyboy]

I spoke to a friend regarding this matter, he has lived here for sometime and he tells me that no one is bothering about registering, not even the officials. I move out at the end of the month so I think I will suck it and see.

[mrypg9]

Originally Posted by flyboy

I spoke to a friend regarding this matter, he has lived here for sometime and he tells me that no one is bothering about registering, not even the officials. I move out at the end of the month so I think I will suck it and see.

If you're moving on, there's no point in registering. But if you are here permanently, then I think life would be fairly difficult without a NIE -you need a NIE for registering a car in your name and if you have income from investments in Spanish financial institutions,indeed any income, for tax purposes.
We went the whole hog -NIE, Residencia, Certificado de Empadronamiento - as this is now our home. As someone pointed out earlier, local government receives income from central government based on the number of registered inhabitants so if you want better roads, street lighting etc it makes sense to register and add to the local income.
If you are a temporary resident, you won't be concerned about these things.
Incidentally.....we have only lived three months on the so-called 'Golden Mile' but we have already sensed that there are a lot of people here who are, to put it tactfully, not what they seem.
Some might use the word 'dodgy'....

[Burriana Babs]

Yes it is very important that you register for the padron and your NIE. You will find you will need both often. It is not that difficult and well worth the effort.