The mad rush and stress of trying to get an appointment for the Foreigner's Department in Palma and elsewhere could be over as a new system which will be introduced next year will allow you to download all your relevant paperwork for residence and VISA applications on a new website.
Spain is preparing to modernise its residency and immigration system, known for its excessive paperwork, the government confirmed on 20 November. Over the next year, authorities will launch a unified national platform that will allow most residency permit applications to be submitted online, replacing the patchwork of provincial procedures that cause long delays and inconsistent document lists.
While Britons will still need to go for the Foreigner's Department to process and collect their TIE cards the whole system will be much easier. Spain hopes that the new system will overcome all the problems which many foreigner's experience at the moment from long queues to a lack of appointments.
The reform will standardise categories, digitise identity verification and reduce reliance on the often-overloaded in-person appointment system. Immigration offices will remain open but will focus more on verification and support rather than being the first point of processing. More staff are already being hired for the transition, although the speed of implementation will vary by province.
or expatriates and future workers, the improvement promises faster renewals of non-profit permits for digital nomads and highly skilled workers, areas where delays often stretch for months. However, experts warn that a ‘grey area’ will be inevitable during the transition, while the old and new rules coexist. Applicants may have to submit hybrid files, combining paper and digital documents, until the new technological infrastructure is fully operational.