Are there changes to the Certificado de Registro?

[Nova]

Two different people today have asked me about renewing the green certificado de registro.  Apparently one of Tenerife's English language newspapers ran a story last week declaring that the CdR is only valid for five years from the date of issue and warning of the difficulties in replacing it once expired.  Needless to say, I'm sceptical to say the least.  Do we know what the truth is behind this, if any?

[Janet]

There have been a few articles now ... the latest saying it's all "rumour" and there's nothing to it. The problem is that there is ...

I've reproduced the following from a reply I made on my website to someone who was confused. It was a previous article talking about "changes":

I know the article you refer to, and one of the cases behind it. Spain is doing what it is simply not allowed to do, and requiring anyone who has been here legally for five years to renew their paperwork. This is completely against EU legislation, and at some point the country will be told to stop doing it. Meanwhile, of course, we have no choice but to comply in order to be "legal" in their terms, even though their terms are themselves illegal.
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The requirement for renewing existing Certificados de Registro every five years has been in place now since at least early last year when new regulations were introduced for new applicants. Under these rules, new applicants had to prove they could afford to live in Spain and had cover for healthcare. The rules, however, do not apply to renewals ... provided that the renewals are done while the existing certificate is still valid.
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A problem arises, however, for those who have expired Registros ... i.e. those who have a "permanent" certificate, and who got it more than five years ago. They will have been told at the time that it was permanent, and very often, the certificates will have been deemed "five year" certificates without the holders knowing their permanent ones had become temporary. It seems that, within certain constraints, these people are to be allowed to renew as though there had been no lapse.
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I would say, though, that one case has arisen very recently where the person concerned was in this situation of thinking their Registro was permanent and unaware that it had become temporary. They needed a valid Registro for other purposes and the discovery prompted a reapplication. For reasons that I won't go into but which won't be generally applicable – and so are nothing to worry about – the police seem to have have deemed him "difficult", and are making him apply as a new applicant, having to go through all the hoops. This suggests to me (of course there's nothing firm actually said about it) that they have considerable discretion in how they treat people in this situation.
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So, it's reasonably clear, and has been for some time now. If a new applicant, you have to prove income and healthcare cover one way or another. One new change (it seems to me to be new, anyway) is that those relying on certificated income or pension – as opposed to proof by stamped Spanish bank statement/s – must now get an apostilled and sworn translated letter to confirm their claims.
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For existing valid Registro holders, they can renew with ease with minor documentation as was the case before the new regulations.
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For those in the middle, with a Registro that is now more than five years old and which was thought to be permanent but now has become temporary, they can be treated as the second group, but it appears to be at the discretion of the police, and one person they considered "difficult" was made to reapply as a new applicant.

[Nova]

Thanks Janet, I knew you'd know    So in theory I should be able to just keep hold of my certificate dated 2007 until Spain is told off for making people renew?  Unless I need it for something official beforehand, in which case I should, as long as I put some mascara on and smile sweetly, be able to get a renewal with minimum fuss.  Burning question then, is the fact that my certificate is dated April 2007, even though it states clearly that I am a resident of Spain since 1998, likely to cause any problems when it comes to requesting my Spanish driving licence?

[Janet]

that was exactly what just crossed my mind ....... I think it's worth giving it a go because this seems to be a problem with the southern Comisaria in particular (Puerto de la Cruz comisaria seem not to be requiring renewals!). So Trafico might be OK with the old one ...

[Nova]

Cool.  I might take along my payslips and modelo 100 as well so that if there is any issue I can show them how much bloody tax I'm paying into their country 

[Janet]

Not that I remotely think this should be a test case, it will be very interesting to see if they do allow it. If they do, and if PDLC isn't insisting, then there must be something that can be done about the southern comisaria ...

[andy]

Echanged ours this week - for 'permanante' ones.
The old certs were dated June 2007 - so more than 5 years old.
The police didn't look at the certs, just took the paerwork and issued new ones.

I must say; if there are -say - 100,000 brits here
and they all renew
the police are going to tak €1m
are they going to refuse that sort of income??

scaremongering I say

[Janet]

Bear in mind that, at least under these "rules", and at least in the southern comisaria, those new "permanente" ones are nothing of the sort ... they'll need renewing in 5 years too.

Bet it's all changed by then though ...

[poker]

If you are European who gives a fuck .

Green a4 paper or green new card .
Whats the problem they are making ?

They yust want the south American out to my idea . . .
Or what else is could be the problem .

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

If you are European who gives a fuck .

Green a4 paper or green new card .
Whats the problem they are making ?

They yust want the south American out to my idea . . .
Or what else is could be the problem .

That's an interesting notion.  Care to elaborate?