Exchanging your green certificate for the Withdrawal Agreement card

Key rules

• Green certificate: It is no longer a valid residence document, so you need the Withdrawal Agreement card.
• Missed exchange: You can still apply late, with evidence of residence since 2021 and an explanation of the delay.
• Fee: The application is free, but the card fee is paid with form modelo 790, code 012.
• Renewal: Ask in the 60 days before expiry; your right to live in Spain continues if the card expires.

Is the green certificate still enough?

No. The green certificate is no longer a valid residence document. The document you need is the Withdrawal Agreement card, a TIE. If you still hold only the green paper, you should swap it.

The green certificate is still useful in one way. It works as proof that you lived in Spain before 2021 when you apply for the Withdrawal Agreement card.

What if you missed the 2021 exchange?

You can still apply. The exchange period ended on 31 December 2021, but people who held only the green certificate can apply late. Do it the same way as an on-time applicant, with two extras:

• Evidence that you have lived in Spain since 2021.
• A short written explanation of why you did not exchange earlier.

Offices treat late applications case by case, and a fine for lacking the right documents is possible. If you cannot show that the Withdrawal Agreement covers you, you would need a general Spanish immigration route instead. Ask the Oficina de Extranjería which applies to you.

How to exchange it

1. Book an appointment (cita previa) under the Withdrawal Agreement procedure. Use the Oficina de Extranjería or the police station that handles foreigners in your province.
2. Pay the card fee with form modelo 790, code 012. The application itself is free. Check the current fee amount before you pay.
3. Go to the appointment with your form, fee receipt and documents.
4. Give your fingerprints and have your photo taken.
5. Keep the receipt you are given.
6. Collect the card at the police station when you are notified, on a collection appointment you book.

The documents list and checklist below give the full detail. Appointment systems and document lists vary by province, so some offices ask for extra proof of continued residence, work, resources or health insurance.

Which card you will get

If you have lived in Spain under five years, you get a temporary card valid for 5 years. With five years or more, you get a permanent card valid for 10 years. Family members and frontier workers have their own card types. The card shows its legal basis.

Looking after the card

Ask for renewal in the 60 days before the card expires. Up to 90 days after expiry is possible but may bring a fine. Your right to live in Spain does not end when the card expires, but the card is your proof of it.

If the card is lost or stolen, report it to the police and keep a copy of the report (denuncia). Then book an appointment to ask for a duplicate.

Timeline and deadlines

Order of the steps and deadlines

• Book an appointment (cita previa) for the Withdrawal Agreement card at the Oficina de Extranjería or the police station that handles foreigners in your province: before you go to the office

• Go to the appointment with the application form, the fee form and your documents: on the day of the appointment

• Have your fingerprints and photo taken: normally at the appointment or at the police station

• Take the receipt you are given and keep it: at the end of the appointment

• Collect the card at the police station, on a collection appointment you book: when you are notified that it is ready

• If you still hold only the green certificate or missed the 2021 exchange, apply in the same way, with evidence of residence before 2021, continued residence since, and an explanation of the delay: as soon as you can; a fine for lacking documents is possible

Documents you need

Documents for the Withdrawal Agreement card

• Valid passport, plus a copy. Your passport is the main proof of who you are.

• The completed application form for the Withdrawal Agreement residence card, which you fill in before the appointment.

• Your green certificate, or other proof that you lived in Spain before 2021. The green certificate is no longer a valid residence document, but it still works as proof of residence before 2021 when you apply for the card.

• A recent padrón certificate (proof of your address from your town hall).

• The receipt for the card fee, paid with form modelo 790, code 012. The application itself is free; the fee is for the physical card.

• One passport-style photograph.

• If you missed the 2021 exchange: evidence that you have lived in Spain since then, and a written explanation of the delay.

• If you apply as a family member: documents proving the family relationship.

• Evidence of continuing residence, or of work, resources or health insurance, if the office asks for it.

Checklist

Checklist: from green certificate to Withdrawal Agreement card

• Check which document you hold: if it is only the green certificate, you need the Withdrawal Agreement card, because the green certificate is no longer a valid residence document.

• Gather your passport and a copy, the application form, your green certificate or other pre-2021 proof, a recent padrón certificate, and a passport-style photo.

• Write a short explanation of the delay and gather proof of your residence since 2021 if you missed the original exchange.

• Give your fingerprints and have your photo taken at the appointment or at the police station.

• Ask for a receipt when you hand in your application, and keep it safe.

• Note your card's expiry date and plan to ask for renewal in the 60 days before it.

Quick answers for UK residents in Spain

Can I still work in Spain with Withdrawal Agreement status?

Yes, you can work as an employee or be self-employed, on broadly the same terms as before Brexit. You also get equal treatment with Spanish nationals on working conditions, social security and healthcare access. Your professional qualifications already recognised in Spain stay recognised.

Can I study and bring close family with this status?

Yes, you can study in Spain, and close family can join you if they meet the Withdrawal Agreement conditions. Education is covered on equal terms with Spanish nationals.

Do I lose my right to live in Spain if my card expires?

No, your right of residence does not lapse when the card expires, but the card is your proof of it.

How long is the Withdrawal Agreement card valid for?

The temporary card is valid for 5 years and the permanent card for 10 years. Frontier workers get a card valid for 5 years. If you reach 5 years of residence on a temporary card, you can apply for permanent status.