Residency

Coming to live legally in Spain is not such a simple task.  If you have been following the blog for long you know that last April we began the process of collecting paperwork for our visa applications.  On June 13 we finally had it all together and we went and applied (all four of us, in person, in Washington, DC) for our visas.  Then in early September we received word that mine and Scott's visas were ready however the children's visas had not been issued yet.  Then yes, 3 days before we left for Spain all four were ready and along with a friend I made a quick trip to DC to pick them all up.  Then shortly after arriving in Spain, Hannah and I took an overnight trip to London so that she could enter the country after receiving her visa.  But the visa is only the beginning of the process.

Once here we had a few days to go to the ayuntamiento (local government office) to complete our empadronamiento (basically census paperwork).  In addition, we had 30 days to apply for our residency status.

Now the fun begins - here is how the process is supposed to work:

• call, go online, fax, or go to the processing station and request an appointment to apply for residency
• all adults appear in the processing station with a pile of paperwork and copies of everything and submit application
• be awarded a residency number
• go to a different location and request an appointment for fingerprinting (of entire family) and final application process
• return to location for appointment
• return 45 - 60 days later and pick up residency card

And here is how our process has worked (with each step including help from a co-worker who actually speaks Spanish:

• faxed request for appointment and received a return call to go ASAP to a different location to set up an appointment
• went to the location (a little more than an hour commute each way) and indicated we were there to set up an appointment, however, we had brought all paperwork just in case there was an available appointment that day
• a nice young man said he had time to process us right then and 30 minutes later we were walking out of the office with residency paperwork - only to realize a little while later there was a problem
• unsure how to handle the problem (we were assigned a residency status different than we wanted/needed) we forwarded all our paperwork to an attorney who has helped in similar situations
• side note:  you have 30 days to complete the residency process once you are awarded a residency status
• 3 weeks later (two days ago) we hear back that the easiest solution is to go back to the original office with all our paperwork in hand again and just attempt to explain the confusion (in Spanish of course) -and yes, still need to comply with the 30 days.
• So yesterday, Friday, another co-worker takes us back to the original office to explain the problem and once again we were greeted by a very friendly lady who had to do some research - about 30 minutes later we were called over to sign our new residency paperwork and this time it is correct
• but with the 30 days almost gone we were sent directly to another facility (20 minute drive away) to request our fingerprint appointment
• We sat/stood in line for an hour to get our appointment and now next Friday we will return to sit/stand in line again to finalize the process.

Are you as confused as we are yet?  We are blessed with great, patient co-workers who have helped us with this process.  I have a whole new appreciation for immigrants coming to America without language.  If we ever return to live permanently in the states again it will be with a whole different perspective.

When we were waiting in line to make an appointment we were seated on benches in a tent outside.  Periodically an employee would come to the tent, allow the first row to enter the building, and then in a very orderly way the rows would snake their way around so that there was a new first row.  There was no pushing or shoving and little frustration.  The air was filled with a chill, yet you heard a variety of languages.  Made me stop and ponder how those coming to America through Ellis Island must have felt.  This was much less crowded, much more orderly, and we had a Spanish speaking person helping us through the process, yet - totally at the mercy of a country with a different language and procedures and processes we don't understand.  Those first immigrants to America were mighty brave!

All in all, we have had an easy process with friendly people.  And just think, all of this expires in one year and we do it again!

• not sure how