Travel and time abroad as a resident

It is for anyone thinking about moving to Spain, planning the move or already living there. After reading, you will know whether you can travel now, how long you can be away and what to do if your card is lost or expires while you are abroad.

Start with "How long you can be outside Spain without risking your residence". It sets out the absence limits that the other pages build on. Then pick the page that matches your situation: travelling in Schengen with your card, leaving while a renewal is pending, a return authorisation, getting back in after losing your card abroad, spending part of each year abroad, proving your days or trips to places with special borders.

Two related subjects are covered elsewhere: the residence clock for long-term residence, and tax residence days.

Key rules

• Other Schengen stays: With a valid Spanish residence card you can stay up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period in other Schengen states combined.
• Temporary permit absence: A temporary residence permit is at risk if you are outside Spain more than six months in a twelve-month period, unless the absence is justified.
• Long-term permit absence: A long-term residence permit lapses if you are absent from Spain more than twelve consecutive months, unless the absence is justified.
• Card application: You must apply for your card in person within one month of the grant notification.
• Documents: Carry your original TIE and your passport on every trip, not copies.
• Legal effect: Filing your renewal in time keeps your permit valid until it is resolved.

Travel and time abroad as a resident: the whole process, step by step

• Collect your card: apply in person for your TIE (residence card). See Return authorisation (autorización de regreso) explained: within one month of the grant notification, by appointment, before any trip

• Check your passport is valid before any trip. See Travelling in Schengen with your Spanish residence card (TIE): before you book; a valid passport is enough for Schengen and for coming back to Spain, but non-Schengen countries may set their own rule

• Plan trips to other Schengen states with a valid card and passport. See Travelling in Schengen with your Spanish residence card (TIE): up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period in other Schengen states combined

• Renew your card before it expires. If it expires while you wait, read Leaving Spain when your card expired but you filed a renewal: before you travel; an expired card with no filed renewal can mean refused boarding or refused entry

• Keep your time abroad within the limit for a temporary permit. See How long you can be outside Spain without risking your residence: no more than six months in any twelve-month period, unless the absence is justified

• Keep your time abroad within the limit for a long-term permit. See How long you can be outside Spain without risking your residence: no more than twelve consecutive months, unless the absence is justified

• Plan winters or long home stays. See Spending part of each year abroad on a Spanish residence permit: throughout each permit period, as the authorities look at the whole period since your last grant or renewal

• Gather proof of your days in Spain, such as your padrón certificate, tax and Social Security records. See Proving how many days you were in Spain: in the weeks before you file a renewal

• If you lose your card abroad, apply for a return visa at the Spanish consulate. See Getting back into Spain after losing your residence card (TIE) abroad: as soon as you notice the loss; it usually takes from a few days to a few weeks

• Replace the lost card after you return. See Getting back into Spain after losing your residence card (TIE) abroad: as soon as you are back; report the loss to the police, book an appointment and expect to collect the new card about 1 to 4 weeks later

Documents you may need

Identity and residence

• Your valid passport
• Valid residence card — Travelling in Schengen with your Spanish residence card (TIE), Trips home and to Gibraltar, Ceuta, Melilla, the UK and Ireland
• Padrón certificate — Spending part of each year abroad on a Spanish residence permit, Proving how many days you were in Spain
• Your expired residence card — Leaving Spain when your card expired but you filed a renewal
• Your old residence card — Return authorisation (autorización de regreso) explained
• Completed national visa application form — Getting back into Spain after losing your residence card (TIE) abroad
• Proof of your Spanish residence permit — Getting back into Spain after losing your residence card (TIE) abroad
• Proof that you paid the visa fee — Getting back into Spain after losing your residence card (TIE) abroad

Payments and receipts

• The receipt that shows your renewal was filed — Leaving Spain when your card expired but you filed a renewal

Other documents

• Police report — Return authorisation (autorización de regreso) explained, Getting back into Spain after losing your residence card (TIE) abroad
• Official application form for the autorización de regreso — Return authorisation (autorización de regreso) explained
• Proof of the reason for your trip — Return authorisation (autorización de regreso) explained

Each article lists the other documents it asks for, where you need them.

Travel and time abroad as a resident: questions that cross several articles

Do days in other Schengen states count towards my time outside Spain?

Yes, days in other Schengen states count as time outside Spain for your permit, and they also count towards the 90 days in any rolling 180-day period you may spend in other Schengen states combined. Read Travelling in Schengen with your Spanish residence card (TIE) and then How long you can be outside Spain without risking your residence.

Does my passport need months of validity for trips as a resident?

No, as a resident you only need a valid passport for the Schengen trip and for returning to Spain. Airlines and countries outside Schengen may set their own rule, so check before you book.

How are my days abroad counted when I renew?

For a temporary permit, days abroad are counted over a twelve-month period, and the whole period since your last grant or renewal is usually reviewed. Officers can check entry and exit records and your padrón, tax and Social Security records. Read How long you can be outside Spain without risking your residence, then Proving how many days you were in Spain.

Can I spend part of every year abroad without risking my permit?

Yes, if you stay within the absence limit for your permit type and some permits also need real presence in Spain. See How long you can be outside Spain without risking your residence.