Green Card

Hi all,

Thank you for letting me join EOS. I need some information please, I should imagine this has been covered before, if so I apologise. We have been living in Spain for 6 years and thought we would apply for a loan at the bank to treat ourselves to a honeymoon.Everything was ok but we got asked for our green cards. Now we have NIE on white A4,Spanish social security,spanish heath cards,work contracts etc but does anyone know what the green card is please?

Many thanks

Cheryl

It is what we call the residence card. It is actually a card showing you have signed on the register of foreign EU citizens resident in Spain so it's much easier to refer to as the residence card. It used to be a white A4 sheet but was replaced by a green push out card (about credit card sized) some years ago. I believe the old A4 sheets had to be renewed every 5 years but the green ones are valid for life.

If you have the white A4 one you can exchange it for the green card one at a National Police station of a foreigner's office if you have one.

Hi thankyou for the info, oo bit worried now we got the white A4 sheetsfor over years not sure of implications if we go to police at this late stage might stir up a can of worms do you think??

Ratbag.     As  your `post demonstrates,  calling a spade a spade is better than calling it something else

Assuming you are an EU Citizen then you probably have an EU Registration certificate.   That replaced the Residencia card for EU citizens in April 2007.  Now only non-EU citizens can, and in fact must, have a Residencia Card, a plasticised card with a photo and a fingerprint,  which is a legal ID.  Residencias have an expiry date (5 or 10 years) and unlike the EU Reg Cert, are legal ID.

Assuming you have the EU Reg Cert, it was always green paper but was A4 size, then it will not have an expiry date and thus that is what you need to show the bank.  The latest issue of that cert. is still green paper but is credit card size.    A4 or credit card size they are the same.  Although if you apply for a replacement that will be green paper but credit card size.

If you do not have the EU Reg. Cert.  which you have been obliged to have since you moved to Spain 6 years ago, then you should get along to your National Police Comisaria and apply for one, ASAP.

The NIE cert is and always been A4 size white paper.

Are you getting your green card before Brexit? In any scenario ( with or without agreement), it is essential you have it for the maintenance/ acquisition of your residency rights.