As a consequence of the current situation generated by the COVID-19 outbreak and the State of Emergency measures declared by the Government of Spain, the offices of the Public Administration are closed to the public, including immigration offices and police stations.
This has various implications in the processing of permits for residence and stays, such as, for example, extensions of stay for studies.
If you are a foreign student, are confined in Spain and your card is about to expire, what do you need to you know?
Can I request an extension of stay for studies in the current situation?
Yes, you can request an extension as long as it is through the telematic means established by the Administration (Mercurio or Redsara). For this, you will need to have a working Digital Certificate.
When will the request be decided?
- I request the extension and receive a petition. The deadline to submit the document is suspended. You can file it within 10 days or you can file it within 10 days once the exceptional measures are lifted.
- I request an extension and the status of my file remains unchanged. The Administration may continue with the procedure, but it is not subject to meeting any established deadlines as the suspension applies in all administrative procedures.
If your file has already been resolved, when can you request a new Foreign Identification Card (TIE)?
You can request the new card as soon as the State of Emergency ends and the offices of the Public Administration are reopened to the public, as long as authorization for the extension has been granted and the current Foreign Identification Card (TIE) has expired.
Can I get an appointment?
At the moment this is not possible. Another of the measures approved by the Government has been the suspension or cancellation of appointments. The website for appointments currently does not allow any appointments to be made in connection with Foreign Identification Cards.
GD Global Mobility recommends that you arrange your extension of stay for studies, insofar as is possible, if you are in time to start the procedures. Once the exceptional measures are lifted, processing time may take longer than usual due to an accumulation of requests.