1 year to 3 year renewal, the exact docs that worked
just a heads up for anyone reading this. if you're using us contracts like this person did make sure they are translated by a sworn translator if they aren't in spanish. sometimes they let it slide if the amounts are clear but i've seen people get stuck for weeks because they didn't have the official traductor jurado stamp on their client agreements. better to spend the 50 euro now than wait for a rejection letter.
i used sanitas too but they asked me for a specific certificate of coverage that said it was specifically for a visa. the general policy document wasnt enough for the clerk i had in madrid last year. valencia might be more relaxed about it but i always tell people to ask for the special visa letter just to be safe. it lists the 'no copagos' and 'no carencias' in very plain spanish for them.
it is interesting you mentioned the agency fee. i was quoted almost double that last week in valencia. it feels like some of these gestores are just making up numbers based on how stressed you look. thanks for posting your receipts so i can negotiate a bit better.
im a bit worried about your bank statements only showing the balance. did you include the actual proof of the transfers from your us clients? in my experience they want to see the money actually entering the account to prove it matches the contracts. hope it goes through for you but they can be picky about the source of funds lately even if the total balance is high.
This is actually super helpful because the official lists are always so vague. did you have to get a new criminal record check from back home or did they let it slide since you have been living in valencia for the whole year? i have heard conflicting things on whether staying in the country resets that requirement.
usually you dont need the foreign one if you havent left spain for more than 90 days. just the spanish certificates. but some lawyers charge for it anyway just to be safe.
glad to see the 3 year switch is actually happening. i was worried they would try to keep people on 1 year cycles forever. did you submit via mercurio yourself or did you use a digital certificate for the gestor to do it? i am trying to figure out if it is worth the headache of doing the cl@ve system on my own.
the vida laboral is definitely not overkill. i know a guy who got a requerimiento specifically because they couldn't verify his social security status in the system during the second year check. valencia is notoriously slow with the digital updates so having that paper copy probably saved you three months of waiting for a letter in the mail. smart move on getting it from the portal beforehand.
i just did my renewal in valencia too and my experience was slightly different. the health insurance requirement was the stickiest part for me. they wanted a very specific letter stating there were no copays and no waiting periods. if your policy has those it might get rejected even if the price is right.
sanitas usually has a specific dnv version of their policy that covers this. you just have to ask them for the certificate for extranjeros instead of the normal one.
the social security part is what always trips me up. did you have to show the vida laboral or just the monthly payments? i think people forget that being up to date with hacienda is just as important as the immigration docs themselves. nice work getting it sorted.
did you really only pay the 9.64 fee? i keep seeing people mention the higher administrative fees for the actually processing vs just the registro. i went to the mismo office in valencia last month and they made a big deal about making sure the correct modelo was selected or they'd reject it later during the review phase. it feels like every official there has a different rule book under their desk. i'd double check that fee amount before you get too comfortable.
actually the 9.64 is correct for the 052 fee specifically for the residence extension part. you pay the bigger fee later for the actual card once the resolution is favorable. i did the same thing and it went through fine for my partner last year. don't scare the poor guy lol.
thirteen hundred euros for the whole process seems a bit high but if it gets the 3 year card it is probably worth it for the peace of mind. the paperwork in this country is a full time job. did they ask for any updated proof of income or just the original contract you used the first time?
it is interesting you did it at a physical registry. most people i know are using the mercury platform with a digital certificate because it is allegedly faster. did they give you any indication of the current wait time in valencia? i heard some people are still waiting four months for the three year renewal approval. it is nerve wracking when your original card is expired and you just have that stamped paper.
physical is sometimes better because you know for certain they scanned the docs and gave you a receipt. mercury glitches out half the time and you spend weeks wondering if the file actually uploaded. plus you get to see a human face which helps the anxiety. i'll take the 4 month wait if i know the paper is in their hands.
be careful though because physical apps sometimes take longer to get assigned to a case worker. they have to digitize it all anyway. i stuck with digital and got my approval in 65 days. stays in the system from minute one.
valencia is getting so backed up lately. how long did it actually take from the day you hit send to the day you got the approval email? i am approaching my expiry date and getting a little nervous about the 90 day grace period.
took about six weeks for me. once you have the resguardo that shows you applied you are legal to stay even if the card expires while waiting. dont panic.
thanks for listing the address. i was going to go to the main office near the north station but blasco ibanez is way closer to my flat. did you have to book a cita previa for the registro or can you just walk in? last time i tried a walk in they told me i needed an appointment for everything except picking up a finished tie. i really don't want to get turned away after biking all the way there.
i went there two weeks ago and they told me it was appointment only for registro now. things change every week though. it is a lottery. i would try to snag a spot online just in case because the security guards can be real sticks in the mud if they had a bad morning.
congrats on getting it submitted. i'm doing mine in march and i was stressed about the 200% iprem thing because the rates just went up slightly. did you calculate based on the 2024 or 2025 numbers? i always find it confusing if they look at the year you apply or the years you lived here. the lack of clear guidelines on the official websites is honestly the most frustrating part of living here.