DNV renewal denied because of income drop, my appeal worked
honestly i think you got a lucky reviewer. a friend of mine in madrid tried the same thing with a new contract and got rejected because they said the income wasn't stable enough yet. the uge is so inconsistent lately.
great news for you but i would be careful telling people not to panic. the uge can be super inconsistent. i know someone in madrid who tried the same thing with a new contract and they still got rejected because the income wasnt stable for at least ninety days. zaragoza might be a bit more chill or you just got a very generous reviewer. did you have to show the money was already in the bank or was the signed contract enough?
the contract usually isnt enough on its own. you usually need to show at least one invoice and the corresponding bank transfer. the uge is getting stricter about fake contracts so proving the money actually landed is key.
this is a huge relief to hear. i am up for renewal in october and i had a slow month in march. did you have to show six months of bank statements or just three for the appeal?
i showed three months of the old low income and then two months of the new higher income. the lawyer said showing the recovery is the most important part. if you can show you are back over the 2600 or whatever the limit is now you should be fine.
i had no idea you could even use a new contract during the appeal process. i thought they only considered the evidence that existed at the time of the original application. this changes my whole strategy if my current project ends early. did they ask for a new criminal record check or anything like that for the appeal or was it just the financial stuff?
zaragoza is underrated. i am glad you got to stay. did you handle the residency card part yet? the policia nacional office near the train station is usually pretty fast for the tie appointment.
just a heads up for anyone else. make sure you actually paid your autonomo fees during that dip. hacienda doesnt care if you made less money, they still want their cut and if you have a debt with the social security office the uge will reject you instantly no matter what your income looks like.
the income requirement is such a headache with the way it is tied to the minimum wage increases. i am barely over the limit as it is. i am glad your lawyer was able to argue the seasonal fluctuation angle because freelancing is never a straight line. did you have to submit a new certificate of coverage for social security or was your old autônomo status sufficient for them?
how much did the lawyer charge for the appeal? i am coming up on my renewal in january and i am terrified of the fees. my initial application was a mess and i ended up paying way more than i expected. if the appeal only took three weeks that sounds like it was worth every penny though. i though appeals usually took months to process.
appeals are usually faster if it is a simple fix like a missing document or a single income proof. if it is a complex legal argument about the law itself it takes forever. yours sounds like the former.
it is interesting that they processed the appeal so fast. my initial dnv took nearly three months to get approved. maybe the uge is finally catching up on the backlog or they just have fewer people applying for renewals in aragon. i love zaragoza but most people seem to head straight for barcelona or malaga. enjoy the next few years there and definitely keep those contracts tight.
aragon does seem faster. my friend in huesca got their approval in twelve days. i think avoiding the big hubs like madrid makes a huge difference in processing times.
this is a huge relief to read. i am in a similar spot in valencia where one of my clients is scaling back right before my renewal window opens in october. i was worried the uge would just look at the average of the last six months and reject me automatically. did your lawyer mention if there is a specific number of months they look at for the income consistency? i might try to find a side gig now just to pad the numbers before i submit.
glad the appeal worked out. zaragoza is such an underrated city and it would have been a shame to have to leave over a temporary dip. i had a scare with my vida laboral recently because my gestor messed up the category code. checking that document is honestly the most important advice for anyone on the dnv. if your social security doesnt match your reported income you are basically asking for a rejection.