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If I have a NIE and Residency Card, do I still need to renew my visa?

Oct 16, 2007 · slk27514 · 2 replies · 2424 views
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I am new to the site, but there seems to be a lot of great advice and experience, so I thought I would try. I am an American citizen who will be here to work in spain for 18 months. Before coming here, I applied for and received a residency visa with work exemption that is valid until Dec 2007. Since arriving I have gotten my NIE, Spanish SS#, and have applied for and am waiting for my residency card. My questions is this, I am planning to travel to the US for Christmas, which is right around the time my visa will expire. Even though I will have my NIE and residency card, do I need to reapply for another visa to come back to Spain after the holidays, and do I need to make sure to return to the US before my current visa runs out? I tried to ask these questions to the Spanish Embassy in the US where I received my visa, but answers were not very forthcoming. Does anyone know, or can anyone direct me where to find the anser? Many thanks.
Oct 17, 2007 · ROBI
To be honest logic would suggest (well to me anyway - the Spanish Immigration may be different!) that if you are going to get a residency card (I think they can still be issued to Non Eu-ers) then why would you need a Visa ?

I have a document I downloaded (sorry cant remember where from but it was somewhere official) called Legal status of non EU persons in Spain - if you email me I will send you a copy, it might help.

If not I think you have to go to a Spanish Immigration office and ask them. Also see their site - www.mtas.es