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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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VISAS

EXPLAINED: When you can exchange visas in Spain

There are several different types of visas and residency permits you can get to be able to live and work in Spain, but what happens when your situation changes and you want to exchange your visa for a different one?

Published: 30 April 2024 14:20 CEST
Updated: 4 May 2024 08:21 CEST
EXPLAINED: When you can exchange visas in Spain

There are many different reasons you may want to exchange the type of visa or residency permit you have. Perhaps you’re on a student visa and have completed your studies, but still want to be able to stay in Spain. Or maybe you’ve been on a one-year non-lucrative visa, but can no longer afford not to work and want to exchange it for one where you’re allowed to work. 

Read on to find out which visas are possible to exchange and which are not. 

Student Visa to Digital Nomad Visa 

The simple answer is yes, it is possible to exchange your student visa for the new Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) that first became available last year. This will, however, depend on your individual circumstances and what job you plan on doing.

Firstly, in order to apply for DNV you must either have a degree from the field you want to work remotely in or have three years’ work experience in that industry. If you’ve just finished your studies this could be possible, but if you were studying something different, it could prove difficult.

If you are an older student, you could definitely have three years’ work experience in the industry you want to work in or you may have gained the experience working part-time in Spain while on your student visa.

Secondly, you must make sure you have worked for the company that hired you for a remote role for a minimum of three months before you apply for the DNV. The main caveat is that the company has to be registered outside of Spain as you are not eligible for the DNV if more than 20 percent of your income comes from inside Spain. This means that you will have to secure a remote job in another country while still on your student visa, making sure that you stick to the 30 hours a week you’re allowed to work.

Non-Lucrative Visa to Work Permit or Self-Employed

Being in Spain on the Non-Lucrative Visa or NLV can prove to be expensive because you’re not allowed to work, but have to prove you have a significant amount of savings or passive income. If you want to stay in Spain, beyond the initial year, you may be considering a different residency permit. Luckily, you can exchange it for a work permit or self-employed permit in a process called residence modification.

During your last few months on the non-lucrative visa, you are able to apply for jobs in Spain, which may give you the possibility of being granted a work permit. There are many prerequisites, including having lived in Spain for a year and being offered a pre-employment contract.

You could also decide to become self-employed at set up your own business. In order to do this you will need to meet the requirements that current legislation requires for opening and operating your chosen business. You will also need to sign up to the autónomo system, pay your own social security fees and submit your taxes five times a year.

READ ALSO: Should I change my non-lucrative visa for another residency permit in Spain?

Student Visa to Work Permit or Self-Employed

If you’re living in Spain on a student visa, then it’s relatively straightforward to exchange it for a work permit or become self-employed, if you want to be able to stay longer. The main requirement is that you have to have lived in Spain for three consecutive years, before you exchange it. This means, it’s really only possible for those who are doing a long-term course, such as a degree at a Spanish university. If you’re simply here for a year doing a language course, then it won’t be possible.

If you have been here for three years on a student visa, you have two options – the first is to find a job and become an employee by getting a work permit and the second is to become self-employed. If you opt for the first, the easiest way is to get a job offer and apply for the permit that way. Because you’ve already had a student visa and been here three years, it will be easier for companies to hire you as they won’t have to prove that there isn’t anyone from Spain or the EU that can do it first or that they have a shortage of professionals who can carry it out.

If you want to exchange it for a self-employment permit, you will have to present a business plan in order to get approval and prove you have the correct qualifications and experience to carry it out. If approved, then you will typically sign up to the autónomo system.

Student Visa to Entrepreneur Visa

Student visas are the easiest visas to modify in Spain, meaning you have many different options to exchange them if you want to stay longer. The Entrepreneur Visa – Visado de Emprendedor is another option that will allow you to stay for a period of three years (with the option of exchanging or extending). It is, however, slightly more complicated to exchange to than simply getting a work permit or becoming self-employed.

The Entrepreneur Visa is especially for those who want to set up a business considered to be innovative with a special economic interest for Spain. Unlike becoming just an autónomo, you must agree to be able to create employment opportunities for locals in the future. You could also in theory exchange your NLV for an entrepreneur visa too, provided you can prove that you haven’t done any work while you’ve been living in Spain for the year on your NLV.

Non-Lucrative Visa to Digital Nomad Visa

It may sound confusing, but you can now actually exchange your NLV for a DNV too. Even though you are not allowed to work while on the NLV, you can actually decide to change it for a DNV, so that you will be allowed to work remotely either for a company or for yourself via clients. The Unidad de Grandes Empresas (UGE), the body that deals directly with DNV applications, has confirmed this is possible and The Local has heard of people who have successfully done this too. The only thing to remember is that no more than 20 percent of your income can come from inside Spain once you change over. 

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