# Tarjeta de Residencia, still waiting...



## pronomad (Apr 3, 2014)

Hello!

I applied for my Tarjeta de Residencia over 8 weeks ago and we are still waiting for the outcome -- the letter stating if my residency is approved or rejected. I applied as a non-eu spouse (I am from the US) since my husband is an EU resident and now has his Spanish NIE and Green Card. We ticked every box and handed a complete package when we registered my application, this also included bank statements proving additional funds just in case my husband's salary was not sufficient enough to support two people. 

Does anyone have a clue on how long this process generally takes? We want to be able to travel outside the EU over the holidays but cannot until my application is approved. 

ALSO does anyone have any info on what happens if it is rejected? I know I can reapply to appeal a rejection but has anyone had to do this? I hate to be landlocked in Spain indefinitely while waiting for a response, after the holidays there are two major events I need to attend back home in the US and I would hate to miss them due to a residency appeal... 

Any info would be great! 

thanks!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

one poster here (Sandraw??) reported that hers took 5 months to come through, recently


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

The last time I renewed my residency (as a family member of an EU citizen) was 3 years ago. It was a straight forward renewal with no changes at all to my previous residency, and it took them 4 months. That was in Seviile. It can vary from one extrajeria office to another, but I think in general the time frame involved can be measured in months and not weeks.

You might try asking them to give you a letter of permission to leave and re-enter the country. When I was renewing my residency the last time my father was quite ill and I asked them if I could leave the country should he die. They said that if there are extenuating circumstance they would give me such a letter. Fortunately I didn't need it so I know how it would have gone.


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## larryzx (Jul 2, 2014)

kalohi;5198609. said:


> You might try asking them to give you a letter of permission to leave and re-enter the country. When I was renewing my residency the last time my father was quite ill and I asked them if I could leave the country should he die. They said that if there are extenuating circumstance they would give me such a letter. Fortunately I didn't need it so I know how it would have gone.



This may help:- 

Secretaría General de Inmigración y Emigración. Portal de la Inmigración


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## Alun (Sep 13, 2013)

Simple. 

Travel together and with your marriage certificate.


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## ExpatWannabee (Jul 6, 2011)

I'm a non-EU spouse and it took me about two-and-a-half weeks to get the letter. It's possible you may just be caught up in the summer slowdown - it's massive vacation time for government workers in the summer. It may also be that they lost your application, I would certainly make inquiries. But your not landlocked in Spain. Most Schengen countries don't even have immigration set ups for flights from other Schengen countries. I visited Gibraltar and Malta while waiting for my residencia approval.


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## larryzx (Jul 2, 2014)

ExpatWannabee said:


> . I visited Gibraltar and Malta while waiting for my residencia approval.


Just in passing:

All visitors to Gibraltar (except those with EU National ID card) require a valid passport to enter. Nationals from many countries also need a visa to enter Gibraltar. Holding a Residencia Card does not exempt them from that requirement.


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## angkag (Oct 29, 2013)

Alun said:


> Simple.
> 
> Travel together and with your marriage certificate.


They took our original legalised marriage certificate in Cadiz as they said they needed it during the process. 

I'm assuming we get it back once the residency process is complete !! (so in our case we don't have a marriage cert to travel with, only copies)


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## angkag (Oct 29, 2013)

larryzx said:


> Just in passing:
> 
> All visitors to Gibraltar (except those with EU National ID card) require a valid passport to enter. Nationals from many countries also need a visa to enter Gibraltar. Holding a Residencia Card does not exempt them from that requirement.


That sounds right - my wife (Indonesian) previously had residency in Belgium but still needed a visa to go to the UK (and Gibraltar no different).

But did I see some mention in a paper today of Gibraltar considering to be a part of the Shenghan group ? If so, that would make things a bit easier.


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## Alun (Sep 13, 2013)

angkag said:


> They took our original legalised marriage certificate in Cadiz as they said they needed it during the process.
> 
> I'm assuming we get it back once the residency process is complete !! (so in our case we don't have a marriage cert to travel with, only copies)


Sorry to hear that -in Malaga, they were happy with a copy, once they'd compared it with the original, so we travelled easily.


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## ExpatWannabee (Jul 6, 2011)

angkag said:


> They took our original legalised marriage certificate in Cadiz as they said they needed it during the process.
> 
> I'm assuming we get it back once the residency process is complete !! (so in our case we don't have a marriage cert to travel with, only copies)


That, in and of itself, sounds odd. In Valencia they only ask for copies of everything - no originals.


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## angkag (Oct 29, 2013)

ExpatWannabee said:


> That, in and of itself, sounds odd. In Valencia they only ask for copies of everything - no originals.


Might be because it had legalisations on the back from every Indonesian ministry in existence, and the person in La Linea had no idea if they were the right ones or not (they are, but hard for them to know that), and not sure they copied very clearly, so the original got sent off to Cadiz.


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## pronomad (Apr 3, 2014)

I just got my residency letter in the post today, I am good to go for the next 5 years. What a relief!!


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