How to get Residencia and the Certificado de Registro in Gran Canaria?

[Vikki]

How to get Residencia and the Certificado de Registro in Gran Canaria:

When I first came to the island of Gran Canaria, foreigners had to apply for a residencia card, which states your NIE number, photo, name and address with fingerprint on the back and also some of the numbers from your passport. It was a credit card size and was very useful when it came to identifying yourself when paying by credit card ins hops, going to the bank, alll official type stuff, it was quick and handy. You could also travel anywhere in Spain with it without taking out your passport, it also gave you discounts when travelling.

But now the government have decided that we don't need them and when your card expires they are giving you a lovely piece of A4 instead.

What to do when your Residencia Card expires?

Go to the Police Station in San Fernando and ask for the relevant forms telling them your card is soon to expire. You will aslo need to pay €10 to the bank. Fill the forms in and take them back to the office with your passport and expiring residencia card.

Your residencia card will be thrown in the bin never to be seen again and in it's place you will be given a greenish certificado de registro which states who you are and your address and NIE number. It states on the paper that it is NOT a form of identification.

Note: If your address has changed since you first got your residencia card and you put your new address in the forms you will have to go to your local town hall and register for waht is called Empadramiento, this costs about 3€. You will need to take this form with you when you go to the police station.

From then on when you would usually use your residencia card you will have to produce your passport and new green certificado de registro.....

As you may be able to tell I'm not a big fan it was much easier with the card.

As this is new and the old cards are phasing out, you may get away with just using your certificate as i.d. I was at the post office and showed my certificate to pick up a parcel but the nice lady said next time to take another form of i.d such as passport or driver's license.

I think it's a pain having to carry a passport round for fear of loss or theft! I called up the consulate and they said you can get a certified copy of your passport to carry around as i.d so you don't have to carry your original one round with you which isn't bad.

What has everyone's experience been with this so far? I feel like I lost something.....and I don't even have any i.d at the moment as my passport has been sent off to be renewed!!!

[mary]

I hate this green form and feel discrminated agianst as a foreigner. I know that they have abolished it in favour of your own countries form of ID - but as UK doenst have ID cards, we have to carry our passports.

If we lose our passport, we cannot replace it easily as it is difficult to get passports photos that are accepted by the new biometric passports issued in Madird.

So, rant over...one my few moans about living here

[Vikki]

Yes I feel it is a great inconvenience carrying my passport round with me but luckily I have been sent my old passport back so I use that for photo i.d now instead of carrying my current passport round with me.

I spoke to a nice man at the passport office in Liverpool and he said they are starting to introduce an i.d card in the UK very soon starting with people who have official type jobs such as Airports, Hospitals etc.......then moving on to everyone else.

So here's hoping that we will be able to send for them from here and then we won't have to use our big green certificates and passports everywhere.