Application for a Permiso de Residencia Permanente.

@Imelda Cottle

I don't think NIEs become invalid. But, as a guess, perhaps you're referring to your "Green NIE",  the Certificado de Registro de Ciudadano de la Unión which you received when you first registered in Spain (before Brexit)? If so, you should note that, actually, it IS still valid and is an important document that evidences your rights under the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. However, it can't be used for entering/exit the country (you need a biometric residence permit instead) and you'll be limited to the 3 months in 6 months Schengen rule for tourists.

You need to follow the process for exchanging/upgrading from the Green NIE for British/Brexit to obtain your Article 50 TIE. The Cita Previa system is the usual way to get appointments, and I imagine you just keep trying until you get one. Or, perhaps, you can go to the relevant police station and ask them.

https://www.niebarcelona.com/british-ti … ow-so-far/

https://www.arc-legal.es/en/british-cit … june-2025/

To secure your permanent residency (TIE) after your green NIE was invalidated, you must book an appointment for fingerprinting at a National Police Station (Comisaría de Policía Nacional) through the official Sede Electrónica. With the high demand, appointments often appear early in the morning (around 08:00) or through dedicated relocation gestors.

@Imelda Cottle

Dear Imelda,

Sorry to hear this, residence appointments in Spain can be very difficult to arrange.

I am not an immigration lawyer myself, but I know a relocation expert who helps with these procedures. I believe he is from the UK and has an office in Andalusia.

I can share his LinkedIn with you if helpful.

@Imelda Cottle

Good news first: your green NIE (the pre-Brexit Certificado de Registro) isn't cancelled, it still proves your Withdrawal Agreement rights. It just can't be used to enter and leave Spain, so you exchange it for the TIE.

The real blocker is the appointment: cita previa slots on the Sede Electrónica go within minutes, so try right at 08:00 or midnight and keep at it daily.

If you'd rather not fight it, a gestor or immigration lawyer can book and submit for you. You can find help here, search by city and all English speaking:****

@Imelda Cottle Your right to live here doesn't come from the card, so nobody has taken it away. The green certificate still proves it. What changed is that the border reads documents, and that paper is not one of them, which is why you were stopped.The fix is the Withdrawal Agreement TIE, and if you already hold the green certificate it is one step at the police station, not a file at the immigration office. You take form EX-23, your passport, the 790 code 012 fee paid, and a photo. If your green certificate is the permanent one, the card comes back marked permanente and runs ten years.For the appointment, book the police fingerprinting slot, the one for issuing the card. Booking at the immigration office instead is the commonest reason people wait months and get nowhere.

And ignore anyone telling you that meanwhile you are on 90 days in 180. You are not a tourist, you are a resident whose card is pending. The sooner the TIE is in your hand, the less of that you have to explain at a desk.