Registration certificate
Without documents, almost any procedure is very difficult. The registration certificate can be the first step to a recognised identity in Spain.
What it involves
The registration certificate (cédula de inscripción) is an identity document that Spain can issue to foreign nationals who cannot obtain documents from their own country: because their consulate will not issue them a passport, because their country does not recognise them, or for other reasons. It allows you to identify yourself here and, in many cases, is the step before applying for a residence permit.
Is this your case?
- Your consulate refuses to issue you a passport or doesn't reply.
- Your country has no representation in Spain or does not recognise you as a national.
- You lost your documents and have no way of getting new ones.
- You want to regularise your situation, but not having a passport is holding you back.
How we help
We look at why you cannot obtain documents and gather the evidence: letters to the consulate, replies and any document that helps prove your identity. We prepare the application for the registration certificate, submit it and defend it. Then we assess with you which residence permit you can apply for with it. We can help you in Spanish, Arabic, Tamazight, French and English, at our offices in Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Málaga and Barcelona or online, wherever you are in Spain.
If it is refused, we help you with appeals against refusals; and if you get it, we look at routes such as social roots residence.
Frequently asked questions
- Does the registration certificate replace a passport?
- It lets you identify yourself in Spain, but it is not a passport and does not allow you to travel normally. It is a document designed for people who cannot obtain documents from their own country.
- What do I do if my consulate won't give me a passport?
- Keep all the evidence: applications, emails, appointments and replies, or the lack of them. They are key to showing that you cannot obtain documents. With them, we assess whether you can apply for the certificate.
- If I get the certificate, do I have papers?
- Not on its own. The certificate proves your identity, but residence is a separate procedure. It does, however, open the door to applying for it, and we help you with that second step.
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A first conversation — confidential and without obligation — to understand whether we can help, and how.
We speak Spanish, Arabic, Tamazight (Berber), French and English.