Spanish terms
Spanish Terms From A to Z, Explained in English
Comisaría, trámite, resguardo, OMITA, régimen comunitario, poder notarial: the Spanish words of foreigners’ paperwork in Cartagena, each briefly explained.
A
- Autónomo
- Someone who works for themselves, registered as such with the tax agency and Social Security.
- Autorización de regreso
- Permission for a non-EU resident to leave Spain and come back while a card is being renewed or replaced.
- Ayuntamiento
- The town hall. Cartagena’s keeps the padrón for the city and its districts; San Javier, Los Alcázares and the other towns keep their own.
B
- Brigada Provincial de Extranjería y Fronteras
- Murcia’s provincial police brigade for foreigners and borders (Policía Nacional), at Cabezo Cortado; its list of procedures is the longest in the region.
C
- Certificado de registro
- The green certificate: the document showing that a European is registered as resident in Spain.
- Cita previa
- An appointment made in advance, online. Police procedures for foreigners require one.
- Comisaría
- A police station. Cartagena’s, on Menéndez y Pelayo, lists the NIE, the registration of Europeans and the issue of the TIE.
D
- Delegación del Gobierno
- Each autonomous region has one: the office through which the central State acts there. Murcia’s runs the Oficina de Extranjería.
E
- Empadronamiento
- Entering your name on the padrón, at the address where you actually live.
H
- Huellas
- Fingerprints. The toma de huellas is the appointment at which a TIE is requested.
M
- Modelo 790, código 012
- The fee form of the State for foreigners’ police procedures, paid ahead of the appointment.
N
- NIE
- The personal number Spain gives each foreigner it deals with (Número de Identidad de Extranjero); it never changes and doubles as a tax number.
O
- Oficina de Extranjería
- The immigration office of the State, which rules on residence and work permits. The Región de Murcia has a single one, in Murcia.
- OMITA
- Oficina Municipal de Información y Trámites: one of the Ayuntamiento de Cartagena’s district offices, on La Manga, by the lagoon and in the districts, where the padrón is handled by appointment.
P
- Padrón
- The register of the people living in a municipality, kept by its town hall.
- Poder notarial
- Authority to act or sign in your name, given before a notary.
R
- Régimen comunitario
- The residence scheme for Europeans (EU, EEA, Swiss) and their relatives, and the police procedures attached to it.
- Resguardo
- The slip handed to you when you apply: proof that your card or document is on its way.
T
- TIE
- The residence card of non-EU nationals (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero), with photograph and NIE.
- Trámite
- A procedure or step with the administration; the cita previa list names each one.
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