Residency Certificates, NIE numbers & Padrón

Originally Posted by mrypg9

All this is a tad confusing. I thought getting a Residency Permit in the Czech Republic was complicated and time-consuming.....so in the end I paid someone £200 to get it for me. I have never been asked to show it to police etc and when I present it with my passport when I arrive at Prague airport from my regular UK trips it is brushed aside with disinterest - not even glanced at.
I have made use of it only once, when I registered a car I bought. Before I got the Permit, I asked a Czech friend to register our other car in her name. I could have asked her to register the second one too. So the Permit is something you can live without here.
I understand that it's different in Spain so could someone please tell me EXACTLY what I need to do in the way of permits, certificates etc. so that I may legitimately do the following things as soon as we arrive in December:

register two vehicles, both lhd, both on UK plates and full Europe-wide insurance, both in my ownership for longer than six months and both with European Certificates of Conformity;

get an internet service provider sorted;

possibly -not definitely- open a Spanish bank account. I'm not sure whether I'll need to do this as we have off-shore and Czech bank euro accounts. Advice would be welcomed.

We will be permanently resident in Spain as soon as we find a suitable villa/finca. Just as we've done in the Czech Republic, we'll do what we have to to meet all legal requirements. We'll do it ourselves if possible, if not or if it involves hours and hours of standing in queues then we'll seek paid assistance, as we did here.

Nobody can tell you what you will need! There are exact regulation and agreements, which are signed by the European Community between third countries and Spain. The Spanish representations in the different countries do either no know about them or they prefer to make their own. As far as I know, there is not much we can due about this. If someone has some ideas, please let me know.
Just one sample about my own experience: I am a Swiss citizen. The regulation between Switzerland and Spain is absolutely clear and transparent. Swiss citizens and their family members, whatever nationals they are, have the right to reside in Spain without any further requirements, as long as the marriage is legal in Europe - which is my case -. My wife is stuck in the Philippines and cannot come to Spain. The Spanish consulate does ask her to make some medical tests and to bring a bunch of documents, which are not required by the bilateral regulation. It is impossible to contact the consulate otherwise as by calling a call center, with girls answering, which do not care and not understand your problem. They usually give you an appointment in six weeks from the time you call. This is the way it works.

[mrypg9]

What I do know is that EU citizens have the right to reside in another EU member state for 90 days. I believe that procedures for acquiring residency permits vary from state to state. Here one mayapply for temporary residence after this period, then after a further three years for permanent residence. If you are working, there are further requirements.
But since no-one stamps your passport at the airport control or even stops your car when you exit the Czech Republic for Germany, Austria etc etc there is no way of knowing whether you have spent ninety unbroken days here.
It will be interesting to see what happens when we reach the Spanish border by car. Friends who drove from the UK to Prague this summer passed through France, Belgium, Germany and the Czech Republic without one stop at a border control.
It does make one wonder what the point of all this bureaucracy is.
Even when stopped by traffic police here I've never been asked to show any proof of residency -or non-residency, for that matter.

Originally Posted by mrypg9

What I do know is that EU citizens have the right to reside in another EU member state for 90 days. I believe that procedures for acquiring residency permits vary from state to state. Here one mayapply for temporary residence after this period, then after a further three years for permanent residence. If you are working, there are further requirements.
But since no-one stamps your passport at the airport control or even stops your car when you exit the Czech Republic for Germany, Austria etc etc there is no way of knowing whether you have spent ninety unbroken days here.
It will be interesting to see what happens when we reach the Spanish border by car. Friends who drove from the UK to Prague this summer passed through France, Belgium, Germany and the Czech Republic without one stop at a border control.
It does make one wonder what the point of all this bureaucracy is.
Even when stopped by traffic police here I've never been asked to show any proof of residency -or non-residency, for that matter.

You are right. As long as you travel trough this countries by car, there is most probably no problem at all. But if you want to enter the EU by air, this is another story.

But here just another funny story, which happened to me 10 years, while first applying for residence in Spain. I was waiting in line, and in front of me was a north African man. When his turn came, he did ask for a working permit. The civil servant did ask him about his NIE. He did not know what this was... So she did ask for his residency, ID or passeport. He did not own any of those things... She told him politely that in this case he could not apply for a work permit. The man walked out the office, as he did enter.....

[mrypg9]

Originally Posted by Eva33

You are right. As long as you travel trough this countries by car, there is most probably no problem at all. But if you want to enter the EU by air, this is another story.

But here just another funny story, which happened to me 10 years, while first applying for residence in Spain. I was waiting in line, and in front of me was a north African man. When his turn came, he did ask for a working permit. The civil servant did ask him about his NIE. He did not know what this was... So she did ask for his residency, ID or passeport. He did not own any of those things... She told him politely that in this case he could not apply for a work permit. The man walked out the office, as he did enter.....

Amazing what some people will try to do......
I've never had any problem when I travel by air which I do, Prague-London-Prague roughly twice a month.
Never been asked to show the wretched piece of paper I spent £200 to acquire!
We're travelling with our dog, he's chipped,have got the passport for him, all vaccinations etc will be up-to-date so it will be interesting to see what happens when we enter Spain from France.

[Burriana Babs]

My understanding is that you MUST register for residency if you intend to stay longer than 90 day (three months)

European Commission - Your Europe - Citizens - for other Union citizens


European Commission - Your Europe - Citizens - Right of residence for up to three months


Residency in Spain - AngloINFO Costa del Sol (Spain)


Hope these pages help to sort the confusion for some members. Not sure why someone would not want to register residency. Help me out here.

[Burriana Babs]

For the Costa del Sol this gestor has been great for helping me with everything involved with residency.

Alain



ceibaconsulting
CL Los Cármenes, 4
Arroyo de la Miel
29630 Benalmádena (Málaga)
Tel./Fax: 952 44 00 04
Ceiba Consulting

[axarquian]

I am sill confused about certain aspects of Residency, can someone help ? If you apply for Spanish residency but remain in the U.K. for more than 183 days a year where you work, pay your taxes etc. are you still entitled to U.K. NHS facilities etc, and, because you are not in Spain for more than 183 days am I right in thinking that it is correct to pay taxes in the U.K. rather than in Spain. I ask because I intend to live permenantly in Spain in a year or so but wish to import a UK regd car now and avoid 14.75% Registation tax of approx 1200 Euros by registering as a resident now.

[Burriana Babs]

Originally Posted by Eva33

I do not think so! The "certificado de Registro de Cuidadano de la Union" is a separate document. It is of blue color and has the above written title. But really, since not even the civil servants know, I can not give a 100% guaranty answer. A Spanish lawyer told me: "The law and regulation really depends on the civil servant which is attending you...

Any Lawyer that would tell me this I would be very weary off. That is like saying Lawyers are not needed that the laws are interpreted by the civil servants.

Come on we all know that is not possible, we know they do interpret the laws as they see fit but that does not make it the lawfull interpretation.

[markjd]

I have now confirmed that my 5hrs waiting for what i thought was just my NIE number is in fact a combined NIE and residence certificate, all the threads and forums made it all sound so complicated ond seriously put me off but its done now and out the way

[mrypg9]

[QUOTE=Burriana Babs;60833


Not sure why someone would not want to register residency. Help me out here.[/QUOTE]


Well, if the situation is similar to that here in the Czech Republic, I certainly can
Paying £200 or alternatively queueing for hours for a document you will need only if you wish to register a car or get a mobile contract is quite offputting.
Especially as the queueing system in Prague is now allegedly controlled by the Russian mafia.
Most expats here get friends to register their car etc - insurance isn't adversely affected. You don't need proof of residence to open a bank account either.
I asked what I have to do as I need to register cars and get other things sorted and as yet I don't have helpful friends in Spain to do these things for me!
I'd rather be self-sufficient, anyway.