A British foreigner who moved to Spain six months ago warned fellow foreigners about unclear visa rules. Mark Dunby, a video blogger who posts Spanish-themed videos to his YouTube channel, Tapas Guy, provided important advice on the complex Spanish visa system.
In his latest video titled “I wish I'd known before moving to Spain six months after living here,” Mark highlighted the timing obstacles he encountered during the visa application process, which took about three months to arrive. Spain complies with Schengen Area Rules, which stipulates specific passport requirements and allows visa-free travel within the zone for up to 90 days in 180 days.
However, when Mark's visa finally arrived, the 90-day window had already passed. Contrary to his belief that having a visa allows him to leave Spain and re-enter, he discovers that this is not the case.
Mark explained:
“Now, what happened, it took me about three months to get my visa, which is obviously about 90 days. So by the time I got my visa, I had exhausted all of my 90-day allowance.
“Now I thought that if I got a visa, it wouldn't be a problem. After I had it, I thought I could leave the country freely and return.
“Again, no. Once you have obtained your visa, you can apply for a tie. Also, it's a tie card that will return to the country.
Spanish foreign ID, known in Spanish as Tarjeta de Identadad de Extranjero (TIE, translated as an alien identification card), certifies the legal status of an individual as a Spanish foreigner. It is mandatory by anyone with a visa that allows them to stay for more than six months.
However, Mark argues that it can take “months and months, months” to get a tie. In other words, there is a gap between getting a visa and getting a tie, claiming it is “easy to take three or four months.”
He noted that he was “used” 90 days during this period and was not permitted to leave the country “technically” and re-enter the country.
Nevertheless, Mark unveiled a potential solution to this predicament through a form known as “legreo.” He also said that getting this could be “very difficult” especially before the appointment of the first tie.
He said that once this happens it will be “a lot simpler” but argued that “it's almost impossible to get the Legreso shape” by the time you get your visa and apply for a tie and get your first appointment.
Mark emphasized that people should not defeat this and leave the country, but rather try to return to Spain by the time they obtain their visa for more than 90 days before they obtain their Thai card.
For more information about travelling to Spain, visit the GOV website here.
