If you are a British citizen resident in Spain under the Withdrawal Agreement, your TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero) expires five years after first issue. The big wave was issued in 2020-2021, so 2025 and 2026 are the peak renewal years for the UK community in Alicante (Benidorm, Torrevieja, Jávea, Calp, Orihuela Costa) and along the rest of the Mediterranean coast. Renewal is not automatic: you must book an appointment at the Immigration Office, file up-to-date documentation and, in some cases, sworn translation of British paperwork. Here is the map.
Who renews and when
The TIE under the Withdrawal Agreement was originally issued to British citizens legally resident in Spain before 1 January 2021. If you received your card in 2020-2021, the expiry date is five years later. Renewing before expiry is the sensible approach; some offices allow up to 90 days post-expiry, but beyond that the process gets harder.
The appointment is booked online through the central government portal (procedure "Expedición de tarjetas / Renovación de TIE"). The Alicante Immigration Office serves residents of Alicante city, Benidorm, Elche, Torrevieja, Orihuela and the whole province.
Documents you will file
The core file, with minor variations, is:
- EX-23 form, the current official version.
- British passport in force, original and copy.
- Current TIE, original and copy (even if expired).
- Recent padrón certificate from the town hall where you live.
- Receipt for the 790-012 fee paid at the bank.
- One recent passport-sized photograph.
- Proof of economic means (bank statements, employment record, pension) — required when circumstances have meaningfully changed.
So far no sworn translation is needed — that comes in when your circumstances have moved.
When you do need sworn translation
A pure renewal under the Withdrawal Agreement does not require translating your passport (the office reads it directly). But three situations do trigger sworn translation into Spanish:
- Change of marital status: if you have married in the UK since first issue, the British Marriage Certificate must be apostilled and translated into Spanish, both for registration at the Central Civil Registry in Madrid and for the renewal itself.
- Family reunification of a non-EU spouse or child: UK family records (Birth Certificates for children born in the UK, cohabitation certificates) apostilled and translated.
- Change of category: if you move from "worker" to "non-lucrative" status (typical for retirement), UK bank statements and DWP or HMRC pension certificates are filed, all translated.
In practice, around one in three renewals our immigration colleagues see in Alicante involve at least one British document needing translation.
The criminal record question
For the first TIE issue under the Withdrawal Agreement, a UK criminal record certificate was not mandatory because residence was already established. For renewal it is not generally required either, but if there have been gaps in your padrón or if you have been outside Spain for more than six months a year, the sub-delegation may request the ACRO Criminal Record Check, apostilled and translated. More on that document at Sworn translation of criminal record certificates.
Mistakes that delay the appointment
The most common ones we hear from clients:
- Padrón certificate older than three months. The office rejects it. Get a new one just before the appointment.
- Fee paid under the wrong heading. The 790-012 form has several headings; the wrong one means redoing the payment.
- Apostilling the UK certificate after translation. The Apostille is part of the document and also gets translated; apostilling at the end forces a second sworn translation of the Apostille. The practical rule: apostille first, translate afterwards (see The Hague Apostille).
- Bringing a translation done in the UK. For the Sub-delegation to accept a Spanish translation, it must be done by a MAEC-accredited translator in Spain (a UK "certified translation" is not accepted). How to verify: How to verify an official sworn translator.
- Surname mismatch between passport and padrón. If you have married in the UK and changed your surname but not updated your padrón, the sub-delegation blocks the file.
In short
Renewal is a reasonable procedure if your paperwork is in order, but the British side is the bottleneck. At Textualia we deliver sworn translation into Spanish of the Marriage Certificate, ACRO Criminal Record, Birth Certificate and pension statements from the UK to a closed turnaround: signed PDF in 24-72 hours and, if your office requires stamped paper, physical copy by certified courier within 1-2 business days to Alicante, Benidorm, Torrevieja or wherever your appointment is.