Residencia

You make an appointment via the Internet; depending on time of year, it can be up to two months away.  Once you have the appointment you attend in person in Almería with all documentation (originals plus photocopies) and your Residencia is usually processed and issued that day (assuming all documents in order, you have Padrón and meet financial and health requirements)

We live in Roquetas and went through this process in August 2018. We used a gestor as we needed three documents translating including an apostiled marriage certificate. After the initial appointment in Almeria City Oficina de Extranjeros, with presentation of the necessary documentation, we went back a week later to collect the certificates.

Chris

I would also strongly encourage you to enlist the services of a good Gestor to help you navigate the bureaucracy and indicate what needs Translating etc.  translation of documents MIGHT have to be done here, depending on the official you get on the day.

For example: I had my marriage certificate translated in Gibraltar, where it was issued, by a Spanish registered Judicial Translator ... but because she worked from Gibraltar, they wouldn’t accept it and insisted on a translation done by a Judicial Translator based in Spain, so I had to get my marriage certificate translated again here in Vera and reapply.

The requirements can be ... fluid ... and can really depend on which person you deal with on the day.  The recommendation I invariably give is to enlist the services of a good Gestor, someone who regularly deals with Oficina de la Extranjeria in Almería and is abreast of current requirements to help you through this.