UPDATE: CHECKING YOU ARE ON THE ELECTORAL ROLL AND POSTAL VOTING FOR THE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS 28/05/23

As you may well know, the Spanish local and regional elections will be held on Sunday, 28th of May 2023. 

As UK citizens covered by the EU Withdrawal Agreement, we can vote in the municipal elections (not regionals). However, in order to exercise this right we must have registered ourselves on the electoral roll between 1 December and 15 January (see previous posts below).

If you did register to vote within that period, you can consult the following website:

https://sede.ine.gob.es/ss/Satellite?c=SETramite_C&cid=1254734728608&lang=es_ES&p=1254734719739&pagename=SedeElectronica%2FSELayout

If you are on the electoral roll but will be away from your place of residence on 28 May, you can apply for a postal vote before 18 May.

https://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/serviciosdeprensa/notasprensa/interior/Paginas/2023/040423-voto-por-correo-elecciones-espana.aspx

References:

1. EuroCitizens November 2022: Registering to vote

https://eurocitizens2020.blogspot.com/2022/11/an-update-on-registering-to-vote-in.html

2. Eurocitizens December 2022: Online registration

https://eurocitizens2020.blogspot.com/2022/12/online-applications-to-register-your.html

3. Voting rights for UK citizens in Spain covered by the Withdrawal Agreement:

https://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/lang/en/brexit/howtoprepare/Paginas/190109sufrage.aspx

ONLINE APPLICATIONS TO REGISTER YOUR VOTE FOR THE SPANISH MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS IN MAY

 

Last month we provided information about voter registration for UK citizens in Spain for May's municipal elections. Here we look at how to make an online application after receiving your letter from the Oficina de Censo Electoral.

Steps to follow: 

1. Enter this website: https://sede.ine.gob.es

2. Place the cursor over the Trámites tab and a drop-down menu will appear.

3. Place the cursor over Trámites de Censo Electoral and a new drop-down menu will appear.

4. Inside the second drop-down menu, click on  Inscripción en el Censo Electoral de Extranjeros Residentes en España de ciudadanos nacionales de países con Acuerdos.

5. In the options show on the right-hand side of the page, click on Presentación de la solicitud.

6. In the options shown on the right-hand side, click on your preferred option (Access with your PIN if registered or simply with your NIF and the CTT code shown at the end of Point 1 in your letter).

7. Supply your PIN or NIF+CTT.

If you have not yet received a letter from the Oficina de Censo Electoral:

First: Follow steps 1-6 inclusive

Then:  Click on the link at the end of Si no posee certificado digital ni Cl@ve ni ha recibido la CTT, deberá descargar el impreso de solicitud y seguir sus instrucciones.  pulse aquí (found at the end of the first paragraph.)

A form will appear. Complete the form and follow the instructions.

Through the post

If you prefer not to apply online, you can also complete and sign the attached self-addressed form  and send it postage free by normal mail.

AN UPDATE ON REGISTERING TO VOTE IN NEXT MAY'S LOCAL ELECTIONS IN SPAIN

Here's an update on voting (or standing as a candidate) in Spanish local elections next May. 

The latest information is from the UK Embassy's Living In Spain page:

 

Local elections

You can vote and stand in local elections in Spain once you have been resident for 3 years. To do so, you must:

• be registered on the municipal register where you live (padrón municipal)
• confirm your registration on the electoral roll (censo electoral), within the dates set by the electoral authorities before each election

You cannot register on the electoral roll at other times. You must re-register on the electoral roll before each local election.

To stand as a local election candidate, read Spanish organic law 5/1985 (in Spanish) or consult with your local Oficina del Censo Electoral.

Voting and standing in the local elections in May 2023

If you wish to participate in the next local elections, check you are correctly registered on the municipal register (padrón).

The Electoral Census Office (Oficina del Censo Electoral) will write to UK nationals who, according to the relevant databases, have the right to vote. They are due to send these letters at the end of November 2022.

If you receive a letter, follow the instructions to complete your registration either by post or online. If you do not receive a letter but believe you meet the requirements to vote, contact your town hall. They can inform you of the local process to follow to register on the electoral roll.

To vote in the local elections in May 2023, you must register on the electoral roll between 1 December 2022 and 15 January 2023.

TRAVELLING TO OTHER EU COUNTRIES WITH YOUR "CERTIFICADO DE REGISTRO DE CIUDADANO DE LA UNIÓN EUROPEA (green A4 or card)

Here is some updated advice (10/11/22) on travelling to other countries in the European Union with your (still valid) "certificado de registro de ciudadano de la Unión Europea (green A4 or green card)

You will remember that while Spain, the UK and the EU all recommend swapping your Green registration certificate for the new TIE which identifies you as a beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement, this is not compulsory. The Green certificate remains in force for those who choose not to do so. Nevertheless, there have been some instances of British citizens not having their certificates recognised at the border of some EU states. We have approached the EU about this and have learned the following:

“…a specimen of the Spanish registration certificate of EU citizens is included in Annex 43 of the "Practical Handbook for Border Guards" (PHBG). This document being not published, we unfortunately cannot provide a link.

 

Spain has not notified the title of the document for its inclusion in Annex 22 of the PHBG, which lists all residence permits and documents with equivalent effect issued by the Member States. Inclusion in both Annexes 43 and 22 of the PHBG being necessary under Schengen rules, the Commission has pointed out to Spain that it should notify the title for inclusion in Annex 22 of the PHBG. However, this has not been done so far.

 

As a consequence, the Commission is aware that UK nationals who are Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries in Spain and who travel inside the Schengen area based on a previously issued free movement registration certificate may experience difficulties in other Schengen States.”

 

What this means in practice is that if a border guard checks both Annexes (22 and 43) they will find the certificate included under Annex 43 although not under 22. However, if the guard checks Annex 22 only, they will not find it mentioned. Consequently, if  you encounter problems, you should ask the border guard to check Annex 43 as well.

If you do have any problems when travelling with your green EU card, please write to us at eurocitizens2016@gmail.com and tell us all about it.

REGISTERING TO VOTE IN NEXT YEAR'S SPANISH MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

At the AGM of EuroCitizens on 21 October, there was some discussion of the upcoming municipal elections (May 2023) in Spain. 

In line with the bi-lateral agreement between Spain and the UK these are the requirements for you to vote:

- to be a UK citizen formally resident in Spain and covered by the Withdrawal Agreement (either with a green EU card or the TIE with mention of the WA)

- to be registered on the municipal "Padrón" 

-to register with the Spanish electoral authority. We understand that the registration period will be from 1 December 2022 to 31 January 2023.

For the purposes of the elections, UK citizens with this entitlement are de facto EU citizens. 

See links to advice from the UK embassy and the Spanish government.

https://administracion.gob.es/pag_Home/en/Tu-espacio-europeo/derechos-obligaciones/ciudadanos/residencia/elecciones/municipales.html

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-spain#voting

'LOOKING BACK': EUROCITIZENS REPORT ON THE CITIZENS' RIGHTS OF BRITONS IN SPAIN

 John Carrivick, vice chair EuroCitizens

Six years ago we held our first public meeting in Madrid for UK citizens worried about their loss of rights after Brexit. In this blog post, John Carrivick analyses what we have achieved as an association and which EU citizens' rights have been retained by the Britons in Spain covered by the EU Withdrawal Agreement. If you have any queries about the issues, please write to us at eurocitizens2016@gmail.com.  

 

Context

The 2016 referendum on membership of the European Union was followed by a sort of phoney war in which it was not clear if buyer’s remorse might set in or if getting the decision through Parliament might prove too complicated or damaging to implement. Nevertheless, worried Britons in Spain soon realised that, with some form of Brexit now inevitable, they needed to mobilise to salvage what we could from the wreck. This led to the formation of EuroCitizens and other, similarly concerned, British citizen groups in Spain and other EU countries with many of them gravitating towards a coalition under the banner of British in Europe.

In September 2019, EuroCitizens sent the British Embassy in Madrid a summary of our principal concerns now that negotiations were beginning to secure the Withdrawal Agreement (WA) that would enshrine our rights post-Brexit.

This document had two purposes. In the first place, it was intended to secure the place of EuroCitizens as an articulate and valid interlocutor with the UK government both directly and via the Embassy. We were equally keen to raise awareness of these same issues among the British resident community in Spain.

Secondly, we wanted to be sure that the main issues that concerned us were clearly identified to ensure they were taken into account in negotiations between the UK government and the European Union. We wanted to make a strong and comprehensive statement, particularly because at that stage, we did not have a full picture of what other associations existed or might be asking for. In the event, it turned out that there were several groups doing the same thing and, by and large, we identified the same principal issues across different EU member states. This was helped by our membership of the British in Europe (BIE) pan EU coalition. Respective EuroCitizens’ Presidents have served on the BiE steering committee.

The document only covered the rights of British residents in Spain and did not deal with the other consequences of Brexit ranging from damage to the British economy to the payment of customs duties on packages sent to and from the UK.

 How well did we do?

 continue reading...

21/10/22: EUROCITIZENS HOLDS ITS 'ASAMBLEA GENERAL' IN THE CENTRO GALLEGO

A EuroCitizens meeting back in 2018

We very much look forward to seeing lots of EuroCitizens at our AGM/Asemblea General in Madrid next week. The meeting will take place on Friday 21 October at 18.00 at our old haunt, the Centro Gallego, C. de Carretas, 14, 28012 Madrid. This time we will be in the (spanking new) library. We need to conclude the formal meeting by 19.15. but can continue with informal discussion in the bar, as well as catching up on everyone's news.

The agenda (subject to Item 1) is as follows:

1. Adoption of Agenda
2. Acceptance of minutes of the last AGM held on Wednesday 20 October 2021 (attached in link)
3. Financial statement
4. Issue update - particularly Votes for Life and ongoing border issues
5. Achievements of EuroCitizens (John Carrivick's document will be posted next Monday)
6. Committee election (if applicable).
7. AoB - no items have yet been advised

The present committee is prepared to stand again "en bloc" for a further year, holding their current positions. Any alternate bloc can be proposed and seconded under item 6 of the proposed agenda and then voted on.  Please note that any alternate must comprise the legal officers of the organisation (President, Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President and at least two "vocales"

See the  minutes from last year: AGM 2021