The law concerning Residencia in Spain was amended again in April 2012, meaning that Residents cannot now access medical care unless they are receiving a pension from another EU/EEA state or are working in Spain and pay into the system here. If you are on holiday here, then it is still possible to obtain medical care by presenting your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).
EU/EEA citizens must apply for their Certificate of Residency (Residencia) within three months of the date they entered Spain and present proof upon this application that they comply with one of the following:
- They work in Spain **
- They have sufficient funds to be able to live in Spain without the need to work. They must also have private medical insurance or cover provided by their pension entitlements.
- They are studying in Spain and have sufficient funds to be able to live here without the need to work. They must also have private medical insurance.
- They are the spouse or child of a person who complies with one of the above.
**You may also reside here if you have a temporary incapacity or have been redundant after working here for more than a year and are searching for work, if your job ended after working less than one year but you are looking for a new job or you are doing a professional course.
You must apply for your NIE number or Certficado from National Police Stations. Unfortunately, just to confuse matters further, different Police stations will use different systems and even different paperwork. This can be true of Police stations that are located only fifteen minutes away from each other! One may require you to be there at 7am to queue for a ticket to be seen that day, whilst another asks that you queue on a Friday to obtain an appointment for the following week. You may only need to complete one solicitud (application form) or you may be asked to complete two to have one stamped to present when you go to collect your NIE certificate or Certificado.
The same will be true of whether you receive the NIE number or Certificado the day you apply for it or you need to go back for it two weeks later. It is possible to read many different stories on the internet or in the press of individual’s experiences when they have tried to obtain their NIE number or Certificado.
If you need assistance with applying for your Certificate of Residency or your NIE number then please contact us at info@niein1day.co.uk or via our website www.niein1day.co.uk. We can also assist with driving licences and vehicle transfers.