If you already hold a green residency certificate, either the A4 paper format or credit card size, these remain valid documentary evidence of your residency rights under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement.
The Spanish government is advising British residents to exchange these cards for the TIE card. There are advantages to doing so:
- The TIE card is a more durable document; and
- Having the card may speed up some administrative processes including the crossing of borders.
Exchanging green residency paperwork for a TIE card is not currently obligatory. However we are seeing more people choosing to make the switch now. At present no time scale has been issued for making the change compulsory. It is just an advisory notice at this stage.
The Spanish government has helpfully produced a guide to the validity of the existing green residency certificates if you do wish to exchange your green certificates at the moment. However if you want to take advantage of the biometric TIE card, we can assist you with making the application.