Does the EU Registration Certificate expire?

It is the document that certifies that an EU, EEA (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) or Swiss citizen legally resides in Spain. It is a green A4 sheet containing your NIE, name, nationality, address and registration date. It is regulated by Royal Decree 240/2007.

It is mandatory if you are going to live in Spain for more than 3 months. You must apply within the first 3 months of your arrival. It is not the same as the TIE, which is for non-EU citizens.

Every EU, EEA or Swiss citizen who plans to reside in Spain for more than 90 days. This includes employees, self-employed workers, students, retirees and people with their own financial means.

British citizens who arrived in Spain after 1 January 2021 can no longer obtain this certificate. Being post-Brexit, they are treated as non-EU nationals and need to apply for a visa and the TIE.

The official fee is approximately €12 (form 790, code 012, rate for EU citizen family members and registration certificates). It is paid before the appointment at any partner bank.

It is one of the lowest fees in immigration matters. There are no additional charges from the administration.

Retirees and self-sufficient people must prove two things:

1. Private health insurance contracted with an insurer authorised in Spain, with no co-payments, no waiting periods and coverage equivalent to the public system. Minimum coverage of €30,000.
2. Sufficient financial means to not be a burden on the Spanish social assistance system. The law does not set an exact minimum for EU citizens (unlike the 400% IPREM required for non-EU nationals), but in practice you need to demonstrate income or assets: pension, income, savings, property, etc.

It depends on when they arrived in Spain:

• Before 1 January 2021: British citizens who were already legally resident are protected by the Withdrawal Agreement (Article 50 TEU). They were issued a special "Article 50 TEU" TIE that preserves their rights as if they were EU citizens (work, reside, healthcare). That TIE is renewed, but the underlying rights are permanent.
• After 1 January 2021: they are treated as non-EU nationals (third-country citizens). They must apply for a visa and the TIE like any other non-EU foreigner, through the general immigration system.