This is relevant to EU nationals only (and I can't believe that EVERYONE reading this board is American !!).

As of the 1st of March the residencia or DNI is no longer required by nationals of EU countries.

If you want a form of ID you can carry around, in order to comply with the law requiring you to carry ID, you can use an EU passport or apply for a straightforward ID card from the police station in Diego De Leon. The police have a choice over whether or not they issue ID cards - no-one quite knows how they make the decision - so you might have to ask a few times before you get one.

This is great news is it means no more hours spent in the queue or months waiting for them to process the wretched thing !!

hi fiona,
nice to see cambridge mentioned again (I lived there before I came here!!)

I too have been told about not having to renew my residencia, and I must admit I am quite sad about it. I really do not want to have to carry my passport around with me all the time as it is much more hassle to renew that if it gets lost/stolen, and I have not been able to get a colour photocopy of it, as I have my residencia. However, no-one has been able to tell me the knock on effect. At the moment, once you have Spanish residencia, you also, by law, have to change your UK driving licence to a Spanish one within a certain period of time. Therefore my Spanish driving licence "proves" I am a resident, and is the only ID I need carry.

Does all that change at the same time, what about social security cards, free medical attentions etc etc?

Here in the Canarias I get 30% discount on travel to the mainland, will that change as well?

So many questions thrown up! Has anyone found any sites which explain this whole process?

Good news Fiona! And thanks for posting it here.

I need to get some form of ID other than a UK passport for my new life in Madrid. Can you also use an Int'l driving licence?

If you don't need La Residencia then what do you need to apply for to change your status from UK to Spain?

Hi

glad my news cheered someone's day !

My understanding is that if you don't want to carry your passport and you can't get an ID card from the police the best thing to do is get an EU driving license, they are acceptable as ID in Spain. I don't know whether an International driving license counts.

On the social security number/free healthcare front I think that relates to your tax status, not your residencia. I have two friends who had to take out private healthcare before they could get their residencias as they don't pay tax in Spain.

I can't get state healthcare at the moment because I don't pay tax here, I pay in England. In order to see a doctor I have to pay to go privately or get an E111 sent over from England and pretend I am here on holiday !! There is a form which allows British nationals to use the Spanish healthcare system (form 101 from the DHSS in Newcastle) but it takes a long time to process so I am waiting for it to arrive before I get ill.

I guess now the residencia is abolished you don't need to do anything to change your status; after all aren't we all supposed to be citizens of Europe now, rather than nationals of our own countries ??!! (and thats a whole other topic !!)

Am trying to find out what the status is on the questions about ID etc but have some of the answers from my own experience on the 'official transfer' from UK to Spain.

1) Tax - sorry but it has to be discussed. You need to inform the UK Tax authorities that you have moved your residence to Spain. (That is, if you are going the whole official route.) They then officially record this and I have used their document in some of my 'residencia' dealings here.

2) Social Security - this can be a nightmare but for the official residencia the E111 is adequate for medical purposes (no private coverage required) since they just want to know you would be covered in the event of an emergency. To make a more permanent switch it depends on your status here. If you are working then you will have a social security number here and have to pay contributions so you then qualify for a medical card. If you aren't then you can apply to the Overseas Social Security office to get the forms issued to show you are an EU citizen that has paid contributions in your home country. Take it to your local medical centre and register and you are sorted.

How all this will work in the future I am not quite sure. My experience with the overseas Tax and Social Security offices in the UK is that they were quite happy to discuss my situation and issue the appropriate forms. Some were quick and efficient, others slightly less so...

Not sure I have helped here but I hope I have.
Louise

Yes, but... what if you have already done all of the above? Once you have residencia you can no longer use the E111. The UK tax office know I don�t live there any more. Do you know how it will affect prople who have already been residents in Spain for a long time? Any advice gratefully received!!!!

Well when I had the pleasure of visiting A&E last year with my residencia in hand they still just took a copy of my E111...

For registering at my local clinic they took a copy of my E111 and residencia (I told them the paperwork was in the post for my permanent form from the UK and being used to inefficient social security offices they accepted that). It's worth a try maybe.

My research will continue tomorrow when everything is open...

Louise

On a related note, as an EU national how do I register to vote in Spanish municipal/regional elections?

JamesH
That has been a difficult one this year!!! Myself and my daughter voted in the last elections and a few months ago received what we thought were our voting forms for this years elections. As my son was also sent one (having turned 18 since the last elections), we didn�t bother to read the forms, and just presumed that they were for us to take to the local poll station and just vote!! Not so!!! We should have read the forms properly, which actually said we should read the details, send them back to Madrid and THEN we would be sent the appropriate new forms for voting!!!!! We missed the deadline, so I would presume you have too ..... unless you were more astute and sent the first form back!!!

Sorry James, I should have said, that the first thing you have to do is be empadronada at your local ayuntamiento!!
:b:

Thanks.

I've just found this which explains things: http://www.ine.es/en/censoe/elecmun03/ciud_ue_ele0503_en.htm - but it doesn't seem to give a definitive deadline.

quote:

originally posted by madsue:
[qb]So many questions thrown up! Has anyone found any sites which explain this whole process? [/qb]

The British Embassy site has some information:

http://www.ukinspain.com/english/ConsularServices/settling.asp?IdNavSections=30

James
Thanks for those websites.
I have just looked out my paper from the Oficina Del Censo Electoral and it says absolutely nothing about having to reregister, or what the deadline is/was. I do have a telephone number though if it is helpful 901101900

This form says, and I quote!! "Since you declared your wish to vote in Spain, a standing option as long as you reside in Spain, unless you formally apply to the contrary, you are included in the electoral role for the 2003 municipal elections, which allows you to vote"!

So have I missed something!!! We shall see on 25th May if I am included!!

(Back to residencia abolition.)

You still need a number anyway (N.I.F.) to open a resident�s bank account, I was told on trying to do so.

James H, I have actually received my voting card (and my daughters!!) for the elections, and that was without doing anything with those forms!! I have also emailed the consulate with a few questions re the abolition of residencia, but with no reply as yet (surprise!!) I will post if/when they reply.

Stephen2, yup you�re right, you need a NIF number to open a residents, or a non residents bank account come to that!!! Won�t it be nice when all these official government departments let each other know what they are doing!!