# Losing residency?



## Justina (Jan 25, 2013)

How long can a Brit citizen with residency in Spain be allowed to be outside the country without losing residency?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Justina said:


> How long can a Brit citizen with residency in Spain be allowed to be outside the country without losing residency?


I was looking at this yesterday for an article I just finished!

According to this when applying for permanent residency, you have to have been resident in Spain for 5 years. Within that 5 years you must have had no more than a total of 10 months outside Spain & no longer than 6 months continuously.

I don't know what happens if you then leave Spain after you have your 'permanent' card, except that you're supposed to 'unregister' if you leave to live in another country.


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## JulyB (Jul 18, 2011)

2 consecutive years. 

From this PDF - https://www.google.es/url?sa=t&sour...ggfMAE&usg=AFQjCNHdecHeNkSmsp8w7dEERNLlQ-3GIQ

Obviously, this is while we are still EU citizens.

Went and got permanente card the other day. Will put something on the forum about it.


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## 95995 (May 16, 2010)

If you have your card now, it should be valid until its expiry date (but you would still need to be wary about spending considerable time outside the country, especially since the UK is not part of the Schengen zone and, should the UK in fact exit, you can expect controls will be tighter if you re-enter via Gibraltar). Good luck!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

EverHopeful said:


> If you have your card now, it should be valid until its expiry date (but you would still need to be wary about spending considerable time outside the country, especially since the UK is not part of the Schengen zone and, should the UK in fact exit, you can expect controls will be tighter if you re-enter via Gibraltar). Good luck!


I have a certificate which says _caracter permanente_, but I've always thought it's permanent until someone decides it isn't...
Personally I think new agreements and laws will be passed to circumvent many of the foreseeable residency and employment problems. Laws and exceptions to laws are made all the time like in March 2007 when the Spanish government decided to stipulate that EU members had to sign on the foreigners registration list.
That is if the nonbinding referendum is actually acted upon.


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## 95995 (May 16, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I have a certificate which says _caracter permanente_, but I've always thought it's permanent until someone decides it isn't...
> Personally I think new agreements and laws will be passed to circumvent many of the foreseeable residency and employment problems. Laws and exceptions to laws are made all the time like in March 2007 when the Spanish government decided to stipulate that EU members had to sign on the foreigners registration list.
> That is if the nonbinding referendum is actually acted upon.


That's always the case. Even nationality can be withdrawn. Even EU citizens don't really have automatic rights - beyond the free movement for work they are still generally required under EU law to be able to support themselves and, of course, an EU member country can leave the EU or even flout the EU regulations (for as long as they are allowed to get away with that). Note for example that nationals of an EU country have to jump more hurdles to have their non-EU spouse join them - that's a situation that's exempted from EU regulations.

Sovereign rights are not completely overwhelmed by EU membership, contrary to popular belief.

And, as you say, it is a non-binding referendum irrespective of Cameron having said he would implement the outcome. There's nothing in UK law that requires him to implement it and it remains a political decision to do so no matter how many people scream for it to be enacted.


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