# NIE and travelling around the shengen



## Liana12433 (Jul 1, 2015)

Hi all,
A question relating to the above topic. My wife and stepson are non EU citizens and will have an NIE card. I am a UK citizen. My question is as follows.
With a NIE card and their passports can they travel freely around the schengen region. As tourists or on business.
Cheers


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Liana12433 said:


> Hi all,
> A question relating to the above topic. My wife and stepson are non EU citizens and will have an NIE card. I am a UK citizen. My question is as follows.
> With a NIE card and their passports can they travel freely around the schengen region. As tourists or on business.
> Cheers



As I said '_elsewhere_', there is no such thing as an NIE card so what do you really mean?

Are you referring to the 'residencia' which has your photo etc. on it?


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## banana plant (Mar 15, 2016)

snikpoh said:


> As I said '_elsewhere_', there is no such thing as an NIE card so what do you really mean?
> 
> Are you referring to the 'residencia' which has your photo etc. on it?


my spanish residencia card doesn't have my photo on it :confused2:


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## Liana12433 (Jul 1, 2015)

banana plant said:


> my spanish residencia card doesn't have my photo on it :confused2:


Nor does mine as like you I am a UK national, my wife is a Russian national.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

banana plant said:


> my spanish residencia card doesn't have my photo on it :confused2:


Come on, keep up.

The OP said that their wife and stepson are non-EU, therefore they have a 'residencia' with photos on!

You, on the other hand are from the EU (ISTR) and so don't have a 'residencia'. You have a piece of green card/paper stating that you have signed on the list of foreigners.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

banana plant said:


> my spanish residencia card doesn't have my photo on it :confused2:





Liana12433 said:


> Nor does mine as like you I am a UK national, my wife is a Russian national.


An actual residencia card (not NIE card - there's no such thing) does have a photo, as you say Liana12433, & is an ID card. What we EU citizens have is just a card which states that we are registered on the list of EU citizens living in Spain - & is no good as ID.


In answer to the original question, yes I believe that the iD card + passport is all that is required for your wife & stepson to travel - but it might be worth checking with the consulate or the extranjería if none of our non-EU members know for sure


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

@Liana12433 - just for my own piece of mind please. You say ...your wife .... so I assume that you are male. But then your id would appear to be female 

Am I making too many assumptions?


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## banana plant (Mar 15, 2016)

snikpoh said:


> Come on, keep up.
> 
> The OP said that their wife and stepson are non-EU, therefore they have a 'residencia' with photos on!
> 
> You, on the other hand are from the EU (ISTR) and so don't have a 'residencia'. You have a piece of green card/paper stating that you have signed on the list of foreigners.


I have a residencia!!!!! the green card is nothing to do with signing on the list of foreigners!!!! that's called 'the padron'.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

banana plant said:


> I have a residencia!!!!! the green card is nothing to do with signing on the list of foreigners!!!! that's called 'the padron'.


You're confusing yourself.

The green card is what you were given when you went to the extranjería / national police & signed on the list of EU citizens living in Spain. Sometime people wrongly call it a 'residencia card' - but only non-EU citizens get those. They have photos & are ID cards. Yours isn't because it doesn't have a photo.

The padrón is for everyone who lives in a town. It's done at the town hall /ayuntamiento & is for everyone - not only foreigners.


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

As an EU citizen you will be excersizing your treaty rights which allow your wife and family to be with you. 
Doesn't really matter if they have residency or not.

That said I have always had either my Belgian ID when I lived there or Spainish ID now I'm here with my passport when travelling and that has always been fine.
I guessed if pushed they can ask for proof of marriage, for us having a French family book helps but we have never needed it for travelling.

I have no idea though what I would need if I was travelling by myself or even if I could do that, thankfully it has never come up.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

banana plant said:


> I have a residencia!!!!! the green card is nothing to do with signing on the list of foreigners!!!! that's called 'the padron'.


Absolute rubbish!



Wot @Xabiachica said - spot on!


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## disillusion20 (May 29, 2013)

As long as your non-EU family members have their residencia card (Tarjeta de residencia de familiar de ciudadano de la Unión *whew!*) with them at all times together with their passports, then yes they can travel round the Schengen area whether it be for business or leisure.

I've travelled with and without my husband and most of the time I have to make sure to show the card to either the staff at the check-in counters or the customs officers (when coming back from my home country).


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