Residence recovery
Losing your residence is not always final. We study your history and tell you whether there is a way to recover it.
What it involves
Residence recovery is the route for people who had papers in Spain and lost them. The most typical case is someone who had long-term residence and lost it (extinción) by spending a long time abroad. There is a specific recovery procedure for that case, and in other situations there may be alternatives depending on your history.
Is this your case?
- You had long-term residence, spent some time in your country and now want to come back.
- You have been notified that your residence has been extinguished.
- You didn't renew in time and your card expired a while ago.
- You have come back to Spain and don't know what your immigration status is.
How we help
We piece together your history with you: what permits you had, when you left Spain and why. With that information we see whether you can use the long-term residence recovery procedure or whether another route suits you better, such as a new permit or arraigo. We prepare the application, submit it and defend your file if problems arise. 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.
So you don't lose it on your next trip, find out about return authorisations; and if you cannot recover it, we look at other routes such as social roots residence.
Frequently asked questions
- What does it mean that my residence has been extinguished?
- It means the authorities consider that you have lost your permit, for example because of a long absence or because you no longer meet a condition. It is not always the end: in some cases it can be recovered or you can apply for another one.
- I went back to my country for years. Can I return with the same papers?
- It depends on the permit you had and how long you have spent abroad. If your card is no longer valid, don't travel without having your case reviewed first: we tell you what options you have to return with papers.
- Do I have to start from scratch if I lost my residence?
- Not necessarily. If you had long-term residence, there is a procedure to recover it that can be simpler than starting again. We look at it with you.
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Tell us about your case.
A first conversation — confidential and without obligation — to understand whether we can help, and how.
We speak Spanish, Arabic, Tamazight (Berber), French and English.