# NIE to Residency



## barryandjohn (Apr 21, 2013)

Hi guys thinking of changing from just @ nie to full residency anyone any experience
also my partner and i joint own property should we have a spanish will or is our uk one sufficient we are in Gran Canaria thanks guys


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

barryandjohn said:


> Hi guys thinking of changing from just @ nie to full residency anyone any experience
> also my partner and i joint own property should we have a spanish will or is our uk one sufficient we are in Gran Canaria thanks guys


I would advise having a Spanish will for your Spanish assets and a UK will for your UK assets.

Just make sure that they mention the existence of the other and make sure they mention which law you wish to use (for example, UK law for Spanish will).


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## barryandjohn (Apr 21, 2013)

any idea which is best for us uk or spanish law ?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

barryandjohn said:


> Hi guys thinking of changing from just @ nie to full residency anyone any experience
> also my partner and i joint own property should we have a spanish will or is our uk one sufficient we are in Gran Canaria thanks guys


I don't understand.
If you live in Spain you are required to sign on the EU citizens register and receive a certificate, maybe a card depending on where you live and what the local town hall is up to, after 90 days (not become a resident); it's not something you just decide to do. So do you live here? If you do, supposedly you sign on.
In reality there are a fair few people who don't and usually nothing happens although in theory you can be fined. However, if you dosign on, nothing negative will happen either so you might as well err on the right side of Spanish legislation.


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## StewartL (Sep 5, 2013)

For the will if you have assets in both the UK and Spain I would advise on having two wills one under UK law for the disposal of the UK assets and one under Spanish law for the disposal of the Spanish assets. You will need to ensure when you do the second will it states that it does not revoke the other will.

Where in Gran Canaria are you? We are in Meloneras, Maspalomas and went thought the residencia process last month.


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## barryandjohn (Apr 21, 2013)

i dont understand either we are registered and have a NIE number but was told this is for foreign persons buying property there is full residency which entitles one to certain benefits here in the canaries one of them is reduced travel costs between islands also as a stranger i have to pay regular fees on my bank account for being non resident


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Reduced travel costs anywhere in Spain.


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## barryandjohn (Apr 21, 2013)

Hepa said:


> Reduced travel costs anywhere in Spain.


can i get these with just a nie ?


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

barryandjohn said:


> can i get these with just a nie ?


No, we have to go to the local Ayuntamiento, same office that we registered on the Padron, they provide a six months travel certificate which states you are a resident, this has to be shown when purchasing flights and very often when boarding. The authorities in the airports on the Peninsular are very keen to check the certificate.

Ours is free, other islands you pay a small fee, the reduction in travels fare can be nearly 50% for me, because in addition to being a permanent resident of the Canary Isles, I am also an old git 

The concessions also apply to residents of the Spanish north African territories and I believe the Balearic islands.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

barryandjohn said:


> i dont understand either we are registered and have a NIE number but was told this is for foreign persons buying property there is full residency which entitles one to certain benefits here in the canaries one of them is reduced travel costs between islands also as a stranger i have to pay regular fees on my bank account for being non resident



Any one can have an NIE for any number of reasons.

Once you have been in Spain for 90 days or more, you are considered as resident and SHOULD sign on the list of foreigners. This gives you a green document (or card) stating that you are registered as resident.

Once registered as resident, tell your bank to reduce your costs. 

After 182 days (in any calendar year) in Spain (not necessarily in one chunk) your are deemed tax resident and need to submit a tax return.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

aren't inheritance taxes lower for residents too?

as in _*registered residents*_


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

xabiachica said:


> aren't inheritance taxes lower for residents too?
> 
> as in _*registered residents*_


Yes. From the OP's user names, they are a same sex couple so should go through the formalisation of their relationship since the familial distance between the deceased and the inheritor greatly affects the rate of tax and the allowances. There may even be special arrangements in the Canaries as there are in Andalúcia.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

barryandjohn said:


> i dont understand either we are registered and have a NIE number but was told this is for foreign persons buying property there is full residency which entitles one to certain benefits here in the canaries one of them is reduced travel costs between islands also as a stranger i have to pay regular fees on my bank account for being non resident


So, do you live here? Your location is given as Luton...
Do you have something that looks like this









or looks like this?










If not, then you aren't registered on the eu residents list and you should be if you live here. You need to go to the nearest police station with a foreigners department. See here
P?gina oficial de la DGP-Comisar?a General de Extranjer?a y Fronteras
If you do have this then I presume you're talking about applying for Spanish nationality...


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## barryandjohn (Apr 21, 2013)

we presently live in luton and have an appartment in gran canaria and will be spending more time there we have an nie id post it but dont know how in here


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

barryandjohn said:


> we presently live in luton and have an appartment in gran canaria and will be spending more time there we have an nie id post it but dont know how in here


so you have a white A4 paper with your NIE number on it

if you don't spend more than 90 days at a time here, that's all you need

if you do, then you are obliged to register as resident, & if you are here more than 183 days a calendar year Jan 1st to Dec 31st, then you are tax resident


it really is pretty much as simple as that - it's a case of laws & obligations - not whether there are advantages or not


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## barryandjohn (Apr 21, 2013)

ok thanks we do not spend more than 90 days there at present but will do so it was the tax and other benefits i was looking to get as they charge us fo every thing the banks particularly
so if i say i am going to spend more than 183 day we just have to register at the police station again


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## StewartL (Sep 5, 2013)

If you say that you are going to spend more than 90 days in any one visit you will need to register at the national police station near to the Euro Center San Fernando to obtain residencia. 

Once you have this you will just need to go into your bank and ask them to change your account from a non resident account to a residents accounts which they should be able to do quite easily. 

For the travel discount certificate you will need to go to the local Ayuntamiento which is behind the football stadium in San Fernando. This is the same place that you signed or nor will need to sign onto the Pardon.

The 183 day timeline is to do with being a tax resident and that is a cumulative figure within the tax year.


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## barryandjohn (Apr 21, 2013)

StewartL said:


> If you say that you are going to spend more than 90 days in any one visit you will need to register at the national police station near to the Euro Center San Fernando to obtain residencia.
> 
> Once you have this you will just need to go into your bank and ask them to change your account from a non resident account to a residents accounts which they should be able to do quite easily.
> 
> ...


Thanks Stewart so we just need to go to the police station and register like we did for the NIE


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## StewartL (Sep 5, 2013)

Same place but you will also need to take with you various documents. 

1) Birth Certificates originals also translated into Spanish
2) Civil Partnership certificate if applicable also translated into Spanish
3) Passports
4) Evidence of Health coverage. S1 form or Insurance certificate original also translated into Spanish
5) Evidence of Financial solvency so that you will not be a burden to the Spanish Social Security. (Pension, Employment contract, Bank Statements) Rough figures are income of 600 euros per person per month or 6,000 Euros in a Spanish bank account per person. 


For all the documents above you will need to show the police office the originals and also provide them with a photo copy of them for their files. For the financial document if you are using just one set of bank accounts to cover the financial solvency of both of you will need two sets of copies for the police so that can put one set with each


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## extranjero (Nov 16, 2012)

I think Barry and John are asking about registering for tax, after obtaining residency.
If so find a good accountant, who understands the both the British and Spanish tax systems. Don't just go to a solicitor or gestor. A decent accountant will be the difference between paying a little, or a lot!


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