Return Authorization for Visa Holders in Spain

A residence visa lets you live in a country for a set time, often one, two or five years. During that time you need a valid residence card. Problems can come up if you have to travel when you do not have a valid card, for example:

• Your visa was approved, but an emergency forces you to leave before you get your local residence card
• You travel while your permit is being renewed, your old one runs out while you are away, and the new card is not ready
• Your residence card was lost or stolen

In these cases you can ask for a return authorisation: official permission to travel abroad and come back without a valid residence card. Holders of a Spanish visa do not need it to travel to another EU country during this time.

Main conditions

• Your permit is being renewed or extended
• You started the renewal within the time allowed
• You have a good reason to travel, especially in an emergency

How it works

You fill in the application form (called EX13) and pay the fee, then hand these in at a foreigners' office or police station. The permission can last at most 90 days after your residence permit runs out.

What the service can include

• Looking at your situation and explaining the options
• Help collecting the right papers and filling in the form
• Acting for you when the application is handed in
• Updates on the application and what to do after the decision
• Dealing with the authorities if problems come up
• Guidance on coming back into the country without trouble