Having mastered the red tape that surrounds obtaining the padron we have decided to bite the bullet and apply for our residencia. I have scoured the web to try to download the application forms to no avail, and having turned up at Torremolinos police station at 10.00 am only to find that we were far too late to be seen.
We were told that there is a system in force whereby you join a queue that begins forming at around 7.00 am (when the office does not open until 9.00am) Once the doors open numbered tickets are distributed and after getting your number you will eventually be seen. Fine except we arrived at 8.00 am, and by the time we reached the front of the queue the allocation of tickets for the day ran out with the woman two places in front of us. I explained my frustration and was told to "go round the corner" where I would be given the forms. I waited at the end of the line of desks and eventually trapped a member of staff and explained my needs and was given a barely readable photo copy of the form. I explained that I needed forms for 2 people and was told to take photo copies (six will be required)
So I suppose that it is an ill wind. If we had got a number we would have been there all day.
I love it here, but it is a bloody frustrating country!!
-------------------- watch this space ----------------
OK We finally got together the appropriate paperwork
- Original form plus three photocopies
- Four passport size photographs
- Passport & photocopy of passport
This time we were at the Torremolinos police station just after 6:30 am and third in the queue and although we had to wait until after 9:00 am we were rewarded by being attended to efficiently and quickly and we were on our way back home by 09:45 am. Half the queue was sent away as the days allocation of tickets had run out and those behind us in line would be waiting for up to four hours to be seen, by which time the staff become slightly more tense.
So the next move is WAIT! We have been told to look in and see if our application is accepted in SEVEN MONTHS.
