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Renewal of permits
What is required to renew the TIE?
In order to renew your TIE, you must meet all the requirements that you met when you initially obtained your card.
In other words, the exact requirements will depend largely on the type of authorization you hold.
And that is what we will analyze below…
However, there are several general requirements that regardless of your specific card must be present.
If you want to renew your residency, you must comply:
Must not have a criminal record in Spain or register minor crimes or problems with the police or Spanish justice. And, if you have had them, you must cancel them before making the application.
Must not be prohibited from entering the country.
Must be the holder of the residence permit you intend to renew and be within 60 days before its expiration or 90 days after its expiration.
In case of having dependent children, they must be in school while in Spain.
The amount of the fee will vary depending on your permit.
Must not be a citizen of the European Union, Switzerland or the European Economic Area.
Present a valid and in effect passport. If your passport has expired, renew it before starting the renewal of your residency card.
Must have health care in Spain. This can be covered by social security if you are an employee, or by health insurance.
Fill in the official application form according to your residence. As you can see, it is the same as in the initial application. You only have to check the box for 1st or 2nd renewal.
Avoid prolonged absences outside Spain, as this is a clear reason for denial.
Let's see what the specific requirements are according to each particular case…
Renewal of residence and employment authorization
The first thing will be that you have a job and a valid offer during the period of the renewal.
However, collecting unemployment or assistance would also be valid.
Unless it is a permanent residence, this renewal will be for two years.
But there is another requirement that we must meet. We found three different cases:
The foreigner has been working for 6 months
In this first case, the most important thing will be to demonstrate that you have been working for a minimum of 6 months during the year prior to the renewal.
In the case of renewing a 2-year card, the period to demonstrate extends to 1 year of work activity in total (6 months per year).
The foreigner has been working for 3 months
But what if you have only worked for 3 months per year? Renewal is still possible.
But in this case it will be essential that during the time that you have not worked, you can demonstrate that:
- You have been working (justified with unemployment registration).
- You can provide reasons why you have not worked for the company that made you the offer you used to process your initial card application.
- You are working at the time of renewal; with social security registration and with a salary equal to or higher than the minimum wage in Spain.
The foreigner has not been working
Finally, and as an exceptional case, a renewal is possible, even if the foreigner has not worked.
In this case, it will be essential that it meets the requirements to be grouped together
The renewal is processed by proving that the spouse can regroup the foreigner in question.
Renewal of residence and self-employment authorization
Here the requirements are more direct.
To renew a self-employment permit (as a self-employed person), you must continue to maintain the same employment relationship that gave rise to this residency in the first place.
In other words, you must continue to operate as an independent worker.
To do so, you must be up to date with the payment of taxes as a self-employed person and have no debts with the Treasury or Social Security. This is done by providing the VAT, IRPF or Corporate Tax returns.
Finally, as in the previous case, there is also the option for the spouse to demonstrate that he or she has sufficient economic resources to support the foreigner. Therefore, continuing with the professional activity would not be necessary for the renewal.
However, in that case you would only get a residence permit, not a work permit, when renewing.
Renewal of work permit as a highly qualified worker
To renew this type of work permit you must demonstrate and present the same requirements that were necessary for the initial application.
In other words
First, the foreigner must provide a signed contract from the company or employer, guaranteeing his or her employability during the period that the renewed card will be in effect.
The salary established in the contract must be sufficiently high. We are talking about at least 1.5 times above the average salary of the profession to be performed. In this case, as the position is usually a manager or other technical position, this will be around €40.000 or €50.000 per year.
Again, present documentation regarding the employee’s academic training, demonstrating that he/she has the necessary experience and training to perform the job.
The foreign worker must be registered with the social security.
As for the company, it must not only be up to date with its payments to the Tax Agency and Social Security, but also be able to demonstrate sufficient economic capacity and solvency to keep the employee on the payroll during the established renewal period.
As we have mentioned, the documentation to be provided will be the same as in the initial application, with the difference that if the worker changes company, he/she will have to provide the data of the new company. This includes tax identification data as self-employed/company (NIF, CIF, DNI), declaration of IRPF, VAT, Corporate Tax or the company’s working life.
Renewal of residence permit for family reunification
To renew a residence permit for family reunification, the requirements are identical to those for the initial application.
There are three key points.
The first thing is to continue to have an adequate living space suitable for all of you to live together in decent conditions. In the case of having changed of domicile, it will be necessary to request again to the competent Autonomous Community the report of habitability.
Then, the applicant must have sufficient economic means (100% of the IPREM). To demonstrate it, it will have to contribute, at the moment of the renewal, copy of work contract or last declaration IRPF if it works for others, and if it does it for own account the last declaration IRPF and accreditation of its professional activity. If you do not carry out any type of activity, bank certification with the exact possession of money.
Finally, the relationship analogous to the conjugal one must be maintained, and it will be necessary to prove it.
All this will be formalized by means of the application form EX-02.
Renewal of non-lucrative residency
However, in this section we will see one of the main requirements, the most confusing one.
As you already know, in order to obtain this type of residence it is essential to demonstrate the possession of a certain amount of money in the bank.
If for the initial application you had to prove the possession of €3.600 (2023) in your bank account, at the time of renewal this amount will increase.
The renewal is not for one year, but for two.
Therefore, the amount required is now doubled to €67.200.
Other than that, make sure you continue to have health insurance, and the renewal will be yours.
In this case we will use the EX-01 model.
Renewal of long-term residence
In this case, and if you are on time, the renewal is much easier and straightforward.
It is not necessary to prove you have worked.
The only existing and crucial requirement will be to prove that you have been in Spain for 5 years continuously. That is to say, that you did not leave more than 6 months in a period of one year (not continuous); or that the total sum of departures in the whole period does not exceed 10 months.
Finally, you will have to prove that you are not prohibited from entering Spain, pay the relevant fee, and renew.
Renewal of community card
If you have obtained the residency as a family member of an EU citizen, your 5 years of residency come to an end.
You will simply have to prove that the link with the European citizen (usually your spouse) is still maintained, that you have not been outside Spain for longer than the time allowed, and fill out form EX-19.
As an exceptional case, if you have separated or divorced your partner (European citizen), you may continue to renew as long as you have lived together for a minimum of 3 years within the 5 years granted with the initial card.
If the foreigner is not working, but meets the requirements for reunification, then it is also possible to renew even if he does not meet the requirements for renewal. He/she would be reunited. The renewal is done by proving that the spouse can reunify him/her.
Ideally, in order to renew, you should have a job. Although collecting unemployment or welfare benefits would also be valid.
Unless it is a permanent residence, this renewal will be for two years.
When can I renew my NIE?
The law on foreigners of the general regime establishes that you can renew your card within 60 days before and 90 days after the expiration of your card.
However, we recommend that you start the process before the card expires.
You could be fined for the delay.
So, be aware of the administrative deadlines for renewal and start preparing everything well in advance.
