Cards, visas, relatives
British in Vigo and the Rías Baixas: what Brexit changed for your papers
Lived in Spain before 1 January 2021? The Withdrawal Agreement keeps your rights, and your proof is the Agreement TIE, for which an old A4 green certificate can be exchanged. Arriving now? Then you need a visa first, like any non-EU national. Since the Brexit transition period ended, UK citizens count as third-country nationals in Spain.
Who it concerns
UK nationals: residents protected by the Withdrawal Agreement, owners who live in the UK, and newcomers.
Where it is done
Named on the cita previa confirmation you receive
Put these in your folder
- Passport
- Any green certificate issued to you before 2021
- Proof of living here before 2021: padrón, lease, bills
- A recent colour photograph
- The printed booking
Your rights date from before 2021
Lawfully resident before 1 January 2021? The Withdrawal Agreement keeps your right to live and work here, and your proof is a TIE naming you as a beneficiary of the Agreement. Family members covered by the Agreement hold one too.
The A4 certificate from before Brexit
Britons who registered before Brexit often still hold the green certificate, an A4 sheet. It remains proof of residence, but it has no photo, and staff at airports and borders recognise it less and less. Swapping it for the Agreement TIE is the sensible move: book the TIE prints with Pontevedra as the province, bringing the certificate and your passport.
Lived here then, registered nowhere
Here before 2021 but never on any register? You can still ask to be recognised under the Agreement, with proof that you lived here at the time: a padrón entry, a lease, utility bills, a work contract. These files are looked at case by case, so gather the evidence before booking anything.
Moving from the UK now
A British passport now allows visa-free visits only within the Schengen limit on short stays. Living in Vigo takes a visa first, issued by the Spanish consulate responsible for your part of the UK, for work, study, family or living on your own means without working (non-lucrative residence). Once you are here, the TIE follows. The golden visa ended in 2025 and is no longer a route. If you would rather hand the visa and the move to one firm, a relocation company can steer both from the UK.
Holiday-home owners based in Britain
A British owner who spends part of the year in Baiona or Nigrán but keeps their home in the UK needs a non-resident NIE (form EX-15) and has to keep an eye on the Schengen limit. Owning a house does not by itself give anyone the right to stay.
In Vigo
Britons in Vigo, Baiona or on the Morrazo book the Agreement TIE fingerprints for the province of Pontevedra. Today policia.es shows TIE issue at five units of the province, none of them in Vigo; the confirmation gives the address that counts.
Questions people ask about this
I still have the old A4 green certificate. Is it valid?
It still evidences residence under the Agreement, but the TIE shows it at a glance, with your photograph. We recommend the exchange.
Where are the prints for the Agreement TIE taken?
At a police unit of the province: the current policia.es list shows TIE issue in Pontevedra, Tui, Marín, Vilagarcía de Arousa and Salvaterra de Miño. The confirmation names yours.
Can I work with the Agreement TIE?
Yes. Residents protected by the Agreement may work as employees or for themselves.
My partner is not British. Are they covered?
Possibly: family members whose relationship with you existed before the end of 2020 can be covered; others follow the general rules. Write to us with your dates.
Checked against these official pages
Re-read for this guide in October 2026.
Which raft are you tied to?
A few lines are enough: your nationality, where around the ría you live or will live, and what has to be ready by when. We answer by email with the route that fits.