Vocabulary
Spanish words explained
The words printed on forms, appointment confirmations and office doors on the island, in plain English.
A
- Arraigo
- A residence granted because of ties built in Spain, such as time spent here, work or family. The Oficina de Extranjería decides on it.
- Autorización de regreso
- Spanish for return authorisation: the paper a non-EU resident needs to re-enter Spain while the card is expired, missing or still being made.
- Ayuntamiento
- The town hall of a municipality. Each municipality of Gran Canaria, from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to Mogán, has its own, with its own padrón.
C
- Certificado de empadronamiento
- The town hall’s paper proving that you are registered at an address. Some offices ask for a recent one.
- Certificado de registro
- What English speakers call the green certificate. It shows that a citizen of an EU or EEA country, or of Switzerland, is on Spain’s register of residents; it carries the NIE but no photo.
- Cita previa
- An appointment booked in advance. Foreigners’ procedures in Spain are done by cita previa, through the administration’s website.
- Comisaría
- The Spanish word for a police station of the Policía Nacional. In the south of Gran Canaria, Maspalomas and Santa Lucía de Tirajana each have one with NIE procedures.
D
- Delegación del Gobierno
- The office that represents the Spanish central government in the Canary Islands; the Oficina de Extranjería is part of it.
G
- Guagua
- The Canarian word for a bus. On Gran Canaria you will hear it far more often than autobús.
N
- NIE
- Número de Identidad de Extranjero in full: a foreigner’s personal number in Spain, assigned once by the police and kept for life.
- Número de afiliación
- Your Social Security number, given by the TGSS. It stays the same for your whole working life in Spain.
O
- Oficina de Extranjería
- The State’s immigration office. It rules on residence and work authorisations; in Las Palmas it is on Plaza de la Concordia.
P
- Padrón
- The list of residents that each town hall keeps. Registering on it is called empadronamiento.
R
- Régimen comunitario
- Literally the Community regime: the procedures for Europeans and their relatives. In Las Palmas, the police directory places them at Plaza de la Feria 24.
- Resguardo
- A receipt proving that a request is under way; you get one when your fingerprints are taken.
- Residencia no lucrativa
- Literally non-profit residence: you live on a pension or savings and do not work in Spain. Retirees from outside the EU usually take this route.
T
- Tasa
- Spanish for a State fee. Police procedures for foreigners collect theirs through the 790-012 form.
- TIE
- The card that proves a non-EU national’s residence (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero), with photo, NIE, permit type and expiry date.
- Toma de huellas
- The appointment where the police take your fingerprints for your TIE card.
- Trámite
- A procedure, such as the NIE or the TIE fingerprints. On the booking website you choose one trámite for each appointment.