Posted by: Daniel-Madrid
Renewing ID card - 03/05/09 07:55 AM
Hi all,
Have any Brits here recently renewed their national ID card (NIE i think it is called)? I ask because it is proving rather taxing to get mine processed. It seems that the government (or whoever) has decided to complicate it for us, just for the sake of it. What was once a 20 minute process, available in any comisaria has now been totally changed.
I recently went to a comisaria in Pozuelo to get it done but was told that I now can only do it in the centre of Madrid near the Puerta de Toledo. Also, because I am not Spanish, I can't book an appointment (cita previa) so I have to waste a whole day standing in line with everyone else, including the ones that are claiming papers for immigration. And to cap it all, I have been told recently that they are taking the ID cards away from from foreigners and replacing them with a 'residency certificate', requiring me to carry my passport at all times (which I refuse to do).
Compared to 5 years ago when I did the whole thing in 20 minutes, this really is annoying. My card expired a month ago and I think I just won't bother renewing it, after all, my identity doesn't actually expire and I don't need the card nor residency to live here.
Thanks,
Daniel
p.s. don't even get me started on the way that they treat foreigners in the comisarias, especial the ones that have trouble with their Spanish - what I saw in Pozuelo was frankly shocking.
p.p.s I hope this doesn't come across as a rant :-S Although it would be very easy to get me started...
Have any Brits here recently renewed their national ID card (NIE i think it is called)? I ask because it is proving rather taxing to get mine processed. It seems that the government (or whoever) has decided to complicate it for us, just for the sake of it. What was once a 20 minute process, available in any comisaria has now been totally changed.
I recently went to a comisaria in Pozuelo to get it done but was told that I now can only do it in the centre of Madrid near the Puerta de Toledo. Also, because I am not Spanish, I can't book an appointment (cita previa) so I have to waste a whole day standing in line with everyone else, including the ones that are claiming papers for immigration. And to cap it all, I have been told recently that they are taking the ID cards away from from foreigners and replacing them with a 'residency certificate', requiring me to carry my passport at all times (which I refuse to do).
Compared to 5 years ago when I did the whole thing in 20 minutes, this really is annoying. My card expired a month ago and I think I just won't bother renewing it, after all, my identity doesn't actually expire and I don't need the card nor residency to live here.
Thanks,
Daniel
p.s. don't even get me started on the way that they treat foreigners in the comisarias, especial the ones that have trouble with their Spanish - what I saw in Pozuelo was frankly shocking.
p.p.s I hope this doesn't come across as a rant :-S Although it would be very easy to get me started...