Are you #Brexit #Brits living in #spain before the #Withdrawal #Agreement ?
Have you exchanged your green residency for a TIE card yet?
If not, you could be in trouble when the new Entry Exit system and ETIAS are fully implemented.
Find out what you need to do and why.

Prefer to watch the video? Click the picture below.

Here’s why you should get your TIE card immediately if you haven’t already, otherwise you’re going be in trouble!

All Non-EU residents of Spain, including Brits who moved here since the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, are issues with a solid, standard biometric identity card, known as the TIE. This card is the best way to prove your rights and identity in Spain.  

However, before Brexit, Brit expats were issued with the Green EU Certificate. And although this certificate is still valid and legal, if you don’t exchange it very soon for a TIE card, you could be in trouble. 

For a start, the TIE is much more durable than the old Green Certificate which is just floppy paper and only protected by thin plastic on one side.

But more importantly, later this year, the EES, or Entry Exit System will come into force across the EU. This will replace the current system of stamping passports, and hold visitor details on file for three years. 

People with a TIE card will already be registered on the system and will be able to pass through the border easily. But those people who don’t have a TIE card could face disruption and delays as their name, passport details, fingerprints, facial image and travel details are recorded. Imagine that happening to a hundred people in front of you in the queue.

Also, following on from the EES, the ETIAS visa exemption system will also be implemented, meaning British tourists visiting Spain will need to pay a fee to register on the system. So residents, don’t get mistaken for a tourist by not having a TIE card. 

It’s also been noticed that when traffic police stop British people they’re asking for TIE cards to prove residency, and if presented with the Green Certificate they’re not happy and it’s really not a good idea to make them unhappy because they tend to make you unhappy in return.

How do you exchange your Green Certificate for a TIE card?

First of all, you need to make an appointment at your local foreigners office. They’ll take your fingerprints, the form you’ve filled in, the photo you’ve provided, and the payment, then they’ll give you a piece of paper confirming your application and you’ll need to make another appointment to pick up the card in about 45 days. There have been reports in several areas of no TIE appointments being available at all, so it’s important you start the process right away. Get a Gestor to help if you’re having trouble.

Any questions? Ask in the comments below.

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Article by Skatz