If you have to leave Spain for a certain time but you are not going to have your residence card because it is still being processed, or you are waiting for a duplicate or renewal, then this article about the Autorización de Regreso is important for you.
In the cases described above, You will have to request a return authorization. We will explain you in which cases exactly you can request the “Regreso”, how and where to do it, and we will see all the related legal information you need to know to process this document easily.
What is a return authorization or “Autorización de Regreso” or simply “Regreso”?
Regresar in Spanish, means “to go back” or “to return”. A return authorization (“Regreso”) is a document issued by the police that will allow you to leave and later return to Spain in case you temporarily do not have your physical residence card or your permit is being renewed.
The reasons or situations in which you may need this document are very common.
As a foreigner residing in Spain, it is very likely that at some point you will want to return to your country of origin (or travel to another country for whatever reason).
Although the most common is to make trips for summer or Christmas holidays, an emergency may also arise that forces you to leave Spain.
The problem comes when we do not have our residence card at the time of the trip (since the administration is still processing it or it has expired), because at the Spanish border officers will ask for it to allow you to enter Spain again.
Leaving without a valid card or with an expired card can lead to major legal problems.
In addition, on many occasions the country of destination will not let you leave (to return to Spain) unless you have this authorization, so you would not only encounter problems when you reach the Spanish borders, but even before. Therefore, in those cases you must request this residence permit, which is used mainly on trips made by plane.
Legal limitations
The “Autorización de Regreso” is a document of return to Spain only and exclusively. In other words, it will only serve you for direct flights from your country of origin (or country in which you have been) to Spanish territory.
Therefore, if, for example, to get to Spain you must first make a stopover in any country in the Schengen area (such as Italy, France or Germany, for example), you could have problems. Although this is not the most common, you must take it into account.
Also, contrary to what many foreigners think, the return authorization does not allow you to travel throughout Europe. This document is used exclusively to leave Spain and later re-enter this country.
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What is its validity?
The validity of this document is 3 months from the time it is issued by the police, so you must calculate the application date and travel deadlines well.
From when do these 90 days start counting?
It depends on whether or not the residence (or stay) authorization is in the renewal period:
- If not, from the date the document was granted.
- If yes, from the date the authorization is granted if it is requested after the expiration of the residence permit; or from the expiration date of the TIE if requested before it expires.
In which cases can a return authorization be requested?
We find mainly three situations in which it is possible to request this authorization:
Renewal of your residence or stay
When the expiration date of your residence card approaches, you must renew it in order to continue residing legally in Spain. There is a period of time between when your card expires and when you receive the new renewed card. During this period of time (which can last around a month) you will not have a valid TIE, but you will have instead a certificate that proves that it is being renewed.
If you are within this period and want to travel, you must apply for a residence permit to leave the country.
In addition, if you are a student you can also request return authorization.
But that is the case as long as you are requesting an extension of your stay for studies. Otherwise, if you are changing your student visa to a residence and work card, for example; then the process will not be possible.
Request for a duplicate of the TIE
It is possible to lose our residence card, to have it stolen or in poor condition. In all these cases, the foreigner must request a duplicate (due to theft, deterioration or loss), which may take up to 45 days after formalizing the request. During this time we must, again, request a return authorization if we have to travel.
Initial application for your residence permit
Finally, there is a third situation in which it would also be possible to obtain this authorization to leave and re-enter Spain.
We are talking about the case of the initial request for your residence in Spain.
This process is divided into two parts, since they do not give you the physical card at the moment.
The first thing you should do is go to the police office to register your fingerprints.
After 20 or 30 days you can pick up the physical card again; so you will be these 3 or 4 weeks without a legal physical document.
If you have to travel and the reason is compelling enough, you could exceptionally request a return authorization here as well.
Where is the “Autorización de Regreso” requested?
To get your return authorization you must go to the nearest police station or immigration office in your city.
You can find your nearest office here.
To do this you must make an appointment (“cita previa”), which can be a bit complicated as we will see below.
You can make an appointment through the following link: Make an appointment here.
You must select your province, and in the dropdown choose the option: “POLICE – RETURN AUTHORIZATION”.
Necessary documentation for the Autorización de Regreso
The procedure itself is quite simple, and the list of documentation is quite short. On the day of the appointment at the police station, you must provide the following documents:
- The EX-13 application model (Formulario de autorización de Regreso), marking your situation with an X in section number 4 “Datos relativos a la solicitud”
- Passport and a copy of it
- Receipt of fingerprinting, application for the granting of an initial or renewal card, or confirmation of having made a duplicate (depending on what situation you are in)
- Proof of payment of the corresponding fee (Tasa). It is model 790-052 if it is processed at the Immigration Office, or Model 790-012 if it is processed at the Police Station
- Copy and original of your residence card
How long does the return authorization letter take?
This process does not usually take long, however you must be very careful because the exact deadline depends on the workload of the police station where you request the Autorización de Regreso. Usually, they will grant you the authorization on the spot or in a few days. However, this may not be the case.
If, for example, you request the authorization on peak dates, such as summer or Christmas when many foreigners return to their countries of origin, the police stations are very saturated managing this process.
That is why if you do not plan ahead and apply well in advance, you could be left without your document (both due to lack of early appointments and the delay in delivering it to you).
This delay can be one or two weeks.
