Good afternoon. I can't renew my residency permit. What can I do?
Why can't you renew it?
I had to spend 7 months in my own country for family reasons.
If you've been outside Spain for so long, your residency permit has actually ceased to be valid and you're illegally present in the country.
Yes, you're legally entitled to defend yourself. Your lawyer can present your declarations and any proof you have to defend your position. You're also entitled to an interpreter, if you need one.
Depending on the specific circumstances involved, the authorities may fine you instead of deporting you, but you'll still be illegally present in Spain. A possible solution could be for you to demonstrate your integration in Spain.
What does integration mean?
It means that you have a stable home or a family in Spain or that you have a job here, etc. You can ask the social services in your town or city for a social integration report.
I don't think I'd qualify for residency based on integration.
Well then, my advice would be to get a lawyer in order to find out what options you have, or to return to your country and apply for new permits in the same way as you did before you first came to Spain. You should bear in mind that every deportation order is accompanied by a re-entry ban that'll prevent you from returning to Spain for between 3 and 10 years.