epe3, you are a wealth of knowledge!!! Keep uo the GREAT work

quote:

"Let's use Jer for an example... The US only sees him as an Am citizen and Britain sees him as one of theirs."

Jejejeje, they are fighting over me :jeje:

I really have no desire to get my Spanish nationality but guess it would be simple for me if I wanted to go that route.

I identify myself with being 100% American since I lived in Scotland only about 2 months when I was born before we were all off to NY. So, I would never renounce my American citizenship since it would be totally unecessary as espe3 said, even if I did want to become a Spanish citizen.

Just having residency here and being able to live and work legally is plenty for me

Saludos,
jer...

p.d. This thread is fast becoming THE authority on this subject.

Jer, I too, would advise for someone who can- to just do residency-or put their efforts into getting that. It may not seem that way, but for people with no ties to Spain its safer and easier than trying to ask for Spanish nationality. That way there are no catches as per giving up your citizenship, what can happen etc.

As for you getting Spanish citizenship- you're just too easy to use for an example! It really wouldn't give you any benefit like you said, you can live and work there legally-you've got it all!

Hey “Sedu” ,

You party-gir! . What you need to do is to come back here anyway you can, after the summer maybe (or next year, we’ll be waiting ), and start seriously hanging out with some super-cool chicks such as Candy, and you’ll see that, one day, those seducing eyes of yours will get a worthy Spaniard guy to eventually propose on bended knee.

‘Saludos! :ks:

P.S.: Considering my own disastrous current love situation, I wonder how I can remain so “optimisticly romantic”? Oh well!….
Hey!, I guess witnessing the happiness of couples such as ‘”Los Ositos”’ ( cool Jer and lovely Ena), Chica/Becks & Chico/Angel, Tony and Mari, or my best friends Esperanza & Roberto, Inma & Jose, etc..., really help us all keep the faith. :l:

Ok! Sorry for the very late reply but I guess Espe3 has answered all the questions regarding this topic. I suggest you talk to a lawyer (American) first to check out the consequences if there are any taking the Spanish nationality. I suggest it if you love Spain. (From a pround Spaniard).

I know for a fact that if you are American you have to renounce your American citizenship in Spain. Here is the big question: "America will always consider someone born American as an American". I don�t know how to answer this particular and touchy scenario. Does anyone contradict this statement? I don�t want any discussion, but this is what i read and i just say it as i read it. Again, this is something you must know before hand.

If you are married to a Spanish woman/man you need "a year of legal residency" instead of 10 years. Americans fall under this category. Those that have links such as former colonies automatically need only two years of "legal residency" more so with familiar ties because as i said you only need 1 year of legal residency.

You can recuperate if you fall under a certain category, choose to opte, or purely take the residency thing if that pertains to those who fall in this category. I fell under the latter. For those who are married to Spanish nationals and if you decide to take the Spanish nationality you take the residency route and no other options can be taken. The whole process takes a year and a half to two years plus a "little bit of luck and prayers" (I heard some are taking much longer).

Since you live in Spain, wish to live here and make it your first home, then you should take it if you want to be a "conyo boy". Pues venga!

Incidentally, for those who wish to have a residency card (if you don�t have one) something is cooking up and could be good so be on top of the latest development and could be positive. I am currently trying to get hold of that important development in hard copy.

So that�s that. See you in the bar b q. ta luego!

BAS

BAS writes:

quote:

I know for a fact that if you are American you have to renounce your American citizenship in Spain.

So, my question is, does that also apply to an American who is married to a Spaniard, and is applying for citizenship due to being married. (not because I am tired of being American). I already have my residency "comunitaria".

I mean, would I have to renounce my American citizenship in order to pick up the Spanish one?

Sorry if you answered this question in your previous post, BAS, I just couldn�t quite understand fully what was written.

Chica!

If you are an American and you take the Spanish nationality you have to renounce your American citizenship. Spain doesn�t have a "convenio" with the US so Spain will always consider you a Spaniard. If you do not renounce it (American)then you can�t be a Spaniard. But back in the States you still are considered American. Wow! Something to ponder on. Yup! That is exactly your question.

regards,

BAS

Ok, i'm just reviving this thread that has been full of factual info for me (yes, i did a search!). most of all thanks for the tax info, which is exactly what i was looking for. i thought i would give a heads up to americans living and working in spain, with or without visa, to let you know that you are responsible for filing income tax returns in the us... i have to file back taxes for 2003 and 2004 although i have no real record of my income.. i suppose i could say that i haven't been working, but can't really do that cause also need to show that i am responsible, plus i am a terrible liar!!!! so i am currently looking into this complicated tax issue! anyone who has done it, feel free to give input.. i am just reading the 44-page irs document... fun fun for the whole family!...
ok so another thing that was mentioned in this thread was about getting married in the us and registering the marriage in spain to get a libro de familia.. i have a question about the opposite.. i got married here in spain and have a libro de familia.. do i have to do anything to make the marriage legit in the us? like register it anywhere? i got the international hague seal on a copy of the libro de familia, but ya know, thought i might have to do something else..
next week i have a really imp date at the us embassy to get an immigrant visa for my colombian husband.. keep your fingers crossed for us! we want go to the us and hopefully they will let us!! hehe
un beso

quote:

i thought i would give a heads up to americans living and working in spain, with or without visa, to let you know that you are responsible for filing income tax returns in the us...

ok, a question for you julie since you seem to be up on the tax thang...

just theoretical of course but what would happen if someone was say a dual u.s. and u.k. citizen, living in spain as an e.u. member and say has lived in spain for a ton of years but never filed income tax in u.s.a.

theoretical of course

quote:

i got married here in spain and have a libro de familia.. do i have to do anything to make the marriage legit in the us?

me too, i married a spanish lady (you all know ) and although wild horses could not drag us to live back in the states, i was also curious about the marriage convalidation thing there.

saludos,
jer...

Jer and Julie,

I too am married to a Spaniard and have pondered this question. When I was looking into to getting married in the states versus Spain, I came across this info from the courthouse in my county (Montgomery County Maryland)

http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mc/judicial/circuit/s...icense/license.html

"FOREIGN LICENSE RECORDATION - If a couple has been married in another country and one of the parties is a United States citizen, the couple can have their marriage recorded in the License Department."

I'm sure this varies from place to place, but it appears to be much less bureaucratic (surprise!) than getting a US marriage covalidated in Spain (at least in my case as we were planning on living here).

Rebecca

thanks noia!

helps to know it is possible.

i will have to look up the info for ny and hope it is as simple.

saludos,
jer...

Jer,

I believe that as long as you mantain your US citizenship you have to file taxes in US no matter what. You can however file an exemption form, when the country were you paid taxes has an agreement with the US, such as Spain. Meaning, if you can demonstrate that you payed taxes in excess of what you would have to pay had you lived in the US, you don't have to pay anything back home. If you were theoretically earning money of course

Go to the IRS webpage and look for the 1040NR form. This is the form you use when you are not a resident of the US.

Tax in Spain - A guide to the tax system in Spain. including a description of the various taxes of Spain http://www.andalucia.com/law/tax.htm

Taxes Spain - Guide to personal taxes in Spain http://www.strongabogados.com/taxes.php

Work: Tax system - Madrid|Spain - Expatriation|Expatriate|International - Easy Expat http://www.easyexpat.com/madrid_en/work_taxes.htm

Paying Taxes in Spain - Google Search http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Paying+Taxes+in+Spain&btnG=Google+Search

I'm no expert on this, but I think your situation might be somewhat different to other US expats, as you also have EU rights, being born in the UK, and having a british birth certificate & passport as well, and as you say.....

quote:

a dual u.s. and u.k. citizen, living in spain as an e.u. member

so there is a possibility that you might have exemption from paying US Taxes, and under UK Tax rules, if you can show that you have paid your Taxes in Spain, which you can, right?

quote:

There's a five year statute of limitations on the collection of back taxes in Spain which means that if no action has been taken during this period to collect unpaid tax, it can't be collected.

quote:

The tax agency have published a computer program to complete the Annual declaration called PADRE. Many banks and Gestores now use this program. Your professional advisor can help you with the filing and will charge 70 euros upwards depending on the complexity of your case.

Married couples should check whether it is better to file joint or separate declarations.

Spain has double taxation agreements with many countries including all European and Scandinavian so these citizens will not be taxed twice. Americans will still have to file a tax declaration because the USA bases tax on nationality not residence.

Just a thought, and well worth checking-out with an expert in Taxes.

HM Revenue & Customs: Home Page http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/

HM Revenue & Customs: Self Assessment http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/sa/

Inland Revenue U.K. - Google Search http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Inland+Revenue+U.K.&btnG=Google+Search

Saludos.