VisaVenezuelans in Spain can use expired passports for residence procedures
The administrative exception covers permits and foreigner identity cards; it should not be treated as a general authorisation to travel on an expired document.
Official source date: 2026-11-02
Edited and checked by the VisaWand editorial team
The exception covers immigration paperwork in Spain
Venezuelan nationals in Spain can present expired Venezuelan passports for the processing and continuation of immigration authorisations and permits, and for the issue and delivery of a foreigner identity card. A joint migration-and-police instruction dated 13 January 2025 establishes that treatment. This current guide, checked on 2 November, explains its scope rather than presenting it as a new November concession.
The instruction explains that difficulties renewing passports through Venezuelan consular offices continued to obstruct access to immigration procedures. Its response addresses that documentary obstacle. It does not itself grant residence, renew an expiring immigration permission or establish that the applicant meets the substantive conditions of a particular route. Use the official instruction when preparing the passport component of an application, while following the checklist for the actual authorisation sought. Someone holding an expired residence card and an expired passport has two separate documentary questions to resolve, rather than a general extension of both documents.
A favourable residence decision still requires the correct card procedure
The National Police’s electronic service for initial or renewed residence cards identifies the TIE as the document recording a foreign resident’s legal situation in Spain. It directs residents to apply after entry where applicable, or after notification of a favourable residence-renewal decision. The card’s validity follows the temporary residence authorisation; accepting an expired passport does not establish a different residence expiry.
The official service links to the EX17 card application and proof of payment using model 790, code 012, and identifies the relevant police or immigration offices for personal submission. Use that service to locate the card procedure and current payment instructions. Confirm the applicable amount for the actual card category before paying, rather than assuming that the passport exception makes the card free. Retain the favourable decision and the records required for the appointment. A pending request, a favourable authorisation and delivery of the physical card are different stages.
A return authorisation has its own conditions and clock
A resident who needs to travel during renewal should examine the separate National Police return-authorisation procedure. It can cover people who initiated a residence or qualifying long-stay renewal within the legal period. It also describes cases involving a valid TIE that was lost, stolen, destroyed or rendered unusable, where a duplicate has been requested. Exceptional initial-grant cases require the stated necessity and exceptional circumstances.
The maximum validity is 90 days, with the starting point depending on whether the request precedes or follows expiry of the underlying permission. The service says entries and exits are not limited within that validity, but entry must be through authorised Spanish border posts. It links to form EX13 and the model-790/code-012 fee evidence. Use this resource before booking a return through another Schengen country. The return authorisation is a distinct procedure; the expired-passport instruction does not establish that any particular passport or itinerary is acceptable for it.
Check external-border and transit documents before leaving
The European Union’s Your Europe guidance states that non-EU travellers need a valid travel document and, where applicable, a visa. For ordinary short visits it describes the passport requirements of issuance within the preceding ten years and validity extending at least three months beyond intended departure. These short-visit rules should not be substituted mechanically for the individual circumstances of a person returning under residence permission.
The same resource distinguishes the visa exception for a valid residence permit or long-stay visa from the requirement for a valid travel document. It also warns that temporary internal border checks can occur and recommends carrying the relevant documents. Use that EU resource and the competent consulate or border authority to check a proposed journey, including transit. Spain’s acceptance of an expired Venezuelan passport for administrative paperwork does not prove that another state or a carrier will accept it for travel. Resolve that question before departure rather than rely on the ability to lodge a residence application.
