Becoming resident

In the end, it was easy. In the end, when I could prove I’d been here long enough, had been working for long enough and had made enough Social Security contributions, all it took was to hand over all the pieces of paper I’ve been gathering along the way: application form and receipt, Padrón certificate, Social Security registration and proof of contributions, passport and copy – and then tip tap, he typed my details into his computer and printed out my green card.

‘There you go,’ he said. ‘You’re a resident of the Union now, whether you leave or remain.’

Happy face.