Residencia renewals

My residencia card expires in April and not wanting to go to a gestoria and pay their fees I would be grateful if anyone has any advice. I have tried to phone the office for foreigners in Castellon and it is constantly engaged. Any web links for the forms would also be apprciated

You have to go to the foreigner's office in person, with your expiring card, padrón cert., passport, escritura, mug-shots, blood & urine samples, and anything else you can think of, in triplicate, and get there no later than 6am to join the queue (take a flask of hot tea) and complete form EX-16 (download it here). You will also have to fill out form 709 (?) which isn't available for download because it's carbonated (carbon copies, not fizzy) and go to the bank to pay 10 euros or so tax.

In return for all this, they will cut up your nice plastic ID card and give you a useless green sheet of paper stating you are a resident EU citizen, which you will have to carry with your passport for ever more.

More details here

roberto,

and to rub salt into the wound, the very helpful gentleman who kindly took away our residencia cards (no names mentioned), is being tipped to take over from Snr Zapatero as leader of the PSOE !

He was of course amply assisted by a group of 'expats' down Marbella way who campaigned long and hard against ID cards because 'we don't do things like that in England'.

Well, thanks a lot 'expats' because as you say we now have to carry around a useless piece of paper (not recognised as proof of identity) plus our passports.

By the way, am I alone in hating the word 'expat'.Only English people seem to use it. Everybody else is an immigrant. Personally, I consider myself to be an immigrant and refute the term 'expat'. I have also sold my Pith Helmet at a local Rastro.

'we don't do things like that in England' - yes, well that's our problem, isn't it? If we were from, say, Germany, it would be a non-issue, because we already have valid ID cards issued by our native land. I can see why Spain would say "not our problem"

If you leave a country, you are an emigrant. If you arrive in another country you are an immigrant. Never really thought about the term expat; can't say it bothers me, but now that you mention it, it does rather sound like you are a former patriot - almost a traitor in fact! Or is like excommunicated? You have been rejected by your compatriots?

Roberto, I don't believe for one minute that you've never given consideration to the term 'expat'; it is used constantly on EOS and other sites as you well know. Mendacity does you no favours.

You may also look to the meaning and spelling of 'expat'. Try 'expatriate' not 'expatriot'

I think an apology is called for; or is that perhaps beneath you?

As for me; born, bred, educated in England; even white would you believe.

I'm still an immigrant in Spain and I don't consider it to be a dirty word.

WTF??????

And vitriol does you no favours. You want an apology for exchanging a bit of idle banter? You don't consider "immigrant" to be a dirty word, but you do consider "expat" to be so? And what the hell has your ethnicity, education and place of birth got to do with anything?

Weird.

Roberto

You are certainly adept at not answering the point made. Should have gone into politics.

On the contrary, the OP asked a question to which I responded with the required information.

What are you doing here? You've been here 5 minutes and seem intent on picking a fight.

Roberto just to depress you a little. Here we go to the 'foreigners office ' ( Nice new building in the Huerta de la Rueda , where the thursday market is held. They got fed up with the queues in the police station in town !  )  with old tarjeta & a copy of padron issued within the last 90 days. Take a ticket & when you are called the staff member fills in the form for you to take to the bank to pay. This is the hardest part as it's at least  1km walk back to town to the nearest bank ! On your return , take a ticket & on being called , present paid -up form, padron & old card & 5 minutes later leave with new green residencia form & copy of application. 2 hours tops, including a coffee break ! They process hundreds every day.

Exactly the same process here. I imagine Benicarlo (OP) will find the same wherever he/she is.