To apply for a TIE card in Spain, you book a fingerprinting appointment through the Sede Electrónica portal, then show up in person at your provincial immigration office or National Police station with the EX-17 form, your passport, a recent empadronamiento certificate, a passport-sized photo, proof of paid fee, and any documents specific to your visa type. You have one month from your date of entry into Spain to start the process, and the physical card is collected a few weeks later at a second appointment.1Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. Foreigner Identity Card (TIE)
The Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero is mandatory for any non-EU citizen whose visa or residency authorization runs longer than 180 days. Students, workers, non-lucrative residents, entrepreneurs, and family reunification visa holders all fall under the same rule once that threshold is crossed. If your stay is shorter than six months, the visa alone is enough and no card is needed.1Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. Foreigner Identity Card (TIE)
The one-month deadline runs from your physical entry into Spain, not from the day the consulate issued your visa. Missing it can bring administrative sanctions, including fines. Spanish law also requires foreigners to carry identification at all times, so once the card is in your hand, keep it on you.
Documents to Assemble Before Your Appointment
Officers will turn you away for a missing photocopy or an unsigned form, and rebooking an appointment in a busy city can cost weeks. Get the folder right the first time.
The EX-17 Application Form
The EX-17 is the official TIE request form, available as a PDF from the Ministry of Inclusion.2Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones. EX-17 – Solicitud de Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero Section 1 asks for your full personal data, including your parents’ names and place of birth. Section 3 requires a Spanish address where you can receive official notifications. Section 4 is where you indicate whether this is your first card or a renewal. Fill it out digitally if you can so the text is legible, print it, and sign it before your appointment.
Passport and Photocopies
Bring your original valid passport plus full photocopies of the biographical data page, your Spanish entry stamp, and the residency visa page. If your residency was granted from within Spain rather than at a consulate abroad, bring a printed copy of the favorable resolution notice from the immigration office instead of the visa page.
Certificado de Empadronamiento
This certificate from your local town hall confirms your registered address in Spain. You obtain it by visiting your ayuntamiento with your passport, a rental contract or property deed, and sometimes a letter from your landlord. Processing typically takes the same day up to five working days, though the appointment wait to get it can stretch to several weeks in large cities. The certificate should have been issued within the last three months. Immigration offices routinely reject older ones.3GOV.UK. Spain: Registering as a Resident and Getting a TIE
Passport-Sized Photograph
You need one recent photo measuring 26 by 32 millimeters, the standard Spanish “carné” size, which is slightly smaller than U.S. passport photos. Background white, face fully visible, no sunglasses or hats. Any Spanish photo shop knows the format if you ask for “fotos de carné.”
Health Insurance if You Hold a Non-Lucrative Visa
Non-lucrative residence visa holders must show proof of health insurance covering all risks insured by Spain’s public health system. The policy must have no deductibles, no copayments, no waiting periods, and no coverage limits, and it must be contracted with an insurer authorized to operate in Spain. Travel insurance with medical assistance does not qualify.4Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. Non-Working (Non-Lucrative) Residence Visa Work visa holders generally gain coverage through Social Security once employed. Student visa holders typically need private insurance unless their program arranges coverage.
Foreign Documents: Apostilles and Sworn Translations
Any document issued outside Spain, such as a birth certificate or criminal background check, generally needs an apostille under the Hague Convention and a sworn translation into Spanish. Spain only accepts translations done by a “traductor jurado” certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Translations by uncertified translators, even professional ones, are not valid for immigration purposes.5Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. NALCAP – American Language and Culture Assistant Program Budget roughly €40 to €100 per document for sworn translation, though prices vary by length and language pair.
Paying the Fee
The TIE application fee is paid through the Model 790 Code 012 tax form, which you generate online through the National Police portal.6National Police. Exceptional Entry Authorisation – Section: Fee, Amount and Place of Payment When filling out the form, select the box matching your situation. For most first-time applicants, the correct selection is the one for an initial temporary residence card, which carries a fee of €16.08.7National Police. Foreigner Processing Fees Other categories, such as long-term residency cards or renewals, have slightly different amounts listed on the same fee schedule.
After generating the form, take it to any Spanish bank branch for payment. You do not need an account at that bank. Some ATMs also process the payment. Keep the stamped receipt. You will hand it over at your fingerprinting appointment.
Booking Your Fingerprinting Appointment
All TIE applications require an in-person appointment for biometric data collection. You book this through the Sede Electrónica portal, Spain’s centralized government scheduling system.8Administraciones Públicas. Scheduling an Appointment With Immigration The steps run like this:
- Select your province. The portal shows available procedures for that area.
- Choose the correct procedure. Look for “Policía – Toma de huellas (Expedición de tarjeta).” Picking the wrong one means showing up at an appointment where the officer cannot help you.
- Enter your NIE or passport number, which unlocks available time slots.
- Confirm by SMS. The system sends a verification code to your mobile, so enter the number carefully. Once confirmed, you get a printable appointment slip with a unique reference number.
Appointment availability is the most frustrating part of the whole process. In Madrid and Barcelona, slots fill within minutes of being released. If nothing is available, refresh at different times of day. You are not limited to the police station closest to your home. Any station within your province will work, and smaller offices tend to have more openings.
At the Appointment
Arrive at the National Police station or immigration office with your printed appointment confirmation and the complete document folder. Security staff will check your appointment slip before letting you inside, so keep it accessible. The processing officer reviews your file against the electronic record of your residency authorization. This is where missing documents or mismatched data get flagged, and where the visit ends prematurely if something is wrong.
Once your documents are verified, the officer takes your fingerprints using an electronic scanner and captures your digital signature. Both are linked to your NIE in the national database and used for identity verification on future renewals. The officer returns your original passport and hands you a stamped receipt called the Resguardo de Solicitud. Keep it safe. It carries a reference number you will need to pick up the finished card.
What the Receipt Lets You Do
The Resguardo is not a substitute for the TIE itself, but it does confirm your application is in progress and your residency authorization is valid. In practice, you can use it alongside your passport to prove legal status for domestic purposes like signing a work contract, registering with Social Security, or dealing with banks. Some institutions may ask you to return with the physical card before completing certain transactions, but legally your right to reside and work (if your authorization permits it) is not suspended while the card is being manufactured.
The one thing the Resguardo does not let you do is leave Spain and reenter. For that you need an Autorización de Regreso, obtained separately at an immigration office with Form EX-13, your passport, another Model 790 Code 012 payment, and evidence that your card issuance is in progress. The return authorization is valid for up to 90 days and allows unlimited entries and exits during that window, but only through Spanish border crossing points, not other Schengen countries.9National Police. Return Authorization
Collecting the Card
After your biometric data is submitted, the card is manufactured at a central government facility. The typical wait runs 30 to 45 days, longer in high-demand periods. Many police stations use a batch numbering system (“Lote”) and post which batches are ready for pickup on notice boards or regional websites. Check before heading over so you do not waste a trip.
When your batch is ready, book a separate appointment through the Sede Electrónica portal, this time selecting “Policía – Recogida de tarjeta identidad extranjero (TIE).” Bring your Resguardo de Solicitud and your passport. The officer verifies your identity and hands over the plastic card. From that point on, the TIE is your primary identification document in Spain, and it displays the NIE you will use for signing a lease, opening a bank account, filing taxes, and registering with Social Security.10IE University. NIE vs TIE in Spain: What They Are and How Students Get Them
A Few Boundaries Worth Knowing
The card’s validity mirrors your underlying residency authorization. An initial temporary residence permit typically lasts one year, and the card expires with it, so you will go through a renewal cycle before long. You can submit a renewal application up to 60 days before your card expires, and there is a 90-day grace period after expiration during which renewals are still accepted, though administrative fines may apply.
If your TIE is lost, stolen, or damaged, your underlying residency authorization is not affected. You file a police report (“denuncia”), then book a fingerprinting appointment through the same Sede Electrónica portal and bring the denuncia, your passport, a new photograph, and proof of a fresh Model 790 Code 012 payment.
Children who are non-EU citizens need their own TIE if their visa or authorization exceeds six months. A parent or legal guardian submits the application, since minors cannot act as applicants in immigration procedures. In addition to the standard documents, you will need the child’s birth certificate (apostilled and translated by a sworn translator if issued outside Spain), proof of the parent-child relationship or legal guardianship, and the parent’s own identification. Children aged six and older must attend the fingerprinting appointment in person.
Two Practical Habits
Start trying to book an appointment as soon as you arrive in Spain, even before you have every document together. Slots in the big cities disappear within minutes, and smaller cities and towns within your province almost always have better availability.
Bring extra photocopies of everything. Officers occasionally ask for copies you did not expect, and there is usually no photocopier at the police station. Two full sets of your passport, visa, and resolution notice will cover most surprises. Keep digital copies of every document you submit, including the Resguardo, so that if anything goes wrong during processing you can rebuild your file quickly.