- Age in Spain calls on UK Nationals to check if friends and loved ones need support with the residency process
A year ago, Age in Spain set up its Residency Helpline as part of its delivery of the United Kingdom Nationals Support Fund (UKNSF), which helps UK nationals who were living in Spain before the end of 2020 with the residency process.
Since then, we have:
- Supported 2,126 (and counting) UK Nationals with their residency applications, and
- 64,667 people have accessed Age in Spain information about the residency process
But the job isn’t done yet. Age in Spain (alongside its partner organisations who deliver the UKNSF in other parts of the country) is committed to reaching anyone who was living here before the end of last year but still has not secured their residency rights. Not everyone has access to information on the internet and, with Covid19 restrictions, people have not been able to connect with their communities in the usual way for most of the last year.
This has meant some people still have not heard about the help that is out there. We are asking the British community in Spain to talk to friends, acquaintances and even people they just know slightly and ask them two questions:
- Have you got your residency sorted yet?
- Do you know about the free and confidential support that is available from Age in Spain?
This is a simple way of being a good neighbour, whether it is face-to-face or online.
Age in Spain Director, Helen Weir said:
“We are asking the British community in Spain to help spread the word about our free support. We want to make sure that everyone who needs it can access our help with residency, particularly those who are vulnerable or who find themselves in difficult situations. Please, help us help them.”
The Age in Spain Residency Helpline is available on +34 932 20 97 41 or by emailing residency@ageinspain.org .
People can also refer someone (with their permission) who needs support with the residency process at www.ageinspain.org/residency-helpline
Additionally, there is still some confusion among some in the British community in Spain about whether the end of June is a deadline to apply for residency.
Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott offered this clarification:
“I’m aware of some rumours about a false deadline to apply for residency in Spain. I want to clarify that here, unlike some other EU countries, there is no 30 June deadline to apply for residency under the Withdrawal Agreement or to exchange a green residency certificate for the new TIE.
“The important question is whether you were legally living here by 31 December 2020. If you haven’t yet applied for residency or exchanged your green certificate for the TIE, I strongly encourage you to do so as soon as possible.
“There is free and confidential help out there from Age in Spain, IOM and Babelia, which is funded by the UK Government. Get in touch with them if you need help. And if you know someone who was living here before the end of 2020, but who hasn´t yet sorted their residency status, then please do tell them about the support available and encourage them to make contact with the relevant organisation where they live.”
CONTEXT:
Age in Spain supports UK Nationals with the residency process in Catalonia, the Basque Country, Aragon, Navarra, La Rioja, Cantabria, Asturias, Galicia and the Balearic and Canary Islands. This work is funded by the UK Government as part of United Kingdom Nationals Support Fund (UKNSF).
Contact information for IOM and Babelia who deliver the UKNSF in other parts of Spain can be found at: www.ageinspain.org/residency-helpline
