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BREXIT: How many Britons in Spain have a TIE residency card in 2022?

New government data reveals just how many UK nationals in Spain have applied and received their post-Brexit residency documents as of early 2022, a rate that’s slowed down considerably over the past months. 

Published: 26 January 2022 17:08 CET
how many brits have tie card spain
Less than half of Brits in Spain - 180,000 out of 400,000 - have a TIE residency card. Photo: Jose Jordán/AFP

How many?

A year and a half since Spanish authorities started to issue non-EU TIE residency cards to Britons residing in Spain, 180,000 UK nationals have applied and received this document. 

That’s according to a report published on January 24th by the Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights, established under the Withdrawal Agreement between the UK and the European Union (EU). 

According to their data, the 180,000 figure means that less than half of Spain’s British resident population have the new biometric card, as they estimate there could be as many as 430,000 UK nationals residing in Spain.

Fewer applying recently

Last summer, the UK Embassy in Madrid reported  how “at the beginning of June (2021) more than 150,000 UK Nationals had applied for their Withdrawal Agreement TIE”, which represented a jump of around 100,000 new cards over the previous five months. 

The rate of Britons applying for this new residency document has slowed down over the past half a year, with only 30,000 new TIE cards issued from June to December 2021.

TIE in a nutshell

The TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero) is a credit card-sized biometric ID card for foreign residents in Spain from outside of the EU, which can either be valid for five years (temporal) or ten (permanente) depending on the length of residence in Spain. 

Spain issues two different types of TIEs to British applicants, which look practically the same except for some different wording.

One is for Brits who were residents before Brexit came into force in 2021 and are therefore protected under the Withdrawal Agreement, and another for Britons who have successfully applied for residency post-Brexit, which is harder overall as it’s dependent on financial resources, work or other requirements.

READ ALSO: How much money do Britons need to move to Spain after Brexit?

As things stand, it’s not compulsory for British residents who have the old green residency certificate to exchange it for a TIE card, although UK and Spanish authorities strongly encourage Britons to do so as it will help with border crossings and other official matters.

Conclusions from latest figures

Firstly, there’s the estimated number of British residents in Spain – 430,000 – which is higher than the last estimate by Spain’s Ministry of Inclusion in July 2021, as they put the total at 400,000. 

However, this is probably explained by the fact that the 430,000 estimate also includes other third-country nationals residing in Spain with their British family members, as they are also affected by Brexit and have to consolidate their residency status in Spain. 

Secondly, there’s the steep drop in new TIE cards issued to Brits over the last six months: 30,000 in the second half of 2021 compared to 100,000 in the first half. 

Less than half of Brits in Spain – 180,000 out of 400,000 – have a TIE, and the majority of the remaining 220,000 that don’t have it are likely long-term residents with the green residency certificates who don’t want to exchange their old paper ID for the new biometric card (we assume this as since July 6th 2020, all new British residents in Spain get a TIE). 

It’s not compulsory for these pre-Brexit residents to exchange, and even though the TIE card is a more durable, versatile and modern photo ID, many appear to remain unconvinced about getting it. 

READ MORE: Does Spain’s TIE residency card always have an expiry date?

One of the reasons mentioned by Britons on forums is that most of the old green certificates don’t have an expiry date and therefore don’t have to be renewed, whereas TIEs do have to be updated.

And finally, there’s a difference of 7,200 between the number of TIE applications received and those concluded, as published by the UK’s Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights. This doesn’t necessarily mean that 7,200 TIE applications have been rejected as the figure can also include applications that were withdrawn, incomplete or void in other ways. 

In October 2021, the total number of refused TIE applications from Britons was 2,400.

The UK’s Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights monitors the implementation and application of citizens’ rights, protecting UK nationals in the EU and EU citizens in the UK, including their family members. Their latest figures were published by the European Commission. 

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PADRON

When and how you need to renew your padrón certificate in Spain

The padrón document you get when registering at your local town hall in Spain must be renewed periodically. Find out when and the steps on how to do it.

Published: 22 April 2024 13:09 CEST
When and how you need to renew your padrón certificate in Spain

The padrón certificate is used to show proof of where you live. Your town hall – or ayuntamiento – uses it to find how many people are living in the area and what their ages are.

The number of people living in each area will depend on how much money they will receive from the government. They use this money for local services such as schools, health centres, parks and police officers.

If you are a non-EU citizen with temporary residence (less than 5 years) in Spain, then you will need to renew your padrón certificate every two years.

You will also need to renew your padrón each time you move house, as it should have your current address. 

For some bureaucratic processes in Spain, you will also need to be able to show you have a padrón certificate that’s no older than three months. 

Depending on where you live, there are different ways you can renew it. This could be in person, online or by post.

READ ALSO – Padrón: 16 things you should know about Spain’s town hall registration

Generally, in order to renew your certificate, you will need:

  • A recent gas, water or electricity bill in your name
  • Your rental contract and receipt of your last rental payment
  • If you own your own property, you will need to show evidence that you own it, such as the property deeds

You will also need to show:

  • A valid residence card such as TIE
  • A valid passport
  • In addition, it is also advisable to bring your previous padrón certificate

For children you will also need the following:

  • Records of your digitised family book (libro de família)
  • A valid passport or residence permit of the minor
  • A passport of one of the parents which also contains the identification data of the minor
  • Birth certificate of your child

If you do not live in the same household as your child, you will also need:

  • A delegation for registration form, signed by the parent who lives with the minor.
  • Photocopy of the valid identification document of the parent who lives with the child.
  • In the case of minors under 14 years of age, it will not be mandatory for them to have an NIE, passport or identification document from their country of origin.

Remember that all your documents should be officially translated into Spanish or another local language such as Catalan, if they aren’t already.

READ ALSO: Can I get my padrón online in Spain?

In person

If you are applying in person, you will need to make an appointment at your local Ayuntamiento or town hall.

When the date for your appointment arrives you will need to complete the renewal form, which will most like look something like this, but may change depending on where you live. 

You will also need to bring originals and photocopies of all the documents above.

Online

If you have a digital certificate or Cl@ve PIN you are able to renew your padrón online. You will need to do this via your local government website.

First, you’ll need to identify yourself digitally with your digital certificate or Cl@ve PIN.

Next you will have to complete the renewal form and then attach digital copies of all the above documentation that’s required.

Then you’ll need to submit and sign it digitally.

By post

Although this is not the most common way to renew your certificate, some town halls may let you apply by post and will have details of the relevant address to send your documents and forms to online. 

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