B2 · Unit 10 · 45 words, 2 texts with translation
Renew your residence card
Handle paperwork at the immigration office and say things like "as soon as you get a number", "until they call you" and "before they close".
Texts in this unit
Grammar in this unit
En cuanto, hasta que, después de que, antes de que: the subjunctive for the future
You already know that after cuando, when you talk about the future, Spanish uses the subjunctive, not the future tense: cuando llegues, llámame — when you get here, call me (B1, unit 21). Four more linking words of time work exactly the same way.
At any office you need them all the time: "as soon as you get a number…", "wait until they call you". All of this is about something that hasn't happened yet, and in Spanish that kind of action goes into the subjunctive. English does something similar: after "as soon as", "until", "after" and "before" it uses the present, never "will".
| Linking word | Future: subjunctive | Past: normal form |
|---|---|---|
en cuanto — as soon as | En cuanto tenga la cita, te aviso. — As soon as I have the appointment, I'll let you know. | En cuanto llegué, cogí número. — As soon as I arrived, I took a number. |
hasta que — until | Espera hasta que te llamen. — Wait until they call you. | Esperé hasta que me llamaron. — I waited until they called me. |
después de que — after | Después de que pagues la tasa, te atienden. — After you pay the fee, they'll see you. | Después de que pagué, me atendieron. — After I paid, they saw me. |
antes de que — before | Ven antes de que cierren. — Come before they close. | subjunctive here too: Siempre llego antes de que abran. — I always get there before they open. |
Antes de que always takes the subjunctive. "Before they close" means they haven't closed yet: the action after antes de que is always "not yet", so the normal form never follows it. (To talk about the past, you need another subjunctive form, from unit 13.)
For a habit you also use the normal form: siempre pago en cuanto me dan el impreso — I always pay as soon as they give me the form.
You'll sometimes hear hasta que no te llamen with the same meaning, but you don't need that no: hasta que te llamen — until they call you.
Common mistake: using the future because the action is in the future: ✗ en cuanto llegaré → en cuanto llegue. English doesn't say "as soon as I will arrive" either.
Antes de salir or antes de que salgas: one person or two
You already know antes de and después de + infinitive, "before …ing" and "after …ing": antes de salir, apago la luz — before I leave, I turn off the light (A2, unit 10). But you can only say it this way when the same person does both actions.
Ask yourself the same question as with quiero ir / quiero que vayas: is it one person or two?
| Who does it | How to build it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| The same person | antes de / después de + infinitive | Pague la tasa antes de venir. — Pay the fee before you come (formal). (You pay, and you come.) |
| Different people | antes de que / después de que + subjunctive | Pague la tasa antes de que cierre el banco. — Pay the fee before the bank closes (formal). (You pay, but the bank closes.) |
English often uses a full clause in both cases ("before you come", "before the bank closes"), so look at who does each action. The English "-ing" version works the same way as Spanish: "before coming" is only possible when it's the same person.
Two more pairs:
- Después de rellenar el impreso, fírmelo. — After filling out the form, sign it (formal).
- Después de que el funcionario revise los papeles, firme aquí. — After the official checks the papers, sign here (formal).
- Llámame antes de salir. — Call me before you leave. (You're the one leaving.)
- Llámame antes de que salga. — Call me before I leave. (I'm the one leaving.)
En cuanto has no short version: it's always followed by a conjugated verb, for example en cuanto llegue — as soon as I arrive.
Common mistakes:
- the normal form after antes de que, as in English "before you leave": ✗ antes de que te vas → antes de que te vayas;
- an extra que when there's only one person: instead of ✗ antes de que yo salga, apago la luz, simply say antes de salir, apago la luz.
Al + infinitive: al llegar, "when you arrive"
You'll see this on a sign in any office and hear it in any set of instructions: Al entrar, coja número — when you come in, take a number.
Al + infinitive means "when (you do something)" or "on (doing something)": one action happens at the same moment as another, or right after it. English often says "when you…" or "on/upon …ing": "upon entering", "on arrival".
The big advantage: you don't have to choose a form. The infinitive never changes, and the tense and the person come from the main verb:
- Al llegar, coja número. — When you arrive, take a number (formal). (Future.)
- Al salir, cierre la puerta, por favor. — When you leave, please close the door (formal).
- Al llegar a casa, vi tu mensaje. — When I got home, I saw your message. (Past.)
- Me puse nerviosa al ver la cola. — I got nervous when I saw the line (woman speaking).
You can say the same thing with cuando, but then you have to think about the form: al llegar covers both cuando llegue (future, subjunctive) and cuando llegué (past).
A pronoun is attached to the end of the infinitive: al verla (when seeing her), al recogerlo (when picking it up).
Common mistakes:
- English "-ing" ("arriving home, I saw…") tempts you to use the gerund llegando a casa. The natural Spanish is al llegar a casa — when I got home;
alisa+el, and only an infinitive can follow it: not ✗ a llegar and not ✗ al llegando, but al llegar.
Words in this unit
la solicitud — application, request
¿Dónde puedo presentar la solicitud? — Where can I submit the application?
el NIE — NIE (foreigner identity number)
Necesito el NIE para abrir una cuenta. — I need the NIE to open an account.
la TIE — TIE (foreigner's residence card)
Hay que recoger la TIE en la comisaría. — You have to pick up the TIE at the police station.
la extranjería — immigration office
Mañana voy a Extranjería. — I'm going to the immigration office tomorrow.
la residencia — residence permit, residence
Tengo residencia en España desde 2020. — I've had a residence permit in Spain since 2020.
el requisito — requirement
¿Cuáles son los requisitos? — What are the requirements?
la tasa — fee
La tasa es de unos veinte euros. — The fee is about twenty euros.
el impreso — form
Rellena este impreso con bolígrafo negro. — Fill out this form with a black pen.
la fotocopia — photocopy, copy
Necesito dos fotocopias del pasaporte. — I need two photocopies of the passport.
imprimir — to print, to print out
Voy a imprimir la solicitud en casa. — I'm going to print the application at home.
tramitar — to process, to handle (paperwork)
Mi abogada tramita la residencia. — My lawyer (female) is handling the residence permit.
acudir — to go (to), to come (to), to turn to
Debe acudir a la oficina con su pasaporte. — You must come to the office with your passport (formal).
la renovación — renewal
Pido la renovación del permiso. — I'm applying for the renewal of the permit.
caducar — to expire
Mi tarjeta caduca en junio. — My card expires in June.
en cuanto — as soon as
En cuanto tenga el número, te llamo. — As soon as I have the number, I'll call you.
hasta que — until
Espera aquí hasta que te llamen. — Wait here until they call you.
después de que — after (+ a clause)
Después de que pagues la tasa, te dan la cita. — After you pay the fee, they'll give you the appointment.
antes de que — before (+ a clause)
Llega temprano antes de que abran. — Get there early, before they open.
a continuación — next, then
A continuación, rellene el impreso. — Next, fill out the form (formal).
el empadronamiento — address registration
Necesito el certificado de empadronamiento. — I need the certificate of address registration.
el registro — registry office, registration, register
Dejé los papeles en el registro. — I left the papers at the registry office.
Seguridad Social — Social Security
Para trabajar necesito un número de la Seguridad Social. — To work, I need a Social Security number.
la identidad — identity
Presento un documento de identidad. — I show an ID document.
la nacionalidad — nationality, citizenship
¿Qué nacionalidad pone en tu pasaporte? — What nationality does it say in your passport?
el nacimiento — birth
Mi fecha de nacimiento es el cinco de mayo. — My date of birth is May fifth.
el domicilio — address, place of residence
Escriba su domicilio en el impreso. — Write your address on the form (formal).
civil — civil
Mi estado civil es soltero. — My marital status is single (man speaking).
el ciudadano — citizen
Soy ciudadano europeo. — I'm a European citizen (man speaking).
el/la inmigrante — immigrant
Hay muchos inmigrantes en mi barrio. — There are a lot of immigrants in my neighborhood.
el consulado — consulate
El consulado está en Madrid. — The consulate is in Madrid.
la embajada — embassy
La embajada está cerca del centro. — The embassy is near downtown.
el proceso — process, procedure
El proceso dura tres meses. — The process takes three months.
la gestión — errand, paperwork, procedure
Tengo que hacer una gestión en el banco. — I have to take care of something at the bank.
requerir — to require
Esta tarjeta requiere una foto. — This card requires a photo.
permanecer — to stay, to remain
Para renovar, hay que permanecer en el país. — To renew, you have to stay in the country.
conceder — to grant, to approve
Me han concedido la residencia. — They've granted me the residence permit.
denegar — to deny, to refuse
Pueden denegar la solicitud. — They can deny the application.
justificar — to prove (with documents), to justify
Debo justificar mis ingresos. — I have to prove my income.
la autorización — authorization, permit
Necesito una autorización de trabajo. — I need a work permit.
la resolución — decision (official)
La resolución llega en tres meses. — The decision comes in three months.
favorable — favorable, positive
La resolución es favorable. — The decision is favorable.
presencial — in-person
La cita es presencial. — The appointment is in person.
colarse — to cut in line
No te cueles, la cola empieza allí. — Don't cut in line, the line starts over there.
la página — page
Necesito una fotocopia de todas las páginas del pasaporte. — I need a photocopy of every page of the passport.
oficial — official
Esta es la página oficial del ayuntamiento. — This is the official website of city hall.
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