Calling all Brits currently living in Spain? What´s the story with the D.N.I cards? What do we do now?

Question

I went to renew my D.N. I. and was told that the British will no longer have D.N.i.´s we will be given "a piece of paper"!!!

Do you know what kind of "paper" it is?

How will that be any use when I`m out shopping and want to pay by card?

What will we do in day to day situations where we are asked for our D.N.I?

Carrying your pasport around just isn´t practical!

If I don´t hand over my now "caducada" D.N.I. what will happen?

Thanks.

Answer 1

First in response to your question this does not only affect " Brits" all non nationals are affected by this new legislation.  Irish, French, German. We're all in the same boat as many of us do not have ID cards in our countries of origin and our passports are the only form of ID we have.

The following advice is given on the website of  the spanish office of foreign affairs.

If you are a citizen of any nation in the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein, you will only need your National Identification Document or a current passport. For minors, the National Identification Document must be accompanied by written parental permission.

Source http://www.mae.es/en/Home/Practical+info...

  I know many people here in Andalusia who have gone to renew their D.N.I. resident cards and been told that they CAN no longer do so at the police station and have been given a paper like a "receipt slip"  which is very unpractical and they have had to hand over their old D.N.I.( residency) for it to be destroyed.

Added to this, many of them have found it impossible to use the paper as shops, banks etc will not accept it as a form of identification. Also many people are experiencing problems with their tax returns, bank details, as many of these details are documented under your D.N.I. resident card  not passport details and we all know what spanish departments are like when it comes to passing on new information to one another!!!!

On top of this the number of " muggings " of foreigners has greatly increased as people are now forced to carry their passports for identification purposes. Thus making them easy targets to those who deal in "stolen passports" and in turn  then have to forkout up to €100 to obtain a new passport from their country of origin.

The only solution is to make the spanish authorities aware of the problem and write to either the ministry of foreign affairs at

www.mae.es

Or write to the commissioner for european rights at

[e-mail]  or your embassy in Spain pointing out the impraticalities of the system!!!! Changing your nationality is not a solution!!!!!!

Answer 2

They now give you a piece of paper which they clip to your old N.I.E. card. It's worth nothing as far as using a credit card or proving your identity as no-one will accept it  as a legal document. This means we will be forced to carry our passport about which I refuse to do as it could get lost or stolen( I've been robbed 4 times).Also all my documents have my N.I.E. number on them as I have lived here 20 years, so i don,t know what i'll do. When they don,t give me one i'll explain this and see what happens.

http://www.mir.es/SGACAVT/extranje/ciuda...

this is what I could find. I don,t know what I,ll do as i said before everything has my NIE number on it and my passport obviously has a different number. It's going to cause me a lot of problems.

As far as changing your nationality goes , well i'd be very careful about that. I have 3 children and I don,t know how that would affect them as they have both nationalities at the moment. And there is nothing to gain really. Do you really want to be an immigrant in your own country?

To superstar.....My children have a British Passport and a Spanish passport.They are British, because I am British, and they are Spanish because their father is Spanish.Don't tell me what nationality my children are as they have both passports.  As to why am I living here, if I don,t want to change my nationality, the answer is because my husband is Spanish and I enjoy living here. I am under no obligation at all to change my nationality. I am Spanish in every other way. I speak Spanish 24 / 7 and know no other British people here, so there is nobody more integrated than me .There is no point as I have nothing to gain and a lot to lose. I have been here 20 years and feel no need to change my nationality.You are free to do as you wish. If you are British , your children are entitled to a British passport.

Answer 3

You will now receive a certificate of Residence. This will show your N.I.E. number and the fact that you reside here in Spain (this doesn't necessarily mean you are a fiscal resident). If you don't want to carry your passport with you go the the local Notary's office and they will make an 'authorised' copy which is acceptable if you are stopped by the police (you can do the same with your car papers, which must always be produced if you are stopped).

If you wish to pay by Switch or credit card you can always produce your driving licence.

Answer 4

Don't know. but I do know that superstar is talking out the back of his neck.  My brother has a Dutch passport.  His daughter can have dutch or English.  Or a duel.  My brother is English.  You do not have to change your nationality.

Answer 5

1st if your british you dont have a DNI you have a residencia!!!! They are not renewing or making any new ones, if you have one already, you just keep using it, if you do want to renew it they will, but only if you ask!!!!  Ive just renewed mine.!!!!!!!!!! You don't have to hand them over???? Someone is telling you porkies???????????

Do what im doing and change your nationality, if you live in Spain why not??? It'll make life a lot more easier!!!!!!

If you are still unsure phone the british console in Madrid

REMEMBER YOUR RESIDENCIA ISN'T AN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT ANYWAY!!!!!! ITS JUST YOUR PERMIT TO LIVE AND WORK HERE!!!!!!!

The post under mine...... your kids carn't have both nationalites its one or the other, we're in europe!!!!!!!!!!!! Id check, i have 2 kids and mine are Spannish as my husband is from here, they lost all rights to an English passport!!!!!!!

If you and your husband are English then so are they, unless you changed it.

Basically why you living here if your not gonna change your nationality????????????????