RESIDENCY APPLICATIONS - ALMERIA EXTRANJEROS OFICINA
Super helpful member
Just posting this for information ... we are a retired couple. It's taken 2 months since we arrived in Roquetas de Mar but we have finally obtained our 'Green' cards, or Spanish Residency certificates. These basically confirm that we are Spanish residents. Residency is required within 90 days of arrival.
NB: many told us we could easily do this ourselves and 'for €10'. The TASA (stamp duty) fee alone is now €12pp and every police office in Spain seems to have different approaches - so beware, it ain't easy!
We paid a gestor (paralegal) to advise and assist us through the process, also including negotiating the 1 hour booking appointments at the INSS for health care: it cost €324 in total (inc €90 for translations and €24 for TASA). We knew all the forms required but the way to avoid repeated visits to the Foreigners' office in Almeria City seemed to be to have someone that is an accredited guide and speaks fluent Spanish - the one we used was local to us and was clearly well-known to the Extranjeros staff.
We required:
*Fresh copy of our marriage certificate, obtained from the London GRO (£30) then apostiled by the Legalisation Office (£35) plus a translation into Spanish by an accredited judicial translator (£30). The only reason we need this was because one of us has no income and is under retirement age.
*Copies of our S1 EU forms (supplied by the DWP) that give us access to post-retirement health care in Spain, under the reciprocal UK-Spain arrangements. NB: this is a EU form and does NOT have to be translated.
*Copies of UK pension letter and UK occupational pension letter - plus translations of them into Spanish by an accredited judicial translator. This was the only proof of income sought - the Foreigners Office was not interested in our Spanish bank account or UK bank account at all.
*Passports.
*Padron certificate of registration from Roquetas town hall.
*Tasa proof of payment forms (€12 each)
There was a huge amount of paper shuffling, the idea of the paperless society has yet to hit Spain!