UK Withdrawal Agreement residence in Spain

It is written for people thinking about, planning or carrying out a move to Spain. After reading, you will know whether you are covered, which document you hold and how to protect it.

Start with "Are you covered by the UK Withdrawal Agreement in Spain?" It settles the first question everything else depends on. From there, move to the page on exchanging your green certificate for the Withdrawal Agreement card, then the pages on time away from Spain and on family and new partners.

If you plan to arrive from the UK now, the page on why arriving after 2020 falls outside the agreement explains where you stand and where to go next. Frontier workers and people with Gibraltar links have their own page.

Key rules

• Renewal window: Ask for renewal in the 60 days before the card expires; up to 90 days after expiry is possible but may bring a fine.
• Absence (temporary): With temporary status you can be away for up to 6 months in any 12-month period, plus one absence of up to 12 months for an important reason.
• Cut-off date: You are covered only if you were lawfully living in Spain under EU free-movement rules before 31 December 2020 and have lived there since.
• Permanent residence: You can get permanent status after 5 years of continuous lawful residence in Spain, counting time before and after 2020.
• Card validity: The temporary card is valid for 5 years and the permanent card for 10 years.
• Family relationship date: Family members are covered only if the relationship existed by 31 December 2020; children born or adopted later are covered when a covered parent has custody.

UK Withdrawal Agreement residence in Spain: the whole process, step by step

From coverage to permanent status

• Check you are covered (read: Are you covered by the UK Withdrawal Agreement in Spain?): First, before anything else: you must have been lawfully living in Spain under EU free-movement rules before 31 December 2020 and have lived there since

• If you arrived later, go to the route for new arrivals (read: Why arriving from the UK after 2020 falls outside the agreement): If you moved to Spain after 31 December 2020, you are outside the agreement and need a visa or authorisation under general immigration rules

• Check which relatives are covered (read: Family members and new partners of UK nationals under the agreement): Early on, if you have family: the relationship must have existed by 31 December 2020

• Hold the right card (read: Exchanging your green certificate for the Withdrawal Agreement card): The exchange window ran from 6 July 2021 to 31 December 2021 and has closed. If you still hold only the green certificate, you can apply late by appointment with proof of residence before 2021 and an explanation of the delay

• Protect your status while you are abroad (read: How long UK nationals can be away from Spain under the agreement): Throughout: with temporary status, no more than 6 months away in any 12-month period, plus one absence of up to 12 months for an important reason

• Apply for permanent status: After 5 years of continuous lawful residence, counting time before and after 2020. See Exchanging your green certificate for the Withdrawal Agreement card.

• Renew your card at the Oficina de Extranjería or police station: In the 60 days before it expires. See Exchanging your green certificate for the Withdrawal Agreement card.

• Keep permanent status if you leave: You keep it unless you are away from Spain for more than 5 consecutive years

Documents you may need

Identity and residence

• Valid passport
• Padrón certificate — Are you covered by the UK Withdrawal Agreement in Spain?, Exchanging your green certificate for the Withdrawal Agreement card
• Proof of identity — Frontier workers and Gibraltar links under the agreement

Income and work

• Proof that you worked or were self-employed in Spain before 2020 and have been — Frontier workers and Gibraltar links under the agreement

Payments and receipts

• The receipt for the card fee — Exchanging your green certificate for the Withdrawal Agreement card

Other documents

• Your Withdrawal Agreement card
• Proof of the family link — Family members and new partners of UK nationals under the agreement
• Birth certificate for a child born or adopted after 2020 — Family members and new partners of UK nationals under the agreement
• Tarjeta de Trabajador Fronterizo — Frontier workers and Gibraltar links under the agreement
• Proof that you live outside Spain — Frontier workers and Gibraltar links under the agreement

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

UK Withdrawal Agreement residence in Spain: questions that cross several articles

Can I still apply for the Withdrawal Agreement card if I missed the 2021 deadline?

Yes, you can still apply by appointment if you can show you lived in Spain under EU rules before 2021 and have stayed since. Bring proof of residence and an explanation of the delay. Your rights come from your residence, but a fine for having no document is possible.

What proof of residence before 2021 does Spain accept?

The green certificate is the main proof, and a padrón certificate dated before 2021 is also accepted. See Are you covered by the UK Withdrawal Agreement in Spain?.

Can I still use my green certificate as a residence document?

No, the green certificate is no longer a valid residence document, but it still works as proof of residence before 2021. Use it when you apply for the Withdrawal Agreement card.

What if I lived in Spain before 2021, left, and came back?

You can still claim your status if your time away stayed within the limits for your type of status. Temporary status allows up to 6 months in any 12-month period, plus one absence of up to 12 months for an important reason; permanent status is lost after more than 5 consecutive years away. If you were away longer, you need a new route under general immigration rules. Read "How long UK nationals can be away from Spain under the agreement" and "Why arriving from the UK after 2020 falls outside the agreement".