Hi,
My residencia card expired end of last year (first one I have had). Can someone tell me if I need to renew it & if so where do I do it. Some people say I do need to renew it & some people say that I don't need one. CONFUSED

Thanks.

The residencia card no longer exists, per se. I believe you have to get an up-to-date 'Empadramiento' form from the Policia Local/ Town hall, or better take your passport to the Government Buildings on the big roundabout at the beginning of the Rambla in Tarragona. I think you can get the form there, fill it in, and pay a fee at a Tabac nearby.You can usually do it in a morning if you have all the required forms and fee. I will have a look to see if the form is downloadable..I think it is. When everything is correct, you will be issued with a sheet of paper confirming your details etc. This is not accepted as back-up for credit cards, by the way. You will need your passport or (Spanish) driving licence for that, although some people still use their outdated Residencia in most retail outlets. Media Markt will only accept your passport as proof of identity, in case you were wondering.
Edit to add:
Take a look here:
http://www.spainexpat.com/spain/forum/viewthread/225/P15/

Procedures for the renewal of the Spanish residency id card (Tarjeta de residencia)

Documents needed

REQUEST APPLICATION
In duplicate fully filled in and signed
The application form is available in Internet under the name of:
Autorización de residencia y autorización de trabajo y residencia (EX-01) The WEB address is: http://extranjeros.mtas.es/

VALID PASSPORT, not expired
And copy of all its pages

RESIDENCY PERMIT (Tarjeta de residencia), not expired
And two copies

CERTIFICADO DE EMPADRONAMIENTO
And copy, needed only if you have moved or changed address

TWO COLOUR PASSPORT SIZE PHOTOGRAPHS
3,5 CM wide x 4 CM high, Computer printed photos are not admitted

HOW TO SUBMIT THE APPLICATION AND THE OTHER DOCUMENTS
Request an appointment (date and time) at: 91 322 85 70 or FAX 91 322 85 29
If you do not have access to Internet: the application, the FAX form and the list of documents needed are available at the: Brigada Provincial de Extranjería y Documentación
(Metro Aluche) Avenida de los Poblados (the old Carabanchel jail), be prepared for long lines and waiting periods

All the documentation should be presented on the day and time of the appointment at:
Calle Luisa Fernanda 18 (Metro Ventura Rodríguez)

Once the documents have been submitted at the above address, the wait period for the letter specifying the day to deliver the rest of the documents, the photos plus the fingerprinting process (greasy ink) will take approximately a month or more.

You will be told to wait 40 days to pick up your new residency card.

On the appointed date you should go to Carabanchel with you valid passport and the old residency card. If for some reason you do not have the old card you must present a copy of the police report indicating the loss of the card. The old card or the police report are mandatory to obtain the new residency card.

I strongly advise you to begging the renewal process about 130 days prior to the expiration date on your current residency card. The reason for this is to set an overlap between the expiration of the old card and the issuance of the new one.

This overlap will afford you mobility in and out of the country without having to endure the long lines and wait periods at the Gerenal Pardiñas police commissary to obtain a re-entry permit document every time you leave the country.

This is a bit out of date, because it is for a new residencia card, and the addresses are not relevant to Salou, but I think it is still the same procedure.

Its very simple all you have to do is go the the police station in Tarragona, the same place as you get your NIE, no need to wait just go inside to the information desk. they will give you the form you need and a list of all documents needed, which is not many and a time to come back. you will get a green piece of paper that states you are a permanent resident in spain and the date of your first residencia. it looks like the NIE letter but the wording is different. you do need to do this.

very simple, sorry sage to much info and incorrect

Local is right. You can also do it in Reus. The police station you need is just off the Plaza de la Libertad. Little bit of queuing to be done but not too bad.My gestor gave me the form to hand in (no charge)plus I got a copy of my empadronamiento from the town hall and a copy of photo pages of passport. You also need to take original residencia card along.Just hand them in and Bob's your uncle!
If you don't have the application form they'll fill it in for you at Reus.
As it's just a piece of paper you get now, I got a copy of my old residencia before handing in the original.It's all very easy now.

Once youve got your new green N.I.E. paper,take it to the stationers in Salou near the town hall, and they can shrink it down, and your passport, and make it into a double sided, wallet/purse sized laminated card.
Someone else put us onto this and said recently when he was stopped on his scooter, the rozzers accepted it as ID. Personally, so far it has been accepted everywhere ive pesented it for credit card ID.
Better than carrying your passport about with you all the time,what with them being nearly 200 notes to replace now!

That is correct, i even found out you can go the Police station and they will stamp it for you.(obviously before you laminate)
We where in tarragona a week or so ago we arrived just before 9am and left with green paper in hand at 9.50am.
So thumbs up to the staff, really organised and pleasant and patient

we were told at the police station when we got ours that we were not allowed to tamper with this paper at all,and we were told we could not get the original laminated either,we were told this at the police station in Tarragona

They dont tamper with the paper! They scan it and then reduce the image,thus leaving your original safe and unharmed.

It takes 10 minutes in tarragona near the big roundabout, they do it while you wait just turn up with your passport, the new green form is not an id or residencia card they dont exist anymore its simply the equivelent to a national insurance number which you need for contracts and tax purposes etc your only id is your passport .

so i fi go to tarragona near the roundabout they do the residencia card in 10 minutes ??? how much does it cost

No they wont give you a residencia they dont exist they will give you a green coloured sheet of a4 paper with your name and spanish address on it and also a number known as an N.I.E number this is the equivalant to a british national insurance number, it costs a few euros i believe maybe around 10 or less.

can you tell me what the name of the stationers is that will shrink the nie paper,and do you know the name of the road it's on

They'll do it at the printer's : Imprenta Salauris,C/Francoli 10
It's at Plaza de la Pau, you know, the square at the old town hall and the Policia Local

Thanks guys for all the info.

you have a soft card now , i just got mine its green floppy card , you must not have it laminated