We’re talking about the 5 or 10-year cards.
In the case of having been away for more than 1 consecutive year, this long-run card can be recovered.
There is a specific procedure for foreigners who are in this situation.
Your card has been extinguished, but not your right to reside in Spain, so you can get it back.
In these cases, the foreigner must apply for a specific visa to recover his or her residence at the Spanish consulate in her country of origin (or wherever she is at the moment).
That application will be used by the consulate to contact the corresponding immigration office in Spain.
The foreigner’s office, jointly with the Spanish police, will verify whether the foreigner has no criminal or police records.
If this is not the case, the application for recovery is approved; therefore, the consulate issues a visa to enter Spain, and the foreigner re-registers his fingerprints again, hence recovering his card.
On the other hand, if you were not aware of this possibility and you have traveled to Spain without carrying out this procedure, you could request the recovery once you enter Spanish territory; although just in very specific cases.
