The push to get UK nationals dwelling in Spain since earlier than Brexit to change their previous inexperienced residency certificates for TIEs has reached new heights, with Spain’s Inside Minister and Britain’s Dwelling Secretary now each urging Brits to make the swap.
The 2 most vital officers in Spain and the UK’s inside affairs have joined the decision to get all Britons in Spain to change their previous Spanish residency paperwork for brand spanking new ones.
That is forward of modifications to the EU’s border programs that might imply Brits residing legally in Spain are “treated as overstayers” by border authorities.
The EU’s much-delayed EES system of biometric passport checks may start in October this yr, after an settlement was reached in March between member states.
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Spain’s Inside Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, and the British Dwelling Secretary, Yvette Cooper, mentioned the difficulty at a gathering held on Wednesday in Madrid.
As such, they’re the officers highest up in every nation’s authorities to deal with the TIE matter, as earlier calls have largely been made by the UK Embassy in Madrid.
With the implementation of the brand new EU Entry/Exit System (EES), the TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero) will turn into the one legitimate journey doc for UK nationals in Spain so they don’t seem to be recorded within the EES and topic to the 90-day guidelines within the Schengen Space.
READ ALSO: UK Embassy insists Brits in Spain get TIEs or danger being ‘handled as overstayers’
Due to this fact, the Spanish authorities is now additionally upping the stress on Brits who’ve thus far caught to their inexperienced certificates and ignored the numerous calls to make the swap. In response to Spain’s Inside Ministry, the TIE will higher “facilitate their worldwide journey as soon as the brand new Schengen border management system comes into operation subsequent autumn.”
In response to a ministry assertion, Grande-Marlaska and Cooper agreed on the significance for British residents who’re beneficiaries of the EU Withdrawal Settlement and who haven’t but utilized for it to make sure that they get the TIE, as the present EU Citizen Registration Certificates, also known as a ‘inexperienced card’ or ‘inexperienced certificates’ that many 1000’s nonetheless use, won’t give travellers exemption from registration as soon as the brand new EES comes into drive.
As per the Ministry web site: “The EES will register the border crossing of residents who establish themselves with the ‘inexperienced card’, which can restrict their time of keep within the Schengen space to a most of 90 days in 180 days. With the intention to exceed this restrict, these residents must go to a Nationwide Police station to show their resident standing and ask for the rectification of the EES registration, in any other case they may face issues on the border when leaving and returning to the Schengen zone as they are going to be recognized by the EES system as ‘overstayers’.”
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The TIE, a extra sturdy biometric card that features and {a photograph} (unlikely the paper or cardboard inexperienced certificates) would be the solely doc that enables UK residents residing in Spain to bypass EES and keep away from the 90-day restrict.
This card “is the identification doc for non-EU residents resident in Spain that offers them entry to all of the rights recognised by present laws,” mentioned Grande-Marlaska.
Per Ministry figures, between 2020 and June 2025, the Spanish authorities have already issued 138,106 everlasting residence playing cards for beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Settlement and 1,890 for his or her relations, in addition to an extra 101,094 momentary residence playing cards and three,665 for his or her relations.
“Estimates recommend that some 50,000 British residents resident in Spain haven’t but utilized for his or her TIE,” the ministry estimates.
The British Embassy in Spain has beforehand referred to as on British residents particularly in Málaga and Alicante provinces to make the change.
In all, some 403,925 UK nationals have been formally registered as residing in Spain in 2024.
With the intention to pace up the method, Spanish police have reportedly elevated workers numbers, notably in areas with a robust British presence, equivalent to Valencia, Andalusia and the Balearic Islands.
Nonetheless, a few of our readers have beforehand commented that they’ve discovered it not possible to get a cita previa (appointment) on the federal government web site, making it not possible to hold out the change.
This can be attributable to the truth that there are organised crime teams which use bots to dam all on-line appointments the second they’re made obtainable, as a way to then promote them to determined foreigners.
READ MORE: €90 for a ‘cita previa’ – Spain’s residency appointment scams worsen
“Due to the time wanted to course of the functions and concern the playing cards, Ministers Grande-Marlaska and Cooper inspired British residents residents in Spain to begin the TIE utility course of as quickly as potential to keep away from difficulties and setbacks when the EES system comes into drive,” the Inside Ministry press launch reads”.
READ ALSO: UK Embassy singles out Brits in Alicante and Málaga for not getting TIEs
