Binkx--

I'm no expert, but I believe they are one and the same. As a US citizen, in order to have a Spanish ID card, you have to have some form of residencia/estancia (which is I guess why it is often called a "residency card"). Because you are a guiri, you'll get the guiricard and it will specify what type of residency you have--in your case permiso de trabajar por cuenta ajena--and how long it is good for (one year).

Good luck--knock on wood--I think you are home free.

hmm, sounds like the same card then, because I believe my "tarjeta de identidad de extranjero" will also show that info. i´ll post back once i know for sure (but this part in the process won´t be for a few more months...)

Post trip to the Consulate update:

I went this morning to the Spanish Consulate in DC. In their usual fashion, they were rude and not very open to talking, but she took all my papers, threw the photocopies I had made back at me, placed some stamps on a few pages, and said my visa should be ready in a week! I was totally shocked at this, as all along they had been telling me 1-6 more months after this step, but she said since Spain has basically already approved it (with my work authorization I just got) it's just some info they send via the computer. She actually recommended I leave my passport there because she thinks it will be ready by next week before I leave for Spain (Friday). Knowing how slow things work there though, I am begining to think I was overly optomistic but I will call back on Tuesday as instructed to see if it's ready.

Btw- she barely looked at, and certainly didn't keep, my medical or police letters that I scrambeled to get...

That's great!!! What a bunch of bad-asses they are telling everyone that it will take four months! Just trying to scare people off. Suerte chica.

Well, nearly a year I asked here if anyone had any environmental contacts... I'VE GOTTEN MY VISA!! Went this morning to pick up my passport with the residence/work visa pasted in. It's valid for three months, meaning that I have three months to enter Spain (going tomorrow) and then once I enter, one month to get entered into Social Security and go apply for my Tarjeta de Identidad Extranjero/Residency card (I THINK these are the same things. Still trying to figure it out...) And I think after that, this whole process is done with! Until it comes time to renew of course... So, nearning the end of this long, confusing process...

binx,

I am totally glad that things are working out quickly for you. Keep us posted and know that I am VERY HAPPY for you.

Saludos,

Shawn

Thanks Shawn!

Well folks, went today to the dreaded extranjeros office for my Tarjeta de Id. Extranjero/Residencia (and yes, now I am convinced they are one and the same). In all, I was there for two hours. Details:

We got there at 4:15pm (they reopen after lunch at 4). Waited in a long line outside the gates, then passed inside the gates where the policeman did this insane way of dividing up the line and in the end there were shouts and shoving. All that cola is for "information". So you go there to talk to the people in information. Most people don't have all their papers, so they instruct you what to do/get/fill out and you'll ineviteably have to go back and wait in line another day. If you DO have all your papers, they still may just give you an appointment. Apparently you need an apointment to get your card. (?) But the man said luckily today there weren't many people there (what?!) so he let me go get my fingerprints. Got in another much shorter line, sat and presented everything to a woman, got in another line and got my fingerprint. Now, got a little slip that said to go back in 40 days for my card!

Which I'll do... Still some other beurocratic crap to take care of. If anything interesting comes up soon I'll post again ...

Hey,

At least you got that part done.

And miles to go before I sleep.
And miles to go before I sleep.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
Robert Frost

binkx,

was that at the c/General Paradinas location? or am I confused... they open after 4??? if so, can you go after 4 to apply for the NIE?

Ola--No such luck. The General Pardiñas branch is only open in the morning. Rebecca had to go a different office (the one for work visas).

Righ, Mariposita. The office I went to was Avda de los Poblados, metro Aluche...

well folks, went to pick up my card today. arrived at the Aluche office at about 9:15am and was walking back to the metro by 10am. pretty simple and i had a nice smile.

the nightmare then started when i tried to get my health care cards. that should be another thread...

binx,

But at least one card is down and yet another to go.

Shawn

Just a quick update on getting residency cards. I applied back in January as a UK citizen and got a letter in late June saying I needed to go to General Pardiñas to pick it up on the 5th of July between 9 and 2. Got there at 8, it opens at 8:30 and the line was unbelievable. At 2:30 they shut the office to have lunch. Reopened at 4:00. I finally picked up the card at 5:30 and only because they finally started calling people who had official letters out of the line. Those with dates for that day were told they had to stay and couldn´t come back the next day.

The rumor was that they are opening an office in Puerto de Toledo this week for EU members who are not Rumanian or Bulgarian. Whether that´s true or not, I don´t know. Everyone tells you something different.

It was an incredibly long and unpleasant day.

Oh and another thing - there was a form I had to take to a bank branch to make a payment of 6,70. Do this beforehand. There was a poor German girl who had to run to 10 banks while trying to maintain her place in line because all of their systems for making those payments were down that morning. There were a lot of people scrambling to get things paid.