# DIY DNI - how to make your own ID card for British expats



## mike kelly (Aug 12, 2009)

If you, as a UK citizen living in Spain, are at times frustrated at not having a government issued credit card sized national ID card, then you may find the following tip very useful.

Just photocopy your passport and bring the copy to your local police station. There you can have it stamped as being a true copy. Next, take the now stamped photocopy to a printers (or even an internet cafe) and have it scanned and reduced in size to the standard credit card size. Print out the scan and get it laminated. You now have a handy ID card which can fit in your wallet, no more need to carry that cumbersome passport around with you when you need to do things such as pay with your credit card, go to the bank etc.

I got this tip from listening to a radio phone in show, the caller assured listeners that it does work and is perfectly legal.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

mike kelly said:


> If you, as a UK citizen living in Spain, are at times frustrated at not having a government issued credit card sized national ID card, then you may find the following tip very useful.
> 
> Just photocopy your passport and bring the copy to your local police station. There you can have it stamped as being a true copy. Next, take the now stamped photocopy to a printers (or even an internet cafe) and have it scanned and reduced in size to the standard credit card size. Print out the scan and get it laminated. You now have a handy ID card which can fit in your wallet, no more need to carry that cumbersome passport around with you when you need to do things such as pay with your credit card, go to the bank etc.
> 
> I got this tip from listening to a radio phone in show, the caller assured listeners that it does work and is perfectly legal.


yes it's handy - people have been doing this for years & in a lot of circumstances it will serve as ID

but in 'official' situations where you need the original, you'll actually need the original....


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

xabiachica said:


> yes it's handy - people have been doing this for years & in a lot of circumstances it will serve as ID
> 
> but in 'official' situations where you need the original, you'll actually need the original....


Especially as the authorities state that by laminating it, your are invalidating it!



Having said that, this is what we did when first arriving 9 years ago. We did it for the "residencia" and the passport.


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## kimuyen (Aug 8, 2013)

snikpoh said:


> Especially as the authorities state that by laminating it, your are invalidating it!


Sorry, why is the Spanish government against laminating an official document? And how would laminating it "invalidate" it?


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## mike kelly (Aug 12, 2009)

kimuyen said:


> Sorry, why is the Spanish government against laminating an official document? And how would laminating it "invalidate" it?


That's a good question. I'm afraid that I don't know the answer but when I got my residency card, I was told that while it was allowed to keep the card in a plastic cover (from which it can be withdrawn and reentered), it was not permitted to laminate the card!


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## extranjero (Nov 16, 2012)

snikpoh said:


> Especially as the authorities state that by laminating it, your are invalidating it!
> 
> 
> 
> Having said that, this is what we did when first arriving 9 years ago. We did it for the "residencia" and the passport.


it's only invalid if you laminate your original foreigners citizen card


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

kimuyen said:


> Sorry, why is the Spanish government against laminating an official document? And how would laminating it "invalidate" it?


I suspect it's because they can't inspect it to see if it is in fact the original and not a colour copy.


... but these are the rules so be warned.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

mike kelly said:


> the caller assured listeners that it does work and is perfectly legal.


I may well be perfectly legal the create your own "ID" card but the authorities and those to whom you present it are not forced to accept it.


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