Spain: Information for stateless people and those at risk of statelessness fleeing Ukraine 3. STATELESSNESS DETERMINATION AND PROTECTION STATUS For stateless people, it is important to determine both a claim for international protection and their statelessness. Each application should be assessed and both types of status should be explicitly recognised so that even if international protection ceases, the person remains entitled to protection as a stateless person. Statelessness determination should be conducted either in parallel with or following the refugee status determination, with due regard to the primacy of the asylum claim and the principle of confidentiality for refugees in statelessness determination procedures. For more information, see: ENS briefing on statelessness determination & protection in Europe. Spain has a dedicated Statelessness Determination Procedure and statelessness protection status. The procedure is summarised in the table below. For more information, see: ENS Statelessness Index Spain. What is it? Can stateless and/or undocumented persons apply? Where to apply? Procedure & rights Rights upon recognition Statelessness Status Protection for a person who is not considered as a national by any State according to its laws Yes At the Asylum and Refugee Office (OAR) in Madrid, or any police station or immigration office around the country; applications may not be submitted at the border nor from immigration detention centres Submit the application form (only in Spanish); provide evidence of lack of nationality; individual interview only if deemed essential; interpreter; decision in writing with reasons within three months (often delayed); right to appeal; application reviewed by the OAR and decision from the Ministry of Interior; applicants to not have the right to stay in Spain, nor the right to work and are not explicitly protected against deportation; may be granted temporary residence, an identity card (‘green card’), and receive support under the asylum reception system; access to free legal aid, psychologists, accommodation, and financial support Permission to stay and indefinite right to reside; foreigner’s identity card (Tarjeta de Identitad de Extranjero) and travel document must be renewed every five years; right to family reunification; work; education; social security; healthcare; no right to facilitated naturalisation (must reside in Spain for 10 years with continuous and legal residence) 4. REQUIREMENTS FOR ONWARD TRAVEL TO THIRD COUNTRIES Beneficiaries of international protection, humanitarian protection, and temporary protection with a travel document, as well as recognised stateless persons in Spain, may travel to third countries. Beneficiaries of temporary protection will be issued a travel document if they give evidence of the need to travel and have no passport or other documentation, or if their existing documentation has expired. If not granted access to any other EU Member State, they will be entitled to return to Spain. 5. OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION Refugee Reception Centres (CAR) provide accommodation, food, and urgent and primary psychosocial assistance, as well as other social services aimed at facilitating the integration of asylum-seekers in Spain and supporting those applying for refugee or displaced person status who lack financial means. For more information, see Refugee Reception Centres, Service Charter.