Summary
- General questions
- Questions for UK Nationals
- Questions for family members, third-country Nationals, of a UK National
- I already have my residence document
GENERAL QUESTIONS
What is Brexit?
Brexit is the name given to the process of departure of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (hereinafter “United Kingdom”) from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community (hereinafter referred to as “EU”).
The UK’s exit from the EU took place on 31 January 2020 and the terms of the departure are defined in the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU negotiated by both parties (hereinafter Withdrawal Agreement). The Withdrawal Agreement entered into force on 1 February 2020 and provides for an orderly departure of the UK from the EU.
To this end, the Withdrawal Agreement foresees a transition or implementation period which expires on 31 December 2020. Residence rights are regulated in Title II of the Withdrawal Agreement.
What do I have to do to be recognised as a beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement in Spain?
To address the documentation process, the Withdrawal Agreement offers two possibilities:
(1) lay down a procedure of a constituent nature, in which a new residence status must be applied for in the host State (Article 18.1);
(2) Not to apply this procedure meaning that UK nationals will not have to ask for a new residence status as a condition for legal residence. In this case, those eligible for residence rights under the Withdrawal Agreement shall have the right to receive a residence document expressly identifying them as beneficiaries of the Agreement (18.4).
Spain has opted for this second option and it is therefore not mandatory to apply for a new residence document.
It should be kept in mind that registration certificates and residence card to family members of a Union citizen obtained before the end of the transition period will serve to prove their legal residence in Spain afterwards and to benefit from the provisions of the Withdrawal Agreement. However, as from 6 July, you may apply for the issuance of a residence document explicitly mentioning your status as beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement.
For those arriving in Spain after 6 July and in order to avoid double requests (certificate of registration of a citizen of the EU and residence document) a procedure for issuing residence documents under the Agreement during the transition period has been designed. Once this procedure is operational (6 July), applications for registration certificates or residence cards for the family member of the Union citizen submitted by the beneficiaries of the Agreement shall be processed as applications for the residence document referred to in Article 18.4 of the Agreement.
What will be my situation during the transition period?
The Withdrawal Agreement provides a transition period until 31 December 2020.
During this transition period, United Kingdom nationals and their family members who are nationals of third countries residing in Spain shall maintain their rights arising from the application of EU law.
After the end of the transition period, the Withdrawal Agreement sets out that their rights of residence, work, studies and social security will be maintained.
It should be kept in mind that registration certificates and residence card to family members of a Union citizen obtained before the end of the transition period will serve to prove legal residence in Spain afterwards and to benefit from the provisions of the Withdrawal Agreement. However, as from 6 July, you may apply for the issuance of a residence document explicitly mentioning your status as beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement.
Having a certificate of registration in force is a guarantee of your rights as a resident in Spain.
You can consult this European Commission document containing questions and answers on who benefits from the Withdrawal Agreement and what their rights are.
Who is covered by the Withdrawal Agreement?
The Withdrawal Agreement protects United Kingdom nationals residing in Spain at the end of the transition period, as well as their third-country relatives, being members of the family before the end of the transition period (except for future children) (see question 3.3).
What are the advantages of being recognised as a beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement?
Both Brexit and the Withdrawal Agreement make it necessary to know which UK nationals reside in Spain before the end of the transition period and which ones arrive after that date.
This is because the former, those who reside in Spain before 31 December 2020, will have the rights of residence, free movement and social security recognised by the Withdrawal Agreement. While those who arrive after that date will have different rights, either those that recognise the future relationship between the EU and the United Kingdom, or, in its absence, those recognised by Spanish law.
I have a registration certificate, can I still reside in Spain?
Yes, you can continue to reside in Spain. In addition,
you and your family members may apply as from 6 July 2020 for the issuance of a
residence document explicitly mentioning your status as beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement, which will
facilitate both administrative formalities and the crossing of the external border.
What is my situation if I arrive in Spain after the date of withdrawal (31 January 2020) and in the middle of the transition period (1 February 2020-31 December 2020)? What do I have to do?
The Withdrawal Agreement provides a transition period until 31 December 2020.
As from 6 July, the procedure for obtaining the residence document of Article 18.4 of the Agreement will be enabled. Therefore, if you arrive from that date on, you must apply directly for the residence document at the Inmigration Offices of the province in which you reside. It will be verified that you meet the same requirements demanded for obtaining the Union citizen registration certificate. Once this residence document has been obtained, it will be issued (in format Foreigner’s IdentityCard (TIE)) which will explicitly mention your status as beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement.
If you have already obtained Spanish nationality you will not need to do any formalities.
Will United Kingdom nationals residing in Spain obtain a work permit to continue their professional activity in Spain?
No. The Withdrawal Agreement protects the rights of EU citizens and British nationals, as well as their respective relatives, to continue to live, work or study as they do today and under the same essential conditions as under Union law. As a result, you will be able to continue working as before without any additional permission.
Family members of a UK national, third-country nationals, resident in Spain, do they have a special status?
Family members will maintain their family status throughout the transition period and thereafter.
I tried to get an appointment to get the residence document, but there are no appointments available online, what can I do?
Due to the various phases associated with the Plan for the Transition to a New Normality after the COVID crisis19, the number of available appointments is gradually expanding.
Remember that, if you did not have a previous registration certificate or a Union citizen’s family card, the procedure may be requested here.
What will my situation be if I arrive in Spain after 1 January 2021? What foreign legislation applies to me?
Unless covered by the subjective scope of the Withdrawal Agreement , United Kingdom nationals entering Spain after 1 January 2021 shall be considered as third-country nationals. Therefore, the general immigration regime will apply to them, unless a future mobility scheme is negotiated within the framework of the future relationship being negotiated between the UK and the EU.
If I am a beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement, I am in possession of a residence document issued on the basis of that agreement and want to move to reside in another EU country, can I do so?
The Withdrawal Agreement recognises the right to reside in the host country, however future mobility will be subject to negotiations within the framework of the future relationship between the UK and the EU. Should there be a lack of agreement in this matter:
For short stays: the rules for short stays within the Schengen area apply
For stays longer than 3 months, the national legislation
of each EEA shall apply.
If I have doubts, where can I get more information ?
Here→ http://www.mitramiss.gob.es/es/brexit/index.htm
Here→ https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta- political/files/2018-11-26_qa_citizens_rights_es_1.pdf
Here→ Guidance note on the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community
QUESTIONS FOR UK NATIONALS
1) I HAVE A REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE
How do I get the residence document?
In order to obtain the residence document, you must request a prior appointment and submit your application personally to the police establishments. The certificate will be replaced by the new residence document that will be given to you within the time indicated by the office that processed the card.
To request your prior appointment: https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/icpplus/index.html
→ choose provincia → trámites cuerpo nacional de policía (if it is posible tochoose) → choose Policia Exp tarjeta asociada al Acuerdo de retirada ciudadanos británicos y sus familiares.
Should I request it before 31 December 2020?
The procedure shall be operational from 6 July 2020, the date on which you may obtain a prior appointment to request the issue of this document.
Applications for the replacement of the registration certificate already in your possession may be raised at any time, including once the transition period is over.
2) I DON’T HAVE A REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE
Can I continue to reside in Spain?
Yes, but in order to facilitate administrative arrangements and border crossings and your recognition as a beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement, it is appropriate that you are in possession of the residence document. It is recalled that, as from 6 July, in order to avoid double requests, registration certificates will no longer be issued to United Kingdom nationals and applications for such certificates will be understood and processed as applications for the residence document.
If I arrive in Spain after 6 July and before the end of the transition period, can I continue to apply for the EU registration certificate? Or should I apply directly for this new residence document?
To avoid double requests, a system has been set up in which applications for registration certificates will be understood and processed as applications for this residence document identifying them as beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement.
How do I get the residence document?
In order to obtain the residence document, you may have access to the new procedure established for this purpose by personally presenting the application, you or your representative, at the Immigration Office of the province (Oficina de Extranjería) in which you reside, or electronically.
Among other requirements, you must prove that you resided in Spain before the end of the transition period (e.g. through your registration certificate, rental contracts, property ownership, employment contract, registration at a school). This element will be more important if your application is submitted after the transition period.
The procedures are as follows:
first
You shall apply for the residence document at the Immigration Office of the province (Oficina de Extranjería) where you reside or will establish your residence. You can request it in person at the office (personally or through a representative) but you must obtain a prior appointment. Go here→ choose provincia → trámites oficinas deextranjería (if it is posible to choose) → Trámite para la documentación de nacionales de Reino Unido (Brexit)
And you may also request it electronically. → click “continuar” → choose provincia and how you are requesting (for example: acceso individual) → click “continuar nueva solicitud” → choose “EX20 – Documento de residencia Artículo 50 TUE para nacionales del Reino Unido (emitido de conformidad con el artículo 18.4 del Acuerdo de retirada).
Second
Once granted, you must request its dispatch to the appropriate police unit. This procedure is face-to-face and personal.
To request your prior appointment: https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/icpplus/index.html → choose provincia → trámites cuerpo nacional de policía (if it is posible to choose) → choose Policia Exp tarjeta asociada al Acuerdo de retirada ciudadanos británicos y sus familiares.
Should I request it within a maximum period of time?
The deadline for submitting the application will be 3 months from your arrival in Spain.
How long will it take to get the residence document?
The deadline for deciding on your concession is three months. And after that, you must request its dispatch within one month of notification.
Can I apply for a residence document at any Immigration office?
The application for the residence document must be made to the Immigration Office of the province (Oficina de Extranjería) in which you reside or where you are planning to establish your residence. Remember that you can make the request electronically.
Can another person file the residence document application in my place?
Requests to Immigration offices may be made by a duly accredited representative.
On the other hand, the application for the issuance of the residence document (the physical card) to the police units must be made personally by the person concerned. Similarly, the collection must be carried out by the person concerned and presenting a valid and current passport.
INFORMATION ON DOCUMENTATION AND PROCEDURE
Should the required documents be originals or copies (compulsed)?
The documents must be original.
If you apply electronically for the residence document (procedure to be authorised for those who have not obtained a prior registration certificate) you will provide copies of it. It is recalled that an electronic signature system must be in place in order to make the electronic application.
Is it necessary for me to prove my income?
Proof of sufficient income will only be required if you do not have a previous registration certificate and do not perform a professional or work activity in Spain.
Is it necessary for you to provide a criminal record certificate?
You must not provide it together with your request.
However, the competent authority may verify the existence of a criminal record
and, where appropriate, refuse documentation on this ground considering it
would affect public policy.
If I arrive in Spain after 6 July, I must request the document within 3 months of the entry date, what happens if I submit the request later?
A sufficient additional time limit will be granted only if sufficiently serious reasons (e.g. serious illness) are established. These cases will be assessed individually by the Immigration Office.
While I get the new residence document, can I continue working or studying in Spain?
Yes, I can.
What will be the cost of the new residence document?
The card fee must be paid, which can be found on the website of the Ministry of the Interior.
During the procedure, will I be able to access the processing status?
Yes, and if it is necessary to provide any additional documentation, it will be the administration itself that will contact you electronically or at your postal address. If you have provided an e-mail for notification purposes, please be aware of it.
What happens if an application is rejected? What will be the deadlines for filing an appeal?
If your application is rejected, you may file a complaint through administrative channels. The decision itself will tell you the formalities relating to the appeal, deadlines, and to whom you must submit it. After this analysis in administrative proceedings, you will be able to go to court.
Have I been residing in Spain for more than 5 years, will I be able to maintain or have access to permanent residence?
Yes, you will. However, obtaining a permanent residence document will require a procedure before the police unit (if you already have a temporary or permanent registration certificate) or taking two steps (if there is no registration certificate) at the Immigration Office and the police unit. Remember that procedures with Immigration offices (Oficinas de Extranjería) can be done electronically. Periods of residence prior to departure from the United Kingdom from the EU shall be taken into consideration.
QUESTIONS FOR FAMILY MEMBERS, THIRD-COUNTRY NATIONALS, OF A UK NATIONAL
Do family members of a United Kingdom national, third-country nationals, resident in Spain, have a special status?
Family members are beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement and are therefore entitled to obtain the residence document under article 18.4.
If they are in possession of a residence card for a family member of the EU citizen, they may apply to the police authorities for it to be replaced by the residence document.
If, on the other hand, they do not have a family member’s card of a citizen of the Union or have had it, but they have been resident in Spain for more than five years without having access to the permanent card, they may apply to the Immigration office (Oficina de Extranjería) in the province where they reside for the residence document, which will be assessed individually and which, if resolved positively, will allow them to request the issuance of the document.
What are the conditions for members of the UK family?
Family members of United Kingdom nationals shall be beneficiaries provided that they satisfy one of the following conditions:
- Have resided in Spain before the end of the transition period and continue to reside here after this period;
- Have not resided in Spain before the end of the transition period, but have a direct link with a national of the United Kingdom before the end of the transition period and, at the time when they are to be reunited with them, (e.g. with regard to spouses, dependent ascendants.
- To be a first-degree consanguineous or adoptive descendant of a national of the United Kingdom and that the birth or adoption took place before or after the end of the transition period, in Spain or in a different place, provided that, at the time they are reunited with him, they are members of the nuclear or direct family as described in question 3.3 and meet one of the following conditions:
- Both parents are nationals of the United Kingdom
- One of the parents is a national of the United Kingdom and the other of Spanish nationality, or one of the parents is a national of the United Kingdom and has the right of joint or exclusive custody of the child.
- Family members who have resided in Spain in accordance with Articles 12 and 13, Article 16(2) and Articles 17 and 18 of Directive 2004/38/EC before the end of the transition period and who continue to reside there after that period.
Who are considered family members?
According to the definitions of the Withdrawal Agreement, both the so- called nuclear family and the so-called extended family should be taken into account provided that the family relationship (marriage, registered partner, long-term relationship, etc.) has been established before the end of the transition period and is maintained when the right of residence is to be exercised.
It is considered nuclear family as set out in the Withdrawal Agreement:
- The spouse
- The partner with whom the UK citizen is in a union analogous to a conjugal union entered in a public register established for that purpose in a Member State of the European Union or in a State party to the European Economic Area, provided that such entry has not been cancelled.
- Their direct descendants, and those of their spouse or registered partner
- Their direct ascendants, and those of their spouse or registered partner living in their care
It will also apply to the extended family, in the framework of the withdrawal agreement as follows:
- Another member of the family, regardless of nationality, who does not fall within the above definitions and who, in the country of origin, is dependent on or lives with the EU citizen who has the right of residence on a principal basis, or where, for serious health reasons, it is strictly necessary for the citizen of the EU to take care of the family member’s personal care;
- The couple with whom the citizen of the Union has a stable relationship, duly proven.
However, this will apply to members of the extended family whose application for entry and residence under the Withdrawal Agreement was submitted before the end of the transition period and whose procedure is pending after the transition period.
Are there other cases where other people can enjoy the right of residence, for example, to care for a minor EU citizen?
Yes, there are. In addition, Article 9(a)(ii) of the Withdrawal Agreement goes beyond the reference to persons actually caring for another person (such as a parent caring for a minor) and is worded more openly, to allow its application also to persons other than those actually caring for another person (e.g. also minor siblings who are actually cared for by the same person or persons as the minor EU citizen).
Can future family members benefit from the Withdrawal Agreement?
Future family members do not have residence rights under the Withdrawal Agreement, with the sole exception of future children (born or legally adopted by European Union citizens or UK nationals).
I HAVE A RESIDENCE CARD TO FAMILY MEMBERS OF A UNION CITIZEN
How do I get the residence document?
In order to obtain the residence document, you must request a prior appointment and submit your application personally to the police establishments. Your temporary or permanent residence card to family members of a Union citizen shall be replaced by the new residence document which will be given to you within a period specified by the office that processed the card.
To request your prior appointment:
https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/icpplus/index.html →choose provincia → trámites cuerpo nacional de policía (if it is posible to choose) →choose Policia Exp tarjeta asociada al Acuerdo de retirada ciudadanos británicos y sus familiares.
If you have a temporary residence card to family members of a Union citizen, but have already reached 5 years of residence in Spain, you will be able to access the new procedure established for this purpose, by personally submitting the application, you or your representative, at the Immigration office of the province in which you reside (Oficina de Extranjería), or electronically.
The procedures are as follows:
FIRST
You shall apply for the residence document at the Immigration office of the province where you reside or are going to establish your residence. You can request it in person at the office (personally or through a representative) but you must obtain a prior appointment. Go here →choose provincia →trámites oficinas de extranjería (if it is posible to choose) → Trámite documentación nacionales terceros países familiares de nacionales de Reino Unido (Brexit)
—or electronically. →click “continuar” → choose provincia and how you are requesting (for example: acceso individual) → click “continuar nueva solicitud” → choose ““EX21 – Documento de residencia Artículo 50 TUEpara familiares de nacionales del Reino Unido (emitido de conformidad con el artículo 18.4 del Acuerdo de retirada)”
SECOND
Once granted, you must request its dispatch to the appropriate police unit. This procedure is face-to-face and personal.
To request your prior appointment: https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/icpplus/index.html→choose provincia →trámites cuerpo nacional de policía (if it is posible to choose) →choose Policia Exp tarjeta asociada al Acuerdo de retirada ciudadanos británicos y sus familiares.
Should I request it before 31 December 2020?
The procedure will be operational from 6 July 2020, when an appointment can be made for the issue of this document.
Applications for the replacement of the residence card to family members of a Union citizen that you already hold may be raised at any time, including at the end of the transition period.
Remember, however, that your residence card to family members of a Union citizen will remain valid until it expires and serves to prove your legal residence in Spain after the end of the transition period and therefore benefit from the provisions of the Withdrawal Agreement. Therefore, please apply for this residence document when your card is about to expire.
I DON’T HAVE A RESIDENCE CARD TO FAMILY MEMBERS OF A UNION CITIZEN
If I arrive in Spain after 6 July and before the end of the transition period, can I continue by applying for the residence card to family members of a Union citizen? Or should I apply directly for this new residence document?
To avoid double requests, a system has been deployed in which applications for residence card to family members of a Union citizen for beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement will be understood and processed as applications for this residence document identifying them as beneficiaries of the Agreement.
How do I get the residence document?
To obtain the residence document, you can access the new procedure established for this purpose, personally presenting the application, you or your representative, at the Immigration office (Oficina de Extranjería) of the province in which you reside, or electronically
The procedures are as follows:
FIRST
You shall apply for the residence document at the Immigration office of the province where you reside or are going to establish your residence.
You can request it in person at the office (personally or through a representative) but you must obtain a prior appointment. Go here →choose provincia →trámites oficinas de extranjería (if it is posible to choose) → Trámite documentación nacionales terceros países familiares de nacionales de Reino Unido (Brexit)
or electronically. → click “continuar” → choose provincia and how you are requesting (for example: acceso individual) → click “continuar nueva solicitud” → choose ““EX21 – Documento de residencia Artículo 50 TUE para familiares de nacionales del Reino Unido (emitido de conformidad con el artículo 18.4 del Acuerdo de retirada)”
SECOND
Once granted, you must request its dispatch to the appropriate police unit. This procedure is face-to-face and personal.
To request your prior appointment: https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/icpplus/index.html →choose provincia → trámites Cuerpo Nacional de Policía (if it is posible to choose) → choose Policia Exp tarjeta asociada al Acuerdo de retirada ciudadanos británicos y sus familiares.
Should I request it within a maximum period of time?
If you arrive from July 6, the deadline for submitting the application will be 3 months from your arrival in Spain.
A sufficient additional time limit will be granted only if sufficiently serious reasons (e.g. serious illness) are established. These cases will be assessed individually by the foreign office.
How long will it take to get the residence document?
The deadline for deciding on your concession is three months. And after that, it must request its dispatch within one month of notification.
Can I apply for a residence document at any foreigner’s office?
The application for the residence document must be made to the Immigration Office of the province (Oficina de Extranjería) in which you reside or where you are to establish your residence. Remember that you can make the request electronically.
Can another person file the residence document application in my place?
Requests to foreign offices may be made by a duly accredited representative.
On the other hand, the application for the issuance of the residence document (the physical card) to the police units must be made personally by the person concerned. Similarly, the collection of the same must be carried out by the interested party himself.
I ALREADY HAVE MY RESIDENCE DOCUMENT
Where can I renew the residence document that identifies me as a beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement?
Residence documents that identify you as a beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement may be renewed before the police units authorised to do so when they have expired.
When should I renew the residence document that identifies me as a beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement?
The residence document of beneficiary of the Agreement must be renewed 30 days before the document expires or within 90 days of the expiry date of the Agreement.
How long can I renew the residence document?
In cases where a temporary residence document is in possession, a residence document shall be issued for 10 years, automatically renewable every 10 years, and the term “Permanent” shall be entered in the field corresponding to the Permission Type.
In cases where the person concerned holds a permanent
residence document, a residence
document shall be issued for 10 years,
automatically renewable every 10 years. Failure
to submit an application for renewal of the
residence document within the time limits laid down in paragraph 2 shall in no
case entail a loss of the right of permanent
residence.
What documentation do I have to provide?
- Application form EX23.
- Passport in force or copy of expired. If the passport is expired, a copy of the passport and the renewal application must be provided.
- Proof-of-charge form (Model 790. Code 012). The paragraph “Certificate of Community resident registration or residence card of a family member of a Union citizen” should be marked.
- 1 photograph according to the requirements established in the regulations on national identity document.
Once I have a temporary residence document that identifies me as a beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement, I have reached 5 years of legal residence in Spain before the document expires. Can I apply for the permanent residence document?
Yes. Those persons who have reached 5 years of legal residence in Spain may access permanent residence (as established in Article 15 of the Withdrawal Agreement) before the validity of the residence document issued expires.
If you started with a registration certificate or family member card of a Union citizen, you may request theissuance of a new residence document from the police departments that are authorized to issue it after verifying the duration of residence.
If, on the other hand, you did not have such a previous certificate or card, the application will be addressed to the Immigration office in the place where you reside (Oficina de Extranjería), which, after assessing the application and if it is approved, will allow you to apply for the issue of the document.
This new residence document will be valid for 10 years and the term «Permanent» will be entered in the field corresponding to the Type of Permit.
