Dear Sir,
I would like to point out what the residencia card means to myself and my wife. First of all, coming from England where there is wide mistrust of people when dealing with matters of finance, it was like a breath of fresh air to produce the residencia card and feel that the security on both sides is safe. If the new paper only
carries my NIE number without a photo, then I already have that from when we first applied six years ago.
I list below the occasions when I have found the plastic residencia card to be helpful:
1. Banking
2. Shopping
3. Travelling to mainland Spain
4. ID at the Post Office when collecting mail
5. Paying bills
6. ID at Police Station
These are just occasions I can think of off the top of my head. Now, let me point out the downfalls of no photo on the residencia card: you must carry extra identification on you. i.e. passport or something similar which in these days of ID theft and fraud on the increase is total stupidity.
The person who came up with the idea of this new paper residencia should take his head out of the sand and take a look at the real world around him.
Yours sincerely,
C Crain
Palma