In April this year, the Spanish Government issued a Royal Decree announcing that the Tarjeta de Residencia (the familiar residency card) was to be substituted by a new document, the Certificado Europeo de Residencia (certificate for European residents).
However, the exact changes and their implications remained unclear until recent weeks.
The Department for European Citizens, recently met with the Delegación de Gobierno in order to clarify what these changes mean in practice.
A-Z of the new
European Resident Certificate:
If you are a non-spanish European citizen wishing to reside in Spain for a period longer than 3 months, here are the steps you now have to follow:
Step 1. Get hold of an EX16 form.
You can do this by downloading it from www.mir.es, or by visiting the following locations in Mallorca:
- Department of European Citizens, Calle Alfred Bonet 6, Palma de Mallorca (tel. 971 177 440)
- Departamento de Extranjeria, Calle Ciudad de Queretaro, Palma de Mallorca.
- Calviá Town Hall.
- Tourist information offices within the Calvia municipality.
Step 2. Take the completed EX16 form together with passport or identity card (original and photocopies) to the Policia Nacional offices (first floor), Paseo de Mallorca.
Step 3. The Policia Nacional will give you another form to complete and request you to pay a fee of €6.00 at the bank opposite the police station.
Step 4. Once you have payed the 6 euro fee, you may return to the police station with the bank receipt and collect your European Resident’s Certificate.
If you can’t be bothered with the hassle, bear in mind that it is standard practice for Europeans to get local gestorias to do the paperwork in exchange for a small fee.
If you are currently holding a valid Tarjeta de Residencia, when your card comes up for renewal, you can follow the procedure described in the paragraph above
For Residents who applied for the Tarjeta de Residencia recently, it is likely that your application will be processed under the terms of the new Royal Decree. If this is the case, you will receive a letter letting you know where and when you may collect the certificates replacing the Tarjeta de Residencia.
For more information contact:
Conselleria de Inmigración y Cooperación
Telephone: 971 177 438/40