Brits and other non-EU nationals living in Spain are having more problems than ever booking appointment to have their residency documents issued. We’d like to hear from you if you have also had issues getting a ‘cita previa’.
More and more foreign residents in Spain are finding it increasingly difficult to book online appointments for certain admin processes like renewing their TIE (tarjeta de identidad de extranjero) or foreigners’ identity cards or applying for their EU green residency cards.
The TIE cards are for non-EU citizens and serves as proof of your residency status in Spain, while the green residency cards are for EU citizens who want to live in Spain.
This July marks five years since TIEs have become available to British residents in Spain who are protected under the Withdrawal Agreement after Brexit.
This means that expiry date on the TIE cards of thousands of Brits is coming up between now and the end of the year and they will have to renew them.
READ ALSO: Brits in Spain face appointment nightmare for residency card renewals
The main problem with this, however, is that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to book appointments or cita previas at local oficinas de extranjería (foreigners’ offices) and police stations to carry out this process, a situation affecting not just Brits but many other foreign nationals.
This is partly because the online appointment system is often hijacked by criminal groups that use bots to book most available spaces seconds created and then sell them on for a profit, even though they should be completely free.
READ MORE: ‘€90 for a cita previa’ – Spain’s residency appointment scams worsen
There’s also the fact that reforms to Spain’s migration law have substantially increased the workload of the already overstretched immigration office workers, resulting in even longer processing times.
READ MORE: Why waiting times at Spain’s immigration offices could get even longer
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British Embassy in Spain told The Local Spain that they have asked the Spanish Government to make more appointments available, but as of yet we’re not seeing that happen in many places, especially big cities popular with foreigners.
Have you been affected in some way by the lack of available appointments?
We’d love to hear about your experience on the subject so please take a minute to fill in this survey and share it with people you know. Thanks for your time.
