So you’ve arrived in Spain after having been approved for Non-Lucrative Residence Visa. Congratulations! But you’re not done yet.
When your visa was pasted into your passport at the consulate, you likely discovered that it’s only good for 90 days or so from your stated arrival date in Spain. This is because though you have been provisionally approved for a residence visa, the last portion of the process actually takes place once you arrive in Spain. You’ll need to arrange for an appointment at the Extranjería (Foreigner’s Office), where you will apply for your Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero (Foreigner Identity Card, or TIE), which will be your residency permit for the remainder of your stay!
We went through the process in Granada in April and May of 2018, and found that it had changed significantly from some of the other online accounts we have read– but that’s for the better. There is less paperwork to submit, and the entire process appears to be more streamlined.
Here are the steps to apply for your TIE once you’ve arrived in Spain:
1. Upon Arrival in Spain, Complete the Empadronamiento Process (if Necessary)
The empadronamiento refers to the legal requirement in Spain to present yourself to the local government and declare that you are residing in a particular municipality. Think of it as an ongoing census that the government uses to allot tax dollars, police protection, and investment in infrastructure to a particular city or region. It’s a very low stress process, and it varies a bit from city to city and region to region. Generally speaking, you will need to provide identification (your passport), proof of residence (the lease for the property you are renting or own, and/or a recent power or water bill in the name of yourself or your landlord), and the local empadronamiento form. As always, you may need to bring photocopies of any and all documents.
If all goes well, after a few days you should be able to pick up a certificado de empadronamiento, or (loosely) Certificate of Self-registration. Note: you may need to visit the office a few times, and the time it takes to become empadronado may vary. If your region requires a certificado de empadronamiento to apply for a TIE, start early!
In our case, the extranjería in Granada did not require a certificado de empadronamiento. In fact, we are still waiting to hear back about whether we are empadronado, and we’ve already completed the TIE process! I have heard that in other cities, such as Barcelona and Madrid, it’s required to do this first.
2. Make An Appointment for Each Family Member on the Sede Electronica Site
Officially, you are required to make an appointment at the extranjería that falls within 30 days of your arrival in Spain (or in the Schengen Area). Practically speaking, this can be a little tough in cities with a huge foreign presence like Barcelona. If nothing is available within 30 days of your arrival, get the earliest appointment available. The extranjería staff understand. If there are plenty of appointments available in the first 30 days after your arrival, I recommend making your appointment towards the end of that window to allow you the time to gather documents, complete your empadronamiento (if necessary), and to find long-term accommodation if, like us, you didn’t arrive in Spain with a signed lease.
To make an appointment at the extranjería, navigate to the Ministry of Public Administration’s Sede Electronica (electronic headquarters) site. If your Spanish is not strong, consider using something like the Chrome browser’s built-in translation capabilities. Here is the step-by-step process to obtain an appointment from the site:
- Click the “Acceder al Procedimiento” (Access the Procedure) button.
- On the next screen, select your province from the drop-down list. Since the city of Granada is in the province of Granada, we selected that. Click “Aceptar” (Accept).
- On the next page, you’ll need to select the nature of your appointment. Select “CNP – TOMA DE HUELLAS (EXPEDICIÓN DE TARJETA) Y RENOVACIÓN DE TARJETA DE LARGA DURACIÓN.” This option means “Taking of fingerprints (expediting of card) and renewal of long duration card.” Essentially, you are making an appointment to have your fingerprints taken and to apply for your residency card. Click “Aceptar” again.
- You will be presented with a list of documents that apply to your appointment type. They’ll be included in your confirmation email, but you may wish to cut and paste the list just in case. Click “Entrar” (Enter).
- Fill out the form with your NIE number (this is on your visa, in your passport, and probably begins with Y), Nombre y Apellidos (fill out exactly as it is printed on your visa, including any errant spaces they may have added, as was the case with our visas), and country of citizenship. Important note: Leave the Fecha de Caducidad de su tarjeta actual blank! This is only relevant if your are renewing a card, not if you are requesting a new one! If you fill in this field, you will not have access to appointments in the 30 day window after your arrival! Complete the captcha (No soy un robot) and click “Aceptar.”
- Finally, you will be able to select an appointment time and date. Do this, complete the process, and provide an email for a confirmation of your appointment. You will need several copies of this email (or your appointment confirmation page).
Congratulations! You’ve got your appointment, and you’re only a few steps away from picking up your TIE!
3. Gather all of your documents
If you completed the cita previa (previous appointment) process properly, you should have an email which not only confirms the date and time of your appointment, but which includes a list of the necessary documents for the appointment. Let’s make a list of all of the documents you will need.
- Two copies of the Appointment Confirmation email. You’ll need to bring two copies of this email to your appointment.
- Two (or three) European-sized passport photos. Depending on which part of the Sede Electronica site you believe, you will need either two or three passport photos. EU passport photos are not the same size as those in the United States, so don’t attempt to re-use the photos you had taken for your visa! In Spain, search for “fotos carnet” or “fotos pasaporte” to find a photo shop that can take these for you. We paid five euros per person for six copies of our photos. We ended up needing two– one was attached to the paperwork, and one was affixed to a signature card.
- Carta de resolución. It may not immediately be obvious what the document list is talking about, but it’s a letter or printout showing the approval of your visa. Not to worry, it’s easy to get. Just go to this site, fill in your NIE number, the date you initially applied for your visas (your appointment date at the consulate), and your year of birth. You’ll be redirected to a page that reads “Información sobre el estado del expediente de extranjería.” It should include a lot of data about you, and the words “Resuelto – Favorable” (Result – Favorable) indicating that you were awarded a visa. Print two copies of this page.
- Valid Passport. You will need your passport with the visa affixed within, and you will need to be able to show the stamp in your passport when you entered Spain (or the Schengen Area). Make a photocopy of all of these pages and bring both the original and the photocopies to your appointment.
- Paid M790 Codigo 012 Form. This is the part that causes the most confusion. As with most administrative functions in Spain, you will need to pay a fee to apply for your TIE card. You will need one M790 C012 form, completed and paid, for each member of your family. Essentially, you will fill out the form electronically on the national police web site, which will generate three copies of the M790 C012 form with a unique barcode and number. You will take all three copies to the bank, which will keep one of the three copies. You’ll take the remaining two copies to your appointment, where the staff will take a copy, leaving you with the final copy showing that you paid your fee. Here’s how to get the form filled out:
* Go to this link and click “Rellenar formulario y descargar” (Fill out form and download).
* Fill out all fields in the Identificación section.
* Under the Autoliquidación section, the only thing you should do is click the following option: “TIE que documenta la primera concesión de la autorización de residencia temporal, de estancia o para trabajadores transfronterizos.” This is the correct option for an initial application for a TIE on a non-lucrative residence visa. If your visa situation is otherwise, another option may be correct. For clarity: the Non-lucrative Residence visa is considered a temporary visa, not a long duration visa.
* Under the Declarante section, indicate your current city under Localidad (as this is part of your signing and dating of the form).
* Under the Ingreso section, for Formo de Pago, you will probably want to select En Efectivo to pay the fee in cash, unless you know that you will be paying the fee by transferring money from your Spanish bank account, and you have confirmed with your bank accepts payment for government fees with an account transfer.
* Complete the captcha and click “Descargar impreso rellenado” to download a PDF of your form.
* Take the forms to your bank and pay the fee (15.60 Euros per person in 2018) prior to your appointment at the extranjería. - (depending on province) A Completed EX-17 Form for each member of the family. Examine the email confirmation for your appointment for any additional documents needed. Some provinces now require an EX-17 Form for each member of the family. You will note that this is quite similar to the EX-01 form you filled out for your visa application! Briefly, you will fill out section 1 (your personal information), section 3 (your contact information), and section 4. In section 4, as a first-time TIE applicant you will check “Target Inicial” in section 4.1, and “Residencia temporal no lucrativa” in section 4.2. Sign, date, and put the your current location and you should be all set!
The email you receive will indicate that you should bring a copy of your expired TIE card and photocopy as applicable, but as a first-time TIE applicant, you don’t have a card and can thus disregard this requirement.
4. Go to Your Appointment
On the date and time you selected, go to your appointment at the address in your confirmation email. A small note: if your province or city doesn’t have an extranjería, your appointment may be at a police station. The procedure shouldn’t be much different.
When we arrived at our appointments in Granada, we passed through the metal detector and showed our appointment confirmation emails to a greeter who helped us to take a number. Both the email and the people present at the office caution you to listen carefully for your number to be called, as missing it will result in you having to book a new appointment!
Our numbers were called and we were guided into an office filled with staff at desks. Honestly, this part of the process was very low-stress. We were asked to present out documents, and as with our visa appointment, we had already organized them in the exact order specified by the confirmation email, one packet per person, plus a packet of photocopies each. Being extremely well prepared seems to be the ultimate bureaucratic superpower in Spain. It will never work against you to spend an extra few minutes making sure your paperwork is well organized.
Be aware that, at least in Granada, few of the extranjería staff seem to speak English, so speaking Spanish well gives you another edge. If all else fails, I suggest bringing an adorable newborn and letting all the ladies in the office who insist on holding him or her do so. It worked for us.
If you’ve prepared your documents properly, your passport photos will be pasted onto a packet of paperwork and onto a signature card which you’ll be asked to sign. You’ll give a series of fingerprints electronically. Finally, you’ll be presented with a letter from the office indicating that you are a legal resident in the country pending the outcome of your TIE application process. You’ll be instructed to return after approximately 30 days to pick up your residency card!
5. Pick up Your Residence Card!
This is the easiest of all of the steps. 30 days after your successful appointment, return with the following:
- All members of your family
- All passports for your family
- TIE letters (received at last appointment) for your family
Let the greeter know that you are picking up your Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero. You won’t need an appointment this time. You’ll be ushered in to see a staff member who will check your identification, take your fingerprints, and present you with your TIE! At long last, you are a legal resident of Spain for the remainder of your visa!
Are you applying for a Spanish visa, or do you already hold one? If so, share with me your experience getting your TIE, or ask me any questions if I can help you with your own process!
Update: If you stick around for a year, you may also need some help renewing your non-lucrative visa, and I can help you with that, too. After you do that, you’ll have to go through the whole TIE process over again to get a new one!
Did This Article Help?
If it did, and you want to support the site in a way that doesn’t cost you anything, it would be a big favor to me if you would head over to Personal Capital and check it out for tracking your finances and investments. It’s a little similar to Mint, but with many more tools that are super helpful to expats and retirees such at detailed investment performance tracking. Thankfully, it’s totally free and if you sign up and link your financial institutions, this site makes a little money. It would mean a ton to us, as it helps us to continue to create content like this.
The procedure has improved so much in recent years. And the wealth of information available online to guide people is as sophisticated as ever. Great share!
Thanks, Gina! Agreed, it seems like just in the past two or three years, the process has become much more streamlined. Compared to getting our visas approved, this step was a snap!
Hello, we are going to apply for our visas next years, but all the wonderful information that you are providing us is saving us a lot of time, effort and money. You will be rewarded in some many ways in your life for doing this without any interest. I really admire people who take the time to help others. Wishing you all the best.
thanks again.
B&J (*-*)
You are very welcome, and it’s really my pleasure! I know how much other resources helped me, but also how I struggled when things had changed. Just know that it’s absolutely worth it in the end! We love it here, life is good!
Thank you so much for the information you provide! It is so helpful!!
I have a question. We just got our retiree visa and it says that it is valid from July 2 to October 14. Does that mean that we can enter Spain any date during that period? When you go for your TIE, do they stamp in your passport that you can stay for a year or how do you do if you travel to the US and enter Spain again after the 90 days period?
Thank you for your answer!
Hi Susana,
Yes, the visa says, and will always say, the initial 90 day period. Once you acquire your TIE, you will present that along with your passport when entering the country. The TIE is your real residency permit and permission to enter the country, the visa in your passport is just for the initial period to get you there.
Hi there, thank you so much for your very detailed blog on TIE. I do however have a question, you did not mention filling out the EX 17 form (Application for Foreigner ID card TIE), is this form nit needed? Seems like it’s a requirement for application unless I’m mistake. Thanks
No problem! An EX 17 is not necessary for the TIE for the non lucrative residence visa, or at least it wasn’t for us. We went in only with the items listed above and sailed right through. I suspect the EX 17 is for a different visa type or perhaps it’s a dead form— the process has changed much in the last year or two.
Thank you for the amazing and detail list – incredibly helpful. FYI, the EX17 is necessary for TIE in Sevilla. I guess it might be based on whatever province you’re in? Not sure.
For example, you can’t get an appointment online in Sevilla and have to email sevilla.oue@policia.es with your NIE # and request an appointment – which is how I am doing it currently.
Thx for all the great info! Question: what is best way to determine if our region near Altea requires a certificado de empadronamiento for the TIE process? All the best…
The most definitive thing to do would be to call the extranjeria and ask.
It’s very cool to read your progress. Will you make some comments about transporting your pet? We have a beagle and I am not sure if I should use a pet shipping company.
Is the NIE on the visa in my passport or is it something that is issued upon arrival at the airport in Spain?
As the post mentions, the NIE is on your visa.
It is supposed to be a Long Duration visa, however the number on my visa in my passport it does not start with a Letter.
Now what?
When I asked the consulate, I was told the NIE will be issued in Spain.
How can I find out and who would be responsible for the correction?
Which specific visa do you have? This post is tailored for the non-lucrative residence visa, which the Spanish government considers a temporary (non long duration) visa. I cant be sure how other visas might vary from what we experienced. You might have to get the consulate to spell it out more clearly— my best guess is if you are meant to get your NIE in Spain, it would probably be at the extranjeria.
I too are a bit confused about when you actually receive the NIE.
The consulate website state for a Non Lucrative Visa: :
Once you Arrive in Spain
The visa from our department will only be valid for 90 days. Don’t worry, this is normal. During the first 30 days of your stay in Spain, you must go to the Local Police station to receive your full visa. They will ask for some original documents, which we certify at the Consulate, and then issue you a ”Tarjeta de Identificación de Extranjero” (NIE). This card validates your stay until the listed expiration date. Note that the dates will be formated DAY/MONTH/YEAR.
http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/LOSANGELES/en/InformacionParaExtranjeros/Pages/Residence-Visa.aspx
Doesn’t that read to you that you receive the NIE during the Spain process and not necessarily on your Visa as you mentioned (which I like much better) 🙂
Thanks again for your help!! Always appreciated!
The TIE and NIE are two different things. The NIE is a number that is like a social security number. Everyone from the government worker to the driver who delivers packages to your house will ask for your NIE– you’ll use it every day in Spain (or almost). The TIE is the actual physical card, which is also your authorization to live the rest of your year in Spain. The NIE you get from the page they paste into your passport, and the TIE is what you get through the process described in this post. I don’t know the origin of what you put here, but they definitely meant to write TIE in the parentheses, not NIE.
Thanks for all of this info. A few basic questions. First several times you mention going to your bank to pay fees. However, what if you don’t have a bank account with a Spanish bank before you arrive. What is required to open one, or can you go to any bank to pay for the M790 C012 form fee?
Also, like you I’ll be traveling with my children. Do they need to go with me to every appointment or just the final pickup? I have 4 kids who are not very patient and waiting around can be hard for them.
Thx
Hi Rob,
You can pay the bank fees at basically any Spanish bank, but many of them may restrict payment by people without an account to very few hours a week– I visited two banks who only allowed me to pay government fees during two two-hour periods every week before I got an account opened. That said, I would start working on your account right away when you get there– It’ll be needed for paying rent and utilities anyway, so you should be able to get it opened long before you need to pay the application fees if you start early.
Your kids need to be present for your initial visa appointment, and at the visa pickup. Since I’m guessing you’ll be headed to the SF consulate, try not to make any of your appointments for Fridays. In our experience, Fridays were the worst wait. Midweek days were basically empty!
Apologies if you answered this, but my question related to having the kids present was solely focus on the appointments once in Spain. Do the kids need to be at the initial appointment at the extranjería? You wrote that “You’ll give a series of fingerprints electronically” which sounds like they do. But then do they also take fingerprints 30 days later when everyone has to come back to pick up the TIE?
Also, it sounds like they do not keep the passports at any point once you’re in
country but just need to see them during your visits, right (just trying to make sure we factor this in to any travel plans during the 30 days between appointments). THanks
Sorry Rob, I lost track of which post I was replying to— my mistake. Yes, the kids must be present at both the TIE application appointment and at pickup. The extranjeria doesn’t keep your passports at any time.
Thx. They really do make you work for this visa! Now if only it was easier to apply for the health insurance online for a family of 6….
It appears that Granada may have made a few changes already, including requiring the certificado de empadronamiento. I was just on the website and the requirements list included:
Copia de la resolución administrativa de concesión. and
Certificado de empadronamiento en caso de que haya cambiado de domicilio.
I assume the resolución administrativa de concesión is the same as the Carta de resolución you reference
Did you also have the certificado empardomiento on your list when you applied? I’m just wondering if this is required only for a change of address or also for the initial application, since as you note it can take while to one issued (I believe you wrote you still didn’t have it – which makes the whole process a bit worrisome). Thx
This isn’t a change- the Empadronamiento requirement listed here says “en caso de que haya cambiado de domicilio.” That is, in case you have changed address. It only appears to apply for a renewal, and only if you have changed address. This language was all present for us, and no empadronamiento was required.
The carta de resolución is the printout of your visa resolution from the web site listed above.
Wanted to clarify, as we are in the process of preparing for our cita previa in Barcelona. I’ve seen multiple mentions of the empadronamiento, but trying to fill it out online has been confusing. Is it needed for the TIE appointment?
Thanks for this fantastic post by the way!
Hi Brandt,
Yes, in Barcelona I know the empadronamiento is required for the TIE appointment, so you will need to complete that process first.
My family and I fly to Madrid later this month on a Non-Lucrative Residence Visa. I just picked up the passports and visas today. 🙂 Your other blog post about the application process was invaluable — thank you!
I am now planning ahead for the TIE process. Since we will be living in Madrid, I started to scope out how that might differ from Granada by starting Step 2 above and selecting Madrid.
Interestingly, this notice immediately popped up, which (via my terrible Spanish and Google Chrome Translate) seems to imply that it may be possible to do this all via the Internet. Do you have any insight about that? Or am I incorrect?
PRESENTACIÓN DE SOLICITUDES EN MATERIA DE EXTRANJERIA. VÍA INTERNET
Al objeto de agilizar la tramitación de las solicitudes y de reducción de los tiempos de espera, podrá presentar por internet a través de la Plataforma Mercurio, que se publica en la Sede Electrónica del Ministerio de Hacienda y Administraciones Públicas.
Entre otras, las siguientes solicitudes:
Prórroga de Autorización de Estancia por Estudios.
Autorización de Residencia de Larga Duración
Renovación de Autorizaciones de Residencia Temporal y Trabajo.
Renovación de Autorizaciones de Residencia NO Lucrativa.
Renovación de Autorización de Residencia con exceptuación a la autorización de trabajo.
Modificaciones de situación de residencia por circunstancias excepcionales por razones de arraigo a la autorización de residencia y trabajo.
Residencia Permanente de Familiares de Ciudadanos de la UE
Para ello deberán contar con Certificado digital que incorpore sistema de firma electrónica avanzada.
Hi Nathan,
So glad to hear the other article helped. From the list of requests which can be processed online, none of them would apply to an initial non-lucrative visa TIE appointment. The list specifically mentions:
* Extension of visas for purpose of study
* Long term residency authorization (the non lucrative visa is considered a temporary/short stay visa)
* Renewal of temporary residence and work visas
* Renewal of non-lucrative residence visas (doesn’t apply to you since you’re not renewing, this in an “inicial”)
* Renewal of residence visas (non working)
* Modification of residence situation in exceptional circumstances
* Permanent residency of families and citizens of the EU
It also mentions that using the online system requires the advanced digital certificate/signature, which is (I believe, I haven’t hunted it down yet) a means of authenticating on Spanish government sites for purposes of official business for citizens and long term residents, and requires that you first have obtained the certificate.
So, none of these covers an initial request for a non-lucrative residence permit/TIE. It does say that the list of requests is “among others,” so it’s possible there’s some secret squirrel way of processing an initial non-lucrative TIE this way, but given the requirement to take fingerprints, I’m not sure how it would be possible. It sounds like you may be able to renew your non-lucrative visas a year from now, though, provided you get yourself enrolled in the esignature/certificate program by then.
Thanks for the insight. One other thing I did notice is that the instructions for the Issuance of a Foreign Identity Card in the Madrid area say that you must complete form EX-17 (original and copy). Did you not have to do that in Granada?
This is the form:
http://extranjeros.empleo.gob.es/es/ModelosSolicitudes/Mod_solicitudes2/17-Formulario_TIE.pdf
We personally didn’t have to. That said, it’s a super simple form so there’s no harm in filling it out, and if it’s not needed, no big deal!
Hi, Found your blog through Reddit. Am planning to follow your path, but probably a different Spanish city. Am also planning to obtain Spanish permanent residency. Is that your plan? If so, do you know if I can have dual citizenship (ie, US and Spain)? Any online resources that you recommend to look into? Thanks
I think we probably won’t, at least not right now. We’ve still got a bit more work to do before we’re truly FI, and our goal is long term slow travel (6-12 months per location, probably). You are definitely allowed to have dual citizenship with your US citizenship:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/travel-legal-considerations/Advice-about-Possible-Loss-of-US-Nationality-Dual-Nationality/Dual-Nationality.html
I am not sure which specific things to offer other online resources on, other than what I’ve written here, but if you have questions I can try to answer them. Just let me know and I will try to help!
What’s your take on managing taxes while living in Spain? Any tax minimization strategies? How about wealth tax? Am in Paris for the next 30 days and a Spaniard just warned me about wealth tax in Spain. Thoughts? Maybe a good topic for a future post…:)
We use the US Foreign Earned Income Exception by being outside off the US for over 330 days per year to make our first ~$100K US tax free, even though it’s sourced in the US. We expect to use the Spanish exemption on 60K EUR of foreign-sourced income to minimize or eliminate income taxes on this side.
The Spanish wealth tax has a 700K EUR exemption for each adult in the household (so 1.4M EUR for a married couple) plus a 300K EUR exemption on the value of the primary residence. For us, that means we owe no wealth tax whatsoever as our combined assets fall under the exemption amounts. Even if you’re over that amount, the wealth tax amounts are still not exactly huge. For an married couple with 2M EUR in assets, you’re looking at 2500 EUR in tax per year or so. For a single person with 2M in assets, it would be a little under 8500 EUR in tax per year. It’s a good amount of money, but it’s not a fortune by any means.
Hi there again,
Just a quick update and question for you. Just got back to the homeland after 2 months in Europe, including 30 days in Paris. I just decided to give France (i.e., Paris) a try for at least a year starting January 2019. Do you know of a good blog that can provide some guidance in completing my application, including documentation requirements for a long term stay visa in France? Just to recap my background: am an early retiree who rely on my US Investment Income 100% (ZERO plans to work in France). Am currently in communication with Valorama for my health insurance coverage but unclear on what minimum coverage is required. Am also unsure if I need Appostille for my FBI Clearance. Thanks for any guidance.
Hi Joon,
Sorry, I don’t have any experience with long stays in France. Best of luck.
Makes me wonder if that €8.5K wealth tax is deductible in US, making room for more Roth conversion or harvesting gains.
Question – Did you use a currency broker to transfer US funds to Spain for a better rate?
IF you did, would you mind sharing that info and experience?
IF you did not, what avenue did you take?
Side note: My 4a. question / info came from the LA consulate (I included the link) But as you mentioned, they must of made a typo.
Thanks for clearing that up!
No, we just wire funds every month or two as necessary. The exchange rate is about as close as it gets to the interbank transfer rate. We pay $25 for the outgoing wire, and nothing to receive it in Spain.
Thanks for your response!
So that I understand, you are using Wire Transfer like Western Union and pay a flat $25 fee (on any amount) plus the exchange rate markup? My understanding was bank to bank rate markups are as high as 5%?
IF that is the case what do you think about
the OFX Transfer Service? (If you have heard of it?)
OFX, previously called USForex, is an online currency exchange platform that doesn’t charge transfer fees. Use the service to send as much money as you want to 91 countries on your mobile app or from a computer, and the exchange rate markup is usually less than 1 percent. You can also set up email alerts with OFX to notify you when exchange rates are in your favor. That said, OFX only allows transfers between bank accounts, so your recipient can’t opt to pick up cash at their location. You have to transfer at least $150, and the delivery usually takes several business days.
Not discounting your method at all…literally picking your brain (and others) to find the best route!
Thanks so much!
No, we are not using anything like Western Union.
We initiate the wire transfer through our bank, and this is a capability that any US Bank will have. We do not pay markups of any kind (let alone 5%!). Our bank’s fee for an international transfer is a flat $25. The exchange rate is the interbank transfer rate, which is better than any over the counter change bureau. Our wires are generally cleared on the next business day, so we don’t wait several days either.
It sort of sounds like the above might be cut and pasted from some service’s web site, where they are comparing to a retail money transfer service. This is different from an international bank wire.
I believe I’ve heard TransferWise is the go-to method for these types of wires – good exchange rate and very low fee…
Additionally, do Spanish banks typically charge for incoming monies/transfers?
I haven’t quite researched that yet!
Some might, but our’s does not.
Again, thank you for the info! I haven’t totally dove into all of this yet so you are really helping.
Would you mind sharing who you bank with in the states and in Spain?
Thx a ton!
Again, thank you for the info! I haven’t totally dove into all of this yet so you are really helping.
Would you mind sharing who you bank with in the states and in Spain?
Thx a ton!
I also have appreciated your detailed information. I cannot seem to locate the requirements of lease as far as duration. I’m wondering if you are aware of how long a lease is required. One year?
If you mean for getting the empandronamiento, there is no required lease duration that I know of— just that it be a real rental contract in your name.
Thank you indeed for information. Is it nessesary to have long term rent contract for empadronamiento?i already get my visa for madrid provience and have appoitment for TIE end of september. I have plan to i prefer to submit a short term rent contract.is it acceptable for TIE?
Thank you in advance
Empadronamiento requirements vary by locality, so it’s hard to say with any certainty. In Granada, where we live, there’s nothing on the paperwork that specifically requires a long term contract– though I would expect them to at least require an actual legal contract in Spanish (versus, say, an AirBnB receipt). Your mileage may vary.
Thank you so much for your very complete articles. Our situation is a little bit different, and I’m having trouble finding answers. My husband and I live aboard our sailboat permanently. We are both US citizens, and are planning to cross the Atlantic in mid-May and land in the south of Spain. We hope to live and travel in Spain extensively for many months. The non-lucrative visa seems perfectly suited for us. (We are not retirement-age, but do not work.) Do you think that the US and Spain will allow us to use a marina address for residency? We normally sign some type of contract when we stay in a marina.
A lot depends on which consulate you need to use to apply for your visa– some consulates (such as San Francisco) don’t ask for any proof of lease at all prior to being granted the visa. Some (such as Houston) do, though some people have managed to squeak by with an AirBnB booking.
Another question is whether you make port somewhere that requires you to get an empadronamiento to complete your TIE process, which is what you really need to unlock the full year. The empadronamiento needs a mailing address, so you might start with whether Spaniards who live on boats are empadronato. If they are, you would follow the same process they do to get your empadronamiento, then use it to get your TIE (if an empadronamiento is necessary where you end up).
The US doesn’t factor into the equation anywhere– they don’t have any connection to either getting the visa or getting the TIE. As far as they know, you’re still sitting at home in the US.
Hello Pamela. We are in the same boat. Have you found an answer to your questions? Your help will be greatly appreciated.
When I mentioned the US, I was referring to the Spanish consulate in the US. I did not realize that each individual Consulate could have different requirements! We are applying to the Miami office. When I examined their website further – it looks like they will accept a “Letter explaining the reason why you have chosen that city in particular” as proof of accommodation. That is good news for us.
I was worried about the possible empadronamiento requirement also. Do you think that they would accept a marina address? When we stay in a marina sometimes for months if we’re traveling, we have mail and packages sent to the marina office address.
I really couldn’t say– best bet is to figure out what Spanish citizens do when they live on a boat in Spain, and follow their lead. They have a legal requirement to do empadronamiento too, so presumably there’s a solution.
Hi,
First of all, thank you so much for this information, this will be a huge help when I arrive in Barcelona next week!
I went through the step by step process to get an appointment at the extranjería to get my residency card but after step five and I click acceptar I’m getting the following message:
En este momento no hay citas disponibles.
En breve, la Oficina pondrá a su disposición nuevas citas.
I’m wondering if I should keep trying every day, or should show up there without an appointment if I can’t get one?
Hi Alex,
I have heard that Barcelona’s appointments are consistently fully booked, and that yes, you have to simply try each and every day (maybe even checking a few times a day to catch any new appointments). The good news is that I have heard that they are flexible about giving you more than 30 days if necessary to get your TIE appointment. I don’t believe they will see you without an appointment at the office, though if you happen to try, definitely let us know what happens. Just a heads up, Barcelona definitely does require the empadronamiento at the appointment, so start on that as soon as you arrive.
Hi,
My husband and our two teens arrived in Barcelona exactly two weeks ago. After much blood, sweat and tears we were given the Non-Lucrative Residence Visa in Los Angeles and were lucky enough to secure an apartment for 8 months and a bank account (which has in itself been a challenge but now it’s done). It’s now time to work on the TIE and I’m panicking after reading all the stories on the Internet about how hard it is to get an appointment, etc. How reliable are some of the services, or people, out there offering to help make this happen? What is your advice? Thank you so much!!
Getting the TIE is pretty straightforward (see above, make sure to get your empadronamiento done first for Barcelona), I personally don’t see why you’d need anyone to do any part of the process for you. It’s a lot easier than getting the visa in the first place. Your only difficulty in Barcelona will be in getting the appointment ASAP, since you’re competing with so many expats for limited appointment slots. From what I hear, they are well aware that they are capacity-limited there, and don’t give you a hard time if you don’t get in in the first 30 days. You should still be getting on the site every day (probably a few times a day) to get an appointment for all members of your family as soon as they open up. It might not hurt to drop by the extranjeria and confirm that they won’t give you a hard time if the first appointment you manage to book falls at 45, 60, or “x” days after arrival.
Hi – Just a quick update. I arrived in Barcelona last week from the US and this week I was suddenly able to get an appointment, I went on the site on Wednesday 10/31 at 8:00am and 3 appointments miraculously popped up (this was after weeks of trying), but they were for either Friday the 2nd, Monday the 5th, or Tuesday the 6th of November. No options further out so I took the Tuesday one, and I didn’t have empadronamiento yet so I was in a bit of a panic. I went to the town hall in Placa St. Miquel to try to get empadronamiento and they said they needed an appointment for padron and nothing until Nov 15th. I explained I had an appointment for the TIE and showed them the email on my phone and they quickly gave me an appointment for today. I guess it pays to push back (a little) and be nice about it.
I just successfully walked out with my empadron. It literally took 7 minutes and was completely painless. Next I went to Sabadell bank with the M790 form and they did so if anyone isn’t sure which bank to go to in Barcelona that one worked. (I bank there but they didn’t even ask if I was a customer and I paid cash.)
Next step will be to get my TIE on Tuesday and finalizing my paperwork today. The one requirement which I’m still unsure about is EX-17. This is my google translation of the requirements they gave me:
* Proof of the appointment and in case of long-term renewal and first card students, completed form EX17, which is available at: http://extranjeros.mitramiss.gob.es/en/ModelosSolicitudes/Mod_solicitudes2/17-Formulario_TIE. pdf
I’m not sure if this is just a translation issue, but first card students seems to me only pertains to students and not non-lucrative visas? I’m also not renewing so I don’t think the EX-17 applies to me, but open to thoughts. I’m thinking of having it filled out anyway just in case they ask for it. Will keep you posted on the next step and how it goes! Thanks again for your help.
Alex
We didn’t need the EX17, as it only pertains to long term visas (the nonlucrative is considered a short term visa) and students. If you’re really, really worried, you can always fill one in and just keep it in your folder… it you shouldn’t need it.
Thanks! I didn’t need EX17. The procedure went super smoothly thanks to your help. He just said come back in a month with my passport and an official letter they printed out with the address to pick up my actual card.
Great to hear! Congratulations on getting your TIE done!
Alex,
We are in Barcelona and have been attempting to get an appointment for our TIE on the website 5-6 times a day for the last week and always get the response that nothing is available. We followed the same procedure and place as you for the empadronamiento and it was very simple and easy. The TIE on the other hand has been a pain. We have all our documents ready and will have been in Spain 30 days this weekend so are a little panicked. Can you provide any input into how long it took you to get your appointment or the method/time of day in using the website that was successful for you?
Thanks
Greg
Greg,
I recently heard that Barcelona appointments are released at 8 AM on Mondays. Give that a shot. Don’t be late! Also, don’t worry about being past 30 days in Barcelona. They know they are bottlenecked and you shouldn’t expect a hard time.
Thought I’d document our experience in the Barcelona TIE process which might help others.
We kept trying to obtain an appointment from the website with at least 5 attempts per day including Monday April 1st starting at 8 AM. Always getting a response that nothing was available. So we had been trying that process for over 10 days with no success.
On Tuesday afternoon the 2nd, in frustration, I contacted a local agency that said they could get an appointment for a fee of 50 euro/person plus 21% VAT. Had to make a deposit to their bank account before any action on their part which seemed a little odd, no credit cards, but, because they had good online reviews, we walked to their bank and made the 121 euro deposit on Wednesday and by Thursday night the 4th, we had appointments for Monday the 8th and Thursday the 11th. Interesting that while we never had any success in getting an appointment, this local agent appears to be able to get them very very quickly, for a fee; just saying…
My appointment was on the 8th, today, at noon at the St Marti police station. My wifes was on the 11th. We took the train and entered the station at 11:30. We brought all documentation for both of us in the hopes that the clerk would process both applications. Got a number and waited about an hour, 70 appointments ahead of ours. Our clerk did not speak English but with some assistance from her associate at the next station over who did speak English we got both of our applications processed in about 20 minutes. My wife was thrilled that we wouldn’t need to make a trip to the Badalona police station on Thursday to get her application processed. We each left with a one page document telling us where we could pick up our TIE cards in a month.
Special note, in Barcelona you definitely need to get a empadronamiento as part of your documentation to get a TIE. All the other documentation was as noted by Vagabond above although we had excess copies of everything which were returned to us.
In the end, everything went smoothly after getting the appointment and in retrospect, I was happy to pay the fee for the appointment. The agent we used will be in the first 2 or 3 results if you google “non-EU resident card bcn”
Dear Mr. Vagabond,
I’ve a question about proof of health insurance for the TIE. I purchased a “Cadillac” policy from a major Spanish company prior to going to my NIE meeting: three months, $600 American dollars. This is the required coverage for an NIE.
Weeks before my departure my broker called and said they would not honor my policy due to a mild pre-existing condition (which I had stated in my application). I have not purchased a new policy here in Madrid, but am reviewing different options.I prefer not to pay $200 a month because I’m quite healthy. I don’t want to get locked into an expensive policy for a year when other policies with co-pays suit my situation better.
I have my TIE meeting at the end of the month. How closely do the officials examine your health insurance coverage paperwork at the meeting? I WILL have coverage, just not the premium one. Is it hit or miss (as I’ve read online)?
You don’t present proof of health insurance, or any other document used to get the Nonlucrative visa in the first place, at the TIE meeting. The only documents requested (at least here in Granada) are those above. The empadronamiento may or may not be required for the meeting, that depends on location– but otherwise there should be little variation.
Just make sure to get that coverage– your health is too important to gamble with! Being a generally healthy person won’t protect you from the unexpected! Also important to consider the blackout periods for things like cancer, pregnancy, etc. with many of the policies. To get coverage for those things, you generally have to have already been a member for 6+ months, so get that clock ticking! Sorry for the lecture, just thinking of the times in our lives (we’re really healthy too) that we’ve been hit by one or more of these and were grateful we sucked it up and paid for our insurance!
Hello,
My big concern is the health insurance requirement for the TIE visit. I secured full coverage before leaving the states and Aslesas cancelled me at the last minute for “preexisting conditions.” A mild one at that.
I want to buy less expensive insurance now.
How closely do the officials follow the requirements on health insurance. I’ve read that it’s not that closely.
What have been the experiences of others?
BTW, I have a Non Lucrative Visa and my NIE number already.
Victoria
Hi Victoria— how is this question different from the one you posted and I replied to the other day? As in the other reply, I am not aware of any city where you are required to show your health insurance again to apply for your TIE. Where did you read you needed to present it at the TIE appointment?
That said, I wouldn’t personally jeopardize my future renewals or other bureaucratic tasks by arriving in Spain and immediately violating one of the terms of my visa…
sorry, ignore the double entries of the same question
Great Blog,
Can you apply for your T.I.E. at any oficina de extranjeria that grants T.I.E.s? We are headed to Spain with our approved non-lucrative visas in our passports. We did not plan on settling in one location and can get appointments quickly in Toldedo, where as the earliest appointment in Valencia isn’t until January. We would be happy to plan travel to a location for the process to expedite it. The lack of official information is bewildering.
You are meant to apply for the TIE only where you actually reside, as they include your “address of record.” You don’t technically produce a lease, but some of the locations do require an empadronamiento, so you have to have proved you have a long term address. My hunch is that you might be able to get a TIE someplace where you don’t have a long term address if they don’t require the empadronamiento, but I am not sure what impact having an address someplace you’re not actually residing might have on other official processes– particularly a renewing the residence permit. It might be nothing, or it might become a huge pain.
Hi Scott,
Did you figure out how to get your TIE card without a permanent address? We plan to travel around Spain for the first 2-3 of our NL visa and, once we find a place we like, to then settle down. Curious to know if you had any success with this.
You will need to find your place to settle before getting a TIE.
There are a few potential problems with ranging too far when you arrive: First, you applied for the visa with at least a province listed as your destination. This is actually part of your approval process as the province has a say in your visa status from what I have heard here in Spain. They also play a role in your renewal.
If you end up applying for a TIE outside the province you specified, you might run into trouble, whether on the first TIE or on the renewal. Finally, since you are theoretically supposed to be done with the TIE process by the end of the first 90 days of your visa, you run the risk of not having a TIE by that time if you wait too long, and you must have an address to apply for one. In Andalucia at least, they don’t seem to care too much about proving you actually live there… but they could verify your living there if they wanted to, and they do send mail to that address.
Thank you for your helpful blog. With your help i received the non-lucrative visa and now am in Spain working to obtain the residence card.
My question has to do with the address verification. I do not have a lease as I am living with a family as an au pair. (The Washington DC consulate did not have an au pair visa option and suggested the non-lucrative type). What sort of document would be sufficient for the address confirmation? A letter from the family? I could possibly get a letter from the health insurance company.
Thank you!
Hi Julie,
Do you have any sort of contract with your host family for the Au Pair work? if so, I would probably bring that. If not, I would see if maybe your host family might be willing to write up a rental contract you can use for paperwork purposes only, perhaps with some token sum offered as rent that you never actually pay. Whether you actually have to produce proof of address sort of depends on the local requirements– we didn’t in Granada.
would you by ANY chance know why when I choose Salamanca it does not continue to allow me to make an appointment. Would this mean they don’t have an office. I’m not sure what I should do right now or just wait until I get there and ask around.
What does the site say when you go to make the appointment?
In your article, step 2 (make an appt). after you select your city/province and then you go to the nature of your appointment, yours has an option for
“CNP – TOMA DE HUELLAS (EXPEDICIÓN DE TARJETA) Y RENOVACIÓN DE TARJETA DE LARGA DURACIÓN.” When I choose Salamanca, there is no drop down bar to choose this option. It has one option that has nothing to do with visa or immigration. It just has Solicitud de autorizciones as an option and even clicking that does not take you to a page to make an appt. I went back and chose a different province and it pretty much follows what you said. This is why I thought maybe Salamanca doesn’t have an office??? Then I don’t understand why the LA consulate would tell me to go online and make an appointment. Just thought maybe you had come across this.
Thank you
Niloofar 😉
Ah, in that case I would contact the extranjeria, which definitely exists:
http://administracion.gob.es/pagFront/atencionCiudadana/oficinas/detalleOficina.htm?idOficina=O00006992&direccion=&especialidad=&mostrarMapa=N&numPaginaActual=569&coordenadaX=&coordenadaY=
My best guess is that the extranjeria is Salamanca is low enough traffic that you can just do a walk in, but call them to figure that out for sure.
Thanks for this! Your blog has helped me so much, and I’ve been living in Madrid happily for the last two months! I do have one question –– I originally got my empadronamiento and TIE using the address I first lived at in Madrid. However, since then I have moved to a different apartment (in the same neighborhood) and plan on staying here for the rest of the year. Do you know if this means I have to go through the empadronamiento process again using this address? Same question goes for the TIE application as well — my current card has the old address on it and I’m not sure if this will be a problem or not. I’m having trouble finding information online about this, so any help you can offer would be much appreciated!
Hi Laurel,
You’re welcome and congratulations! When and if you renew your TIE, my understanding is that you will show the empadronamiento for the new address at that point (and if some other bureaucratic process requiring it comes up before your renewal, you would of course need to be current). Technically speaking, you’re supposed to get empadronado as soon as practical after moving, but for TIE purposes you have a bit of time before your renewal comes up. As far as I am aware, you are not required to do anything with your TIE in case of the address change until the renewal. Hope this helps.
Great thank you so much! I really appreciate your help and all you do to make these processes as clear as possible, keep it up!
Hey! Thanks for all the information. Can you update the link for the Carta de resolucion? I have tried many different times over several weeks on different devices on different servers and it always says “connection is not private” and will not let me access.
Hi Hannah,
I’m sorry you’re having a problem with the link– on this end, it still opens correctly without any complaint about the security/certificate. I’m not aware of any updated link as the original one appears to still work on this end, so I’m not sure what to update it to, I am really sorry! Usually with browsers like Chrome, you can click “More information” in the bottom left of the insecure warning, then force it to take you there anyway, but I didn’t need to here on either of our computers. I wish you luck in getting it to load!
I don’t think it works on a mobile device or android.
Hi,
Great article and very helpful.
Our situation is a bit different and maybe you or someone can offer advice. We are from NZ and applied for and received our Visa D/NIE. However we applied for it on the basis of living on our yacht in Spain (we plan to cruise here the next 2 years). As such we don’t have a permanent address nor a region to apply for “Empadronamiento”.
We arrive in Barcelona this wednesday and want to apply for your TIE. The NZ visa office gave us NO information on what to do. Nor did we receive anything that would cover our situation (living on a yacht instead of fixed address).
Once we have had our appointment – do we have to pick up our TIE within a certain time frame? The reason I ask is that we will be sailing the yacht from Turkey to Spain and would rather pick it up when we arrive, rather than get off boat and fly there to collect it part way through our trip. We would not arrive in Spain until 2months+ after our appointment.
Any thoughts about our situation welcome. Your article was the best we read. Cheers
Hi, thank you so much for the helpful information. I am having trouble with my “Carta de resolucion”.. I have tried the dates I applied for my NIE, my visa, my upcoming appointment date and everything in between however nothing is working. Do you know what date I am supposed to use and where I can find it? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
Hi Manpreet,
What kind of visa are you on? This process specifically aligns with the nonlucrative visa, but since you mentioned applying for the NIE separate from the visa (these are one and the same date for the nonlucrative visa) I wonder if you’re on a different visa that may have a separate process. For nonlucrative visas, the day to use is the first visa appointment. Hope this helps and you manage to get it done!
Hello, Thank you so much for all of the details and the comment replies – it helped me get my TIE greatly!
I know that you wrote that you had only planned to stay in Spain for one year but wondering if you changed your mind and if you might be entering the renewal process?
I’m trying to get my renewal done as soon as it’s possible for me (60 days before the exp) and I am having trouble finding a comprehensive resource on the renewal and it’s pretty different than the initial. Just wondering!
I’m also a non-lucrative residence holder from USA. Thanks!
Hey Mark,
In fact, we have decided to stay the second year so we will be working through the renewal process. I meant to get it done this month but time got away from me. So it will probably be March now, but I will blog about it for sure and I hope it will be in time to help you!
That will be great to follow and thanks so much for getting back in touch so quickly! Glad you are enjoying Spain too!
Thank you for this post, We are waiting for the month of June 2019 to open up at the Spanish consulate in Los Angele to set our appointment.
We, my husband and I, think we finally are getting their requirements (he he); however, I am not certain about a very important thing:
Do we have to have our tickets to travel purchased on the day of the visa appointment? It is not clear to me. Logically, I would think not because if we are not approved, we may not go.
Thank you very much in advance. You’re awesome to post all this info for the rest of us!
Rita
Hi Rita,
You are correct– you only need to show proof of travel plans once your visa has been approved. You bring them to the meeting where you drop off your passports to have the visas affixed to them. Thank you for the kind words!
Thank you so much for the quick reply.
Rita
Hello,
I did not have to show tickets for the appointment or when I picked up my visa from Los Angeles. They just asked what date I’d be entering Spain.
I just picked up my Visa/NIE already attached to my passport, now I’m buying a plane ticket!
Vagabond: Thank you for your posts! SOO DAMN HELPFUL!
Trying to get TIE in BCN will be the next hurdle!
Dear Vagabond Friends,
Thank you, thank, thank for your wonderful content and insights regarding applying/moving/living for/to/in Spain!
I am so very appreciative of your passion and attention to detail that has helped me immensely in preparing to move to Granada for my non-lucrative residency visa. I apply for my visa this Wednesday in San Francisco and your site has helped me every step of the way.
I’ll be moving to Granada (hopefully in May), staying with a new friend and starting classes at Castila in June. I hope to find a nice apartment in Albaicin close to Castila with Alhambra views. A a software engineer, I fell in love with Granada last year attending Spanish school.
I’m planning to bring only several checked baggage items on the plane to start my new life – looks like I can use 18″x18″x24″ double-walled cardboard boxes (Home Depot) as checked luggage, plus shipping my dear iMac in the original box. The mental & physical freedom from traveling light is enormous.
I would love to meet you and treat you & family to dinner in Granada in appreciation for all your work and assistance you’ve given me!
Warm regards,
Roberta
Hi Roberta,
My wife actually has studied on and off at Castila since we arrived. They’re wonderful! Reach out when you get here and we’ll see if we can get together. Good luck with your visa appointment, I am sure it will go wonderfully! We also moved with checked baggage (plus dogs) only. I don’t regret it a bit! We had to pick up a bunch of stuff, and so were thankful we have a car here, but it’s surprising how little from how you actually truly need.
Hi, I’m trying to complete start the TIE process in Barcelona for a non-lucrative visa. I’m from the US, i.e. not an EU citizen. Yesterday we got our Empadronamiento which we understand is needed in Barcelona to get a TIE. The Empadronamiento process was relatively painless.
On the TIE, I’m having the same issue as others. I’ve been on the website to make an appointment and it keeps coming back as nothing available. In the interim, I’m trying to get the rest of the documentation completed and have a question.
For the 790 c12, which bullet/item do I select after the fee amount section? Is it one of those under “Tarjetas de identidad de extranjeros (TIE) y certificados de registro de residentes comunitarios” and if so which one?
Thanks
Greg_in_SD
Hi Greg,
See above in the post, the exact option to check is there in “3. Gather All Of Your Documents.” The whole form is explained including exactly what to put and where.
Hi!
I was wondering if you were able to ever get an appointment? I’m in a similar situation I see no openings on the website for an appointment in Barcelona.
Also may i ask which office you went to for the empadronamiento? Is it just a police station or the same location where youre going to complete your TIE?
Thank you!
Hello and thanks for the great effort,
Two questions: will this non-lucrative visa allow you to enter all European (chengen) countries ?
2- in the first year of residency, is there a minimum number of “staying days” in Spain to be entitled to renew my residency visa ?
Hi Najib,
1) The non lucrative visa doesn’t grant you any additional privileges to enter or stay in any other European country other than Spain. Your visits to other Schengen or non-Schengen countries are governed by your nationality’s visa treaties with that country. In the case of Americans, that’s 90 days out of a 180 day period, and no more than 180 days per year.
2) You must be in Spain a minimum of 183 days in the year your visa is effective to renew. This number is to ensure that you are also a tax resident of Spain.
Dear Frugal Vagabond, thank you for your blog, thoughtful comments, and patience in responding to so many questions. Your guidance made our San Francisco non-lucrative visa application process a breeze. My wife and I are still waiting for a response after three weeks, but we’re optimistic.
We have a timing challenge related to the TIE process and I would really appreciate your feedback. Because of the timing of our application, I will only have ~3 weeks in country before I need to return to the US for 2.5 months for work (after which I’m free for the rest of the year). If we book an appointment as soon as we arrive, we should be able to successfully complete the initial TIE meeting, but it will be impossible to return within 30 days to pick up the card. (Tarragona doesn’t require empadronamiento and likely has more available appointments than bigger cities.)
Here are some of the options we’ve conjured up so far:
1) Email the consulate in San Francisco and beg for a later entry date/visa start date (our letter listed May 1, September 1 would be ideal).
2) Work with the three week window and beg the extranjeria for an expedited TIE.
3) Pick up the TIE ~3 months after the initial appointment after a round trip to the US.
Any thoughts of the inner workings of the bureaucracy re this issue would be much appreciated!
Lukas
Hi Lukas,
This is a tricky situation. I would probably just share this entire situation with the consulate and ask for advice. They may allow you to go in September, but if they don’t, I see a couple possibilities:
1) Book a refundable airline ticket with as late a day as the consulate will allow. You’ll need to show this at your visa pickup, so when you get your approval you can email back and ask what the latest date you can travel is, and explain your situation. They may let you do September, but if not, book for as late a day they will allow– let’s call it June 1 for the same of argument here. Then your visa would be for ~June 1-September 1 (90 days). Cancel the first ticket and book a second ticket sometime during the visa validity– let’s call it August 15. Get to Spain as soon as you can after your work is concluded, get your TIE application done, and if it’s going to be issued after the visa expires, do not leave Spain until you’ve picked it up.
Option 2 is extremely unlikely. Things just don’t get expedited that way here, at least not very much. Then dealing with bureaucracy here, expect everyone to hew very closely to what any documentation says, with very little flexibility. It happens occasionally, but I sure wouldn’t want to bet on it.
Your option 3 is a possibility, but I’m not sure what the maximum time is that they will sit on a TIE. At some point they might assume you’ve abandoned it and then you’re in trouble.
Let us know what ends up happening!
Hey did you have to go back to the same place 30 days after where you dropped off your final paperwork, tax documents and passport photos to get your Tarjeta de Extranjero? And did you receive a letter stating that your Tarjeta de Extranjero was ready?
I am married to an EU citizen and I basically did everything through trial and error, so I wish I found your site earlier. I am doing this in Madrid. But I am not sure if I will receive a letter stating that the card is ready, or I should just show up 30 days after the fecha de expedición.
I have a massive pile of justificantes from all of the appointments and the school that I am teaching english with hates my guts. But it was worth it.
Thanks, peace!!
Hi Christoph,
Sorry you had such a tough time with the TIE process (And with your employer!)! Yes, see step 5 above, we returned (and you should) 30 days after the appointment. We didn’t receive anything in the mail indicating our card was ready– the letter given to us at the actual appointment indicated that we should return in 30 days to pick up the card, so that’s what we did, without an appointment, and they were there waiting for us!
Hi.
I just wanted to say how grateful we are to you. This is just extraordinary advice. Really just so kind of you to be helping so many.
Thanks again!
Matt
You’re welcome, Matt! I really hope it helped.
I am leaving for Alicante (from the US) in a few weeks and have a few questions about setting up a bank account in Spain. There was a lot of helpful discussion in the comments above, it I was hoping you could clarify and offer suggestions/advice on the following:
1. I was looking for a bank in the US (AZ, specifically) that was also in Spain, trying to streamline accounts, but found that the banks I was able to locate do not offer retail services in both. Do you know of any banks that I may have missed or do you think this is at all necessary?
2. How did you initially fund the account in Spain to open it? Via wire from your US bank or did you withdraw euros from an ATM and open the account with cash?
3. I noted in the comments above that you pay your US bank’s wire fee and move money every month or so as necessary. This response was from last year and I am wondering if that is still the way that works best for you.
4. Are you happy with the Spanish bank you use, and if so, would you be willing to share which one it is? Also, if you know of any that may not be good choices, please share.
Thanks again, for a very helpful blog on what to do when we get to Spain. I’ll start the next part of the process shortly!
Hi TCH,
1) Generally, over the past year and a half I have not encountered a situation where a bank with presence in both countries would be necessary, so it’s not something I know about. My recommendation is to establish a Charles Schwab Investor Checking account (you have to open a brokerage account which the checking account hangs off of, but the brokerage can maintain a $0 balance), and you’ll get an ATM card you can use anywhere in the world, with no foreign exchange fees, and where all ATM fees, regardless of how ridiculous, are refunded. So, in Asia and find that the only ATM in town wants $10 to perform a withdrawal? No problem, you’ll get it refunded each month by Schwab. We haven’t paid a penny in fees on this account.
2) We opened an account with no initial deposit. There are two categories about banks here– traditional banks, and cajas, which are a little like credit unions. We opened an account with Cajamar. As long as we don’t require any in-branch services, it’s completely fee-free. I wire money in periodically, then make transfers through the app to our landlord. All of our bills are what they call “domicilios,” which basically means they are auto-deducted. Again, I haven’t needed to walk into a bank since setting up the account (aside from paying government tasas/fees, which you can do in any bank, not just one where you have an account), so we haven’t paid a penny in fees. Contrast that with some of the big bancos like Santander and BBVA, where other expats have remarked to me that they have been eaten alive by fees. So, if anyone tells you that no-fee accounts don’t exist here, don’t believe it. They absolutely do. You can open your account with a passport at first if the bank knows what they’re doing, and then convert it to a resident account once you have your TIE.
3) Yes, this still works best for us. $25 per international wire, so I try to just transfer larger amounts less frequently.
4) Yes, happy, see above. 🙂
Good luck!
Thank you so much for the very thoughtful reply! As usual, such a great help!
I have arrived in Alicante and am trying to make my appointment for the T.I.E. at the link you provided above (same address was also given to me by the LA Consulate when I picked up my Visa. I can get to the Scheduling an appointment with immigration page, but when I click the Access to the Procedure button, it just goes dark and does not go anywhere. I was on my iPad and thought maybe it had something to do with my browser as it clearly states must have “Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 or higher or Mozilla Firefox 3” so I pulled out my computer, downloaded the newest version of IE and am still getting the same result. The Access box just turns red. I was going to download Mozilla Firefox 3, but that is a very old version and it was recommended that it not be downloaded. Any ideas what my issue may be or another option for making an appt? I tried to go to the National Police Station in Alicante today with a friend who speaks Spanish to see if I could make an appt. with them, but they had no idea what we were talking about. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I suspect if you are not able to get the web site to work, that you will need to go to the extranjeria. With that said, I just went through the cita process as though I was living in Alicante and made it through to appointments available at the Campo de Mirra location with no problem and was one click away from confirming one. I suspect this might be an issue related to browser, computer, or possibly user error. Step by step:
1) Went to https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/icpplus/index.html
2) Selected Alicante and clicked “Aceptar.”
3) Picked “POLICIA-TOMA DE HUELLAS” (etc) and clicked “Aceptar.”
4) Clicked “Entrar.”
5) Put in my NIE, name, country of nationality (EEUU), left date blank, completed the Captcha (“No soy un robot”), clicked “Aceptar.”
6) Clicked “Solicitar Cita.”
7) Left the office at the default and clicked “Siguente.”
8) Input my telephone and email twice and clicked “Siguente.”
… And I was presented with a list of appointments available. Off the top of my head, I’d make sure all your inputs are correct, that you have a Spanish phone number to use, and everything should work. I did the above with the current version of Google Chrome. Hope this helps. If you’re not able to get through the process you’ll need to hunt down someone at the extranjeria.
Thank you so much! I agree that there may be an user error component, so just knowing you made it through renews my resolve to figure it out. I also just looked up the Campo de Mirro office, so if nothing else, I’ll show up and see what happens. Again, you are such a huge help! Mucho Gracias Senor!
I was finally able to go through the appointment process on my fourth device and in Spanish. I’m not sure if it was the translating of the site to English or my devices that was causing the issue, but your step by step instructions and my friend who speaks Spanish made it possible for me to make an appointment, but not until July 26 which will be 40 days after I entered the country. I’m going to go to the office on Monday and make sure there is nothing else I need to do in the mean time. Thanks again for your help and taking the time to go through and write out the steps. It helped to know I was on the right path, once I was able to start the process. Thanks, FV!
Hi, great stuff and thank you for the information.
Question tho, I’m married to a Spanish Citizen and we applied for my residency in Santa Cruz Tenerife, just got an answer on June 10th from the sede.administraciones.. website, what’s the next step once your application is FAVORABLE,
Thank you in advance.
Regards,
Hi Mike,
This article is really more tailored to those who arrive on a nonlucrative residence visa, so you may need to seek help at the extranjeria. It is likely that the process is substantially the same as listed here, though you probably need to check a different option on the M790 Codigo 012 Form (Possibly “Certificado de registro de residente comunitario o Tarjeta de residencia de familiar de un ciudadano de la Unión”, but I don’t know for sure). If you can’t piece it together based on the information here and what you know of your own situation, I would go to the extranjeria and take a number for “información,” and someone will attend you and answer your questions.
Hi,
ok, will do.
best bet to go and get informed @ the extranjeria
thnx
Let me preface this by saying I do not speak Spanish and am alone, so my navigation of this process and the communication is tough. I use Google Translate and rely n the mercy of those who speak some English to get by. I am so frustrated with my trips to the foreign office, the office to establish my residency, and a few banks. In order to establish my residency, they want a lease. In order to get a lease, they want me to pay large sums in euros, which means I need a bank, but the banks won’t give me an account without a residency card. I am wondering if anyone who has arrived in Spain and set up a bank account was able to do so without a residency card, just with a passport, as FV was able to do in Granada. I have been to the Cajamar branch in Alicante twice and they absolutely will not do so without a card. I popped into a Santander, just to see what they would say (though I understand they have a lot of fees), and they also require a card. I’m kind of stuck in the chicken/egg scenario and am not sure how to proceed. Also, an appointment to get the residency card is 60 days out (and I need my lease) and then the appointments at the foreign office’s are currently running 30 days or so out. This all could take well over the 90 days, never mind the 30 given by the LA Consulate. I know every city/providence is different, but man is Alicante tough! I thought this was supposed to be the easy part, but it appears it will be more difficult, given the language barrier and Alicante’s process. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Hey TCH,
Sorry it’s been such an uphill battle. You’re right that not speaking proficient Spanish can be hard, and I definitely remarked multiple times to my wife that if I didn’t speak it well, we might have had very different experiences all along the way. So, at Cajamar even for us it took some effort to get the account opened. The issue is that most employees are unfamiliar with the process required to open a non-resident account for an American specifically. Their system chokes when they try to do it with a US passport and because it’s not something they’ve seen before, they end up giving up. In my case, they finally managed to dig up the IRS form needed to include in the application to get the account open. They provided me with this form, which I assume they printed from their computer system, and it was the “magic handshake.”
Failing that, Sabadell also opened us an account (despite me not even completing the application fully) on the basis of passport alone so they might be another option for you.
Don’t worry too much about the 30 day thing. They are not looking to penalize you and will understand if you end up needing to explain it to them… which you probably won’t. Just don’t leave Spain if it stretches close to 90 days, as you need your TIE in-hand once you go past the 90 days of the visa in your passport. Once you go over 90, hunker down until you have your TIE in-hand. Again, they’re not going to come to your house, and at your extranjeria appointments the chances of you being asked about it are virtually zero. We ran up against some of these limits when renewing and never got asked about it at all.
Thank you! Yes, taking a deep dive into learning Spanish needs to be my priority! Someone on an expat group I am in also mentioned Sabadell, so that will be my next stop. I am also going to go to the residency office, with someone who can translate, and see what they say. I was finally able to navigate their appointment website today and my appointment is September 23, then I still have to go back to the foreign office who is scheduling 30 days out. My biggest issue is I am suppose to go Amsterdam to meet a friend September 17, which is exactly my 90 days from entering, and means I will come back after the 90 days. I had the same concern you expressed above about getting back into Spain. Both my friend (from the US) and I have purchased plane tickets, event tickets, and lodging in Amsterdam. I never dreamed it wouldn’t be OK to travel by then. Live and learn. Just going to keep my fingers crossed I can work something out at the residency office and keep my late July appointment at the foreign office. Wish me luck and thanks again for the kind response!
Hi thanks for the article
Question, the appointment for the TIE is individual? because im with my wife, can we go together with one appointment? cause i could only get one.
Thanks
Hi Pablo,
Yes, it’s one TIE appointment per family member, as each appointment references a single NIE number. With that said, I would endeavor to get yourself an appointment before going in with your wife, even if the appointment is on another date.
The reason I say that is that we too had trouble getting appointments for our full family together when getting our second TIE cards (on renewal), but we did get appointments on different days. We went in to the first appointment and just all walked in together with all of the appointment confirmations. They did take, glance at, and keep those confirmations, but nobody asked about the fact that they were on different days. I truthfully think they just didn’t notice. There did seem to be an expectation that each person would have their appointment confirmation printout, which has a confirmation code.
Ok, will do that and try n sneak in. thanks a lot for the advice!
One more question, i need to go back to my home country, next week, for a couple of days, do you know if there is any problem with this?
thanks
If you have a current visa that permits you multiple entries, I can’t see a problem… but I don’t know anything about you or your visa situation, so I couldn’t tell you for sure.
Buenas! I believe when I was going through my initial visa I saw you had a dedicated thread for the renewal? Could you point me to it if so? I cannot seem to locate it! As always, thanks for this page! It helped us get approved and are living in Expand!
Even better, I believe we are renewing out of the same Granada office. Where did you get a proper list of all requirements?
We popped into the office on a Friday afternoon and were able to have a quick chat with someone about the requirements. He gave us a list in Spanish, but something tells me he gave us some false information. I appreciate it.
Hello, how do we know if our region near Altea requires a certificado de empadronamiento for TIE? Sorry posted in a reply thread earlier…thx a ton!
Sanitas MAS Salud informs me they cannot sell me a health and repatriation policy because I am over age 74.
How can I get a health and repatriation policy that meets the requirements for the non-lucrative visa for Spain for people over age 74?
I have a question about the size of photos required. I went to a shop that takes passport photos and received one photo bigger than wallet size and four photos, barely bigger than a postage stamp. I was in a hurry and didn’t look at what was in the envelope, I just said I needed three. I’m fairly certain neither are correct, and he may have thought I needed three for an ID card. I Googled later and found two different answers for Spanish Visa photos. One said 30x40mm and two others said 35x45mm. On the website where I made my appointment, all it says for size of required photo is “card size.” Not super helpful! Do you happen to know the dimensions of the correct size? Thanks!
A little bigger than postage stamp size is about right. If you went to a place here in Spain, you almost certainly got the correct size, which is 30x40mm.
Thank You!
I was wondering if you knew where to look for the information regarding renewing of the TIE. Need to know if they need to keep our passports during the process because we have a trip planned. Also need to know the list of the things they need for the renewal.
Thanks
Niloofar
Renewing your TIE or renewing your visa? Because those are two different steps. First you get your visa renewal approved, then you go through the process of getting a new TIE. Neither part of the process involves them keeping your passport, though.
I believe we are renewing out of the same Granada office. Where did you get a proper list of all requirements?
We popped into the office on a Friday afternoon and were able to have a quick chat with someone about the requirements. He gave us a list in Spanish, but something tells me he gave us some false information. I appreciate it.
Hi Christina,
Sorry for my delay, we have been away on travel (and I had hoped to write a longer article on the renewal process by now). The one and only official portal de inmigración and requirements list for a non-lucrative visa renewal is here. This list is what we used for our renewal, which the Granada extranjeria required us to carry out via mail– so, we only got one shot at it, and no human feedback. We were renewed without issue.
I still hope to write that renewal article, but just haven’t found the time yet. Maybe in the next couple of months as we won’t be doing quite so much travel, but in the meantime I can try to help you here as much as time allows.
Hi Christina,
You can now refer to my non-lucrative visa renewal article for help on this, if needed.
Hi! Do you have any idea if though we are living in Barcelona if it’s ok for us to get the cita previa in a different province? I was thinking if I can’t get one there I could always travel to Girona or something like that. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!
To the best of my knowledge, you must apply in your province of residence.
Question on the empadronamiento required for the TIE. I understand from the above that individual appointments for TIE are required for each family member (including children), but what about the Padron? Is it just for head-of-household? Or does each person (or adult) need to have a Padron appointment and get a Padron certificate for the TIE process?
We’re in Madrid if it makes any difference. Family of 4, 2 adults + 2 kids
Thanks!
It just depends on what your city wants. In Granada, it’s a walk-in without appointment. You may need to drop by the ayuntamiento and ask.
Thanks for all the help! I’ve been happily living in Spain for 10 months now, but sadly it’s time for me to return to the States. Do you know if I have to notify anyone of my departure, or take any other steps before I go? Thanks!
Nothing needed on departure, safe travels home 🙂
Cool, I don’t even have to notify the padron or de-register from the tax office or anything? I’m looking online and a lot of sites have a whole list of things you have to do before moving back to your home country.
I’m in a panic…trying to get an appt in Madrid for my TIE from US..my mom’s passing delayed my July departure. Will be leaving for Spain end of September, There are no appts. Am I correct that as long as I enter Spain by 11/12/19 (visa expiry date) I can continue trying to get a TIE appt? Thanks.
You should be able to. Technically you are meant to finish the TIE process in your first 90 day visa period, but stuff happens. Nobody is likely to come to your house looking to deport you.
Thanks….that’s reassuring..
Hi!
Thanks for all of this great information. I’m filling out the M790 Codigo 012 form right now and am confused about the “localidad” and “fecha” section. I am still in the US but will be in Spain shortly. Should I use my US location or our Spanish city? Also, I don’t know yet which date I will go to the bank. Can I use a date prior to when I go to the bank, like today, or should I pick a specific date when I am in Spain and make sure that I get to the bank that day? Or should it be the date of my TIE appointment which will, presumably, be after the day I go to the bank.
Thank you!
Erin
Localidad is where you signed, fecha is when you signed. Nobody will even be looking at this, they only care that you paid the tax, which is printed onto the forms by the bank when you go in and pay. You can really put any location and date that you like. If it makes you feel better, feel free to just wait until the day you plan to go pay it, then sign and put the city… but it makes no difference.
Hello:
Can you tell me when you did your renewal process, was everything for two years (the calculation of IPREM and the health insurance)? was not sure if we needed to renew our health insurance for two years and also have in the bank two years of savings.
Thanks
Niloofar
Hi,
For your finances, yes, if you are using savings as your proof of financial means, you will need to have the entire two years’ amount in the bank (or investments, etc). For health insurance, no, you don’t need to be paid through the end of the two year period. For us, it was enough to be current. In our case, we emailed Sanitas at global@sanitas.es, and requested the following:
We requested that the documents be sent via email. These are the documents that we sent as a part of our successful renewal.
Hi FV,
I have successfully moved to Madrid with my wife. Can’t thank you enough for your efforts in replying and writing everything in detail.
Incidentally, I visited Granada last week and loved walking around Albaicín. It’s truly beautiful.
Although my renewal is due next year – April 2020, I’m already wondering about few things:
1) Should we show our savings in a local Spanish bank or statements (in English) from our home bank (India) will do. I’m not sure if you have an answer, but just checking?
2) I currently have Sanitas Mas Salud which expires in April 2020. So 1 year renewal will do, correct?
3) Did you have to leave Spain for any formality or did you continue staying and renewed? Formality – police verification, health certificate or anything.
Awaiting response.
Many thanks!
Veer
1) I showed all financial documents from the US. They were translated by a sworn Spanish translator– so just like the initial application./
2) See my other responses here– Current Mas Salud with the updated policy documents/letter/etc. I mentioned here are enough.
3) I did not need to leave Spain for any part of the process. In fact, it was better to remain here after the expiration of our visas but before our renewals were approved (and backdated to begin on the expiration date).
Hi Veer,
You can now refer to my non-lucrative visa renewal article for help on this, if needed.
Hi,
Yes, I read it. Much awaited! It is wonderful.
Thanks,
Veer
Thank you so very much for your prompt answers every time. For the amount of heartache and worry you have saved us throughout this entire process we can not thank you enough. We will be moving to Malaga next January from Salamanca where we have been living since last January and would love to come up and take you and your wife out for a great meal to show our appreciation. If that is appropriate, let us know.
Niloofar 🙂
When you get settled in Malaga, drop me a line through the contact form– we’ll see what we can line up ;0
Pingback: Spanish Non-Lucrative Visa Renewal - The Frugal Vagabond
Pingback: How to Get a Spanish Non-Lucrative Residence Visa - The Frugal Vagabond
Phenomenal work here. One comment, and one question: It looks like there’s a problem with your appointment link for Ministry of Public Administration’s Sede Electronica (electronic headquarters) site, I get a “refused to connect” message. I did find it at https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/icpplus/, so maybe they’ve reconfigured the web address somehow. My question is, once I got to the site and selected Alicante and proceeded from there, I do not see the USA as a country of nationality to select. Right now I’m just checking out the site for future use, and I wonder if I must download the electronic signature software before it will list my country or something?
“EEUU” is USA in Spanish. Just checked and it is still in the list. Tried my link from the post and it still works here, so not sure if the issue you were seeing was transient or something else.
Gracias you are the “man”!
Cant seem to find USA on the list of countries to make TIE appointment. Any suggestion? It won’t let me proceed with space blank. Thanks.
“EEUU” is USA in Spanish. Just checked and it is still in the list.
Darch it looks like you got your TIE appointment. May I ask what strategy worked for you in order to get the appointment? Also I do see that for Alicante province, it does not list a long-term lease contract as needed (see below). But everything I have read on the web states you must have one for the appt….
Documents required
– Proof of appointment.
– Valid passport. If there is a valid visa in the passport, a photocopy of the personal data pages, the visa and the date of entry into Spain.
– If there is no valid visa, resolution of the authorization grant.
– In initial residence and work authorizations, copy of Social Security registration.
– In extensions or renewals, the identity card to be renewed.
– A recent photograph, in color, in front, white background and card size.
– Proof of payment of the Fee for processing the Foreigner Identity Card. If you do not have the form for your payment, model 790 code 012, you can obtain it at https://sede.policia.gob.es:38089/Tasa790_012/
– In the case of minors, they must be accompanied by their father, mother or guardian and with the documentation proving the relationship.
– Certificate of registration in case you have changed your address (maximum 3 months old).
Hi Phillip,
I did not have ay particular strategy. i just checked the site almost every day until a date was available. I applied in Madrid, It is a bit easier than Barcelona. Don’t know about other provinces…So, just keep checking.
Ok thx much!
As with everyone, I’m unable to obtain an appointment for the TIE card. We are in the Alicante province. Is it necessary to try for an appointment in the province where you intend to live, or can you choose other provinces or cities on the drop-down menu and try to obtain an appointment in one of those offices? Thanks again for all you do!
Yeah, to the best of my knowledge you must process your TIE in the province of your residency, as there are provincial-level approvals that occur. My standard advice to those having trouble getting appointments is to drop by first thing in the morning at the extranjeria (with your paperwork) and ask how best to get an appointment. They may help you, or may at least help in obtaining and appointment. I understand that canceled appointments are released at 8 AM Spain time every morning, so if you haven’t been already, always check around then.
Yes, my understanding is you do need to have your appointment where you are going to reside. I am in Alicante. I came in mid-June and wasn’t sure if I needed the empadronamiento. I found out you absolutely do! I went online mid-June and the first appointment was Sept. 23. I made it, but was trying to figure out how to move it up, as my 90 day Visa would be expired by then. I don’t speak Spanish – at all – so everything is a bit more difficult for me. I found someone to go to the empadronamiento office with me and explain to the info officer my issue. He understood, said yes, they were really backed-up and suggested she call a number and explain the issue. She called (this was the end of July) and they said they would try to move my appointment up, but no promises. They said they would send me an email within a few days. If I didn’t get an email, they could not move my appointment up. I got an email and they moved it to Sept. 9. In early August, I went to the TIE office a second time to try and process through, explaining that I couldn’t get an empadronamiento appointment until Sept. and that it would happen after my TIE appointment (also made online). They said there was nothing they could do without my empadronamiento, but said I didn’t need to make another appt. with them, I could just walk in as soon as I had the letter for my empadronamiento. They wrote a note on my email appt. confirmation so the guard would let me in without a set appt. The TIE office in Alicante has been nothing but kind and supportive in working through the language barrier. The epadronamiento has been horrible. Nothing short of rude and mean.
When you go for your empadronamiento, you need a lease. I was told a one year lease, but I had a horribly mean woman, so I’m not sure what the true requirements are. Your lease needs to be airtight. I ended up having to come back two days after my appointment, and have my landlord come with me, in order to get her to accept my lease. My lease was 100% legit, for 13 months, but she didn’t like how the owner’s name was in her records versus on my lease and required an original copy of the property deed. Thankfully, I have a very nice landlord who was will to go with me. She was also absolutely appalled at how rude the lady was and how difficult the process was to simple register in Alicante as a resident. I also needed to show proof of my last months’ rent payment and proof of a bill for the flat. I had to get WiFi hooked up, so that bill was sufficient. I do believe, just like many people have said, it depends on who you get. I could have sailed right through with the person at the next desk over. I’ll never know. This process, in Alicante, has been a nightmare! The Visa process in the US was a cake-walk compared to what I have gone through over here to finish the process. I attribute 50% to my not speaking Spanish and 50% to a horrible bureaucratic process, that is super back-Ed and understaffed with extremely rude people in “power” positions. I hope this helps with your Alicante questions.
Ugh does sound nightmarish. Hope we get through.
Hi TCH, I’m trying to get an empadronamiento appointment in Alicante city and have found it impossible to find available appointments online to book! Can I ask whether it was difficult for you to even get the original September appointment through the website? Did you have to try lots of times? I was wondering if there is a specific time of day/day of week which is best to check the appointment website? Thanks in advance 🙂
No, it was not difficult to get the September appointment online, but is was a 90 day wait, and pre-COVID. If you speak Spanish, or have someone who will go with you that does, I would go to the office and speak to the information desk and see what they say about appointments. They may be able to answer questions or assure you that you’re on the right track. Good luck!
Excellent information, thank you very much.
One extenuating circumstance is that, probably like a lot of other people, we haven’t nailed down a long-term lease yet. So we’re kind of in that catch 22 limbo of trying to plan out a decent date for applying for the residency card, that dovetails with us having already gotten the long-term lease. So I guess we may just have to wait until we get that long-term lease and then go in person as you have said.
(1) I’m getting my paperwork in order for my Nov 8th TIE appointment, and I see the below in the instructions.. Is the favorable resolution email confirmation from the Consulate what they are talking about? I tried the link but it didn’t help. Is this something I need? The NIE # is already on the visa in my passport.
IMPORTANT: Before requesting the appointment for the FOOTPRINT PROCESS , check if the file is in a favorable Resolved state and print it for presentation on the day of the appointment. (Link to: Information on the status of processing of immigration records )
(2) I don’t see anything in the instructions asking for a lease. I have a one-month AirBnB reservation. I arrive in Madrid 11/6 and my appointment is 11/8. (Yes you can make the TIE appt before you arrive in Spain. Thanks for your help FV.
1) Go to the link “this site” under “3. Carta de resolución” above. Enter your NIE, your original visa appointment date, and your birth year. You should get a page with the type of visa showing a status of “resuelto – favorable.” Print that page.
2) A lease isn’t required for a TIE. In some provinces an empadronamiento is required for a TIE, and you need a lease for that, but that doesn’t appear to pertain to you.
I had no idea a lease was not required to get the TIE card. I thought I had read online that it was required. That is great news. How do I find out definitively whether or not you have to have empadronamiento to get the TIE card in the Alacante province? Is there a site I can check, or do I have to go to the location and get that information ?
When you get an appointment, a list of the required documents is shown on the screen and also emailed to you. Since you’ve been having trouble getting the apt, they should have a hardcopy equivalent at the extranjeria. I’d drop by if you continue to have trouble.
Thanks
THANK YOU SO MUCH…
Thanks for the great advice and all the helpful comments. My husband and I pick up our approved non-lucrative visas next week for a 3 Nov departure to Madrid, and it wasn’t clear to me if the NIE was assigned as part of that process. Now I know that it is, it sounds like the TIE process will be relatively simple once we arrive in MAD. As soon as we obtain the visas/NIEs, I will be able to schedule an appointment for the TIE. Thanks again!
Hi Ray, see step 5 on number 2 above:
“Fill out the form with your NIE number (this is on your visa, in your passport, and probably begins with Y)”
You’ll find your NIE on your visa once you receive it.
Hi I’m a bit confused, hope you can help me.
1. My visa is stamped with 104 days validity to enter Spain instead of 90 will this be an issue? They may have mis calculated the dates. Or do I wing it and fly anyways since it is a valid visa.
2. Do I have 30 days after I enter Spain to visit Comisaría de Policía, Departamento de Extranjería or it has to be within the above 90 day visa valid period?
Technically speaking you have 30 days from entry to appear at an extranjeria or police station (depending on your province) for fingerprinting and to submit your application for your TIE. Realistically, they know that it’s not always possible and I have never heard of anyone being penalized in any way for simply appearing as soon as possible after 30 days when there are few appointments available. That you got 104 days of visa isn’t a big deal, though it gives you a few days if you’re really stretching the timeline.
You should aim to have your TIE complete by the time your in-passport visa expires, though even then there’s some wiggle room as long as you don’t pass through a passport checkpoint. When we renewed, we had a brief period where we hadn’t yet received our second TIE cards (though we’d applied for them), but our permisos de residencia had expired. We just stayed put until we had our TIE. The cards have a start date matching your entry date/start date of your in-passport visa (or of the expiration of your previous visa in case of renewal), so they’re backdated.
In a little over a year and a half, we’ve only been challenged once at a passport control about our length of stay, and that was in France (as they have no way of knowing whether you’ve overstayed your 90 days visa-free entry or are a resident). We simply showed our TIEs, and all was well.
Mate, I follow your site as a Bible! Many thanks for your time and work! We are moving to Malaga in 2 weeks from Australia with NL-visa. I saw a post on FB saying that translated documents for residencia in Malaga must be within 3months from the date of application for TIE. The post disappeared but now I got worried as all our translations were dated March 2019. Is it possible that these requirements are true?
Thanks again.
Hey Mark,
I am really glad the site has helped you! I am not sure what the now-deleted FB post would have been referring to, as there should be no translated documents required at all to obtain a TIE. Just the items listed above in this post. If you find it to be different, let me know– but once you get the appointment, as mentioned above, you’ll be presented with a list of documents to bring (and most likely the appointment confirmation email will include the same list). That should line up with what you see above and if it doesn’t, you’ll know well in advance.
Mark, where are you living in Malaga? We are in El Palo & settling in nicely. Curious- when you went to pick up TIE cards, did you bring each member of your family? Since they already took our finger prints, I’m wondering if I can go alone to pick up cards. Cheers.
We are staying in AirBnB for the last week, then moving. I haven’t received the card yet but we had to go back as found an error, they recorded me as a Female! They can’t change that now, have to get the card first and then request an update. I saw a guy getting the card and he did finger print again but he was just one.
All members of the family must come and pick up their cards. You are fingerprinted again at pick up to confirm that the card belongs to you.
Thank you so much for this amazing site and all the guidance, the details are incredibly helpful!! We have collected our approved non lucrative visas from the L.A consulate last week thanks to your blog:) We have until March 15th to enter Spain but given the empadronamiento and TIE process we plan to arrive Jan 15th to assure all is completed by the end our visa date (March 15th).
We are going to Madrid so we know we will need to have an empadronamiento, which means we will first have to secure a long term lease. My question is does it make sense to make the TIE appointment from the US in advance and just shoot for a late date like Feb 15th (assuming we can land a lease and empadronamiento within the 30 days)? Also should we try to make the empadronamiento appointment online in Madrid before we arrive as well?
Hi Carla (and anyone else who might be reading),
Just remember that the end date on the visa pasted into your passport isn’t the “enter by” date, it’s the “Enter, get empadronamiento if necessary, complete TIE process, and pick up TIE (30 days later) process” date. It seems like you know this but just clarifying for anyone who might come later.
A TIE appointment 30 days before your in-passport visa end date is cutting it a little close if you run into any issues. I would try to do it sooner, personally.
Hi,
I completely agree the earlier the better given the length of the process. Now that I understand all that needs to be completed by the end date on the visa pasted into the passport I will shoot for earlier. I will also try to make the appointments from the US as well. Thanks again!
Are there any Law offices that can help get a TIE appointment in Madrid. Have been trying several times a day for 3 weeks!
Hi Christina,
There may be offices that you can pay, just remember that these same offices are the ones who are snapping up all the appointments and then holding them to try to sell. They then cancel the ones they don’t end up selling/brokering. You can make your own decision on whether that’s something you want to support.
From what I have gleaned in the past few years, canceled appointments appear at 8AM exactly every day. That’s when you’d want to be online trying to snap one up.
Thank you so much for this blog. It has helped greatly. We recently received our non-lucrative visa from the LA Consulate and are entering Spain December 8th. We have been trying to make an appointment for the TIE at Barcelona, but have not even been able to get through the “Access to the Procedure” page because the button has not been working. Is this an issue you or anyone else has been experiencing?
Also, since we will be traveling through the end of December and much of January for the holidays, do you know if the office to have the TIE done shuts down during this time at all? We are pretty worried about this.
Thank you kindly!
Hi Dylan,
Some people have trouble with mobile or older browsers, but from my own experience a current version of Google Chrome works well on all the Spanish government pages.
Generally most or all government offices close from December 25-January 6th, and sometimes for longer than that. This may impact your scheduling so it’s worth being aware of.
Thank you for your response and definitely something to note!
One more issue I am having when going through the site to make an appointment at the extranjería. When I click through and fill out the correct fields, I then get to the final form where we put in our NIE Number, Name and Nationality. For the Nationality section, I literally do not see any single option for USA, America, Estados Unidos, ect. Could you please be so kind as to take a look at this and see if I am just missing something?
Thanks so much!!!
Dylan
EEUU is the abbreviation for USA in Spanish. I’m pretty sure it’ll still be in the list.
Ah, thank you so much! I’m in, but no appointments available unfortunately
🙁 I’ll continue to check in.
Thanks!!
Hi, one last question. I was able to get through the page to select my office location for the TIE appointment, but I need to fill out a place with my phone number. I’ve tried my number a few different ways, but it keeps saying:
The telephone must have a size of 9 digits, and if it includes the country code it must be two digits and can be added in front of the + symbol or two zeros
How should I format a USA number?
I couldn’t say, the first thing we did here was get Spanish SIM cards. They won’t be calling you, you could just put a bogus number if necessary to secure the appointment (the first or last 9 of your US number).
Sounds good. I will try that tonight at 11pm when appointments hopefully open up again!
We are about to go to our cita in Malaga. I heard that someone was told by their lawyers they needed a background check in Spain. Have you heard of this? Thanks!
No, you don’t need a background check in Spain to get a TIE. Whomever was told they did either misunderstood or was misinformed.
Perfecto! Gracias!
Greetings- one more question:
I am curious how you think the government will handle this situation: we paid the fee (790 paper) for our TIE cards at bank in Valencia when we first attempted to get our TIE two months ago. They didn’t like that we didn’t have padrón papers (we were living with friends) so they told us to come back when we have a qualifying address.
We now we have an address in Malaga & we have our padrón paper & an appointment at the police station next Tuesday, however, our 790 has the Valencia address on it. Do you foresee this being a problem? I’m hoping not, but I never know what to expect from the government agencies:)
Thanks in advance for any advice you have to give us!
Cheers, Tenneal
I don’t think the government will care what address is on the tasa form, so long as it has been paid. You should be fine.
Wow! We arrived in Malaga yesterday. We were coming with the dog and the agency responsible for dog transfer asked me to activate NIE number in local tax office in the same day. We found it and finally got it activated. We received two pieces of A4 papers – one with Numero de Identificacion Fiscal and the second one is Modelo 30 where in has a tick for No residente fiscal en Espana and a big blue stamp. As I never seen this procedure described I started wondering if this was something not really useful for us.
We went to setup a bank account with BBVA today and we went away as the clerk wanted to sell us health insurance that we already have as a part of NL-visa. Also she said we need to have NIE card that again not quite clear why and how to get it, plus we are renting AirBnB for a month . Please explain if you faced this before.
An NIF is not something relevant to you. If you had imported the animals on your own, this would never have occurred. I couldn’t say what your importer had in mind when asking that you go get one, but all of your activity in Spain will be under your NIE number, not an NIF. You will be a tax resident of Spain, assuming you spend at least 183 days of your first year there.
The bank was also misinformed. There is such a thing as an NIE card, but this is something issued only to non-Spanish EU citizens taking up residence in Spain. It’s their equivalent to a TIE, which is issued to those living in Spain on residence visas. What you need is a TIE card, which will serve the same purpose in opening a bank account. That said, you absolutely can open a Spanish bank account with a passport, but finding a bank who knows how to do so can be challenging. We got our bank account open with the passports and converted to a resident account once we had our TIE. Others here chose to wire the money to get their leases started from a US account, and opened their accounts after the TIE was issued. Either is a perfectly valid course of action.
Many thanks! Just having strange experience booking appointment through web portal. Put bogus phone number as mentioned previously, got to the final page to confirm date and time and system gave me an error every time. I tried Windows 10 with Chrome, Linux with Opera and still can’t get through.
Call or go to the extranjeria if you are having issues finalizing an appointment. They are able to book them there.
Fixed, the problem was that instead of standard “Australian” Name+Surname I had to use Surname + Name “Euro” combination!
Thanks again for your help guys! I followed your non lucrative VISA blog and got mine with that advice and now I’ve just had my appointment here in Palma and I collect my residency card in 40 days time. I battled to get an appointment, I was trying that site every 15 minutes every day for about 3 weeks until I got an appointment. The appointment was very smooth though, was in and out in 20 minutes. Thanks again! I’m so glad to be here finally…
Hello,
For those moving to the Barcelona area, I understand that appointments are hard to come by, but I just want to make sure I’m not missing something. When I choose Barcelona, the next page doesn’t give me the “CNP – TOMA DE HUELLAS…” option. Is that because there aren’t any appointments?
Thanks
Hi Kat,
Not sure if you are still looking for an appointment in Barcelona but your best bet is to always look at that site at 8 am Barcelona time or 11pm PST. At this time they free up appointments so just keep trying right at 8am for 5 minutes. My boyfriend and I had to try for a few weeks but eventually got an appointment.
Thanks!
Hi Kat,
I was able to replicate your issue and find a workaround (I think) as I was trying to get familiar with the procedure for my NLV next year, etc.
1. First time around after selecting Barcelona y clicked “Aceptar” and this defaulted to few options without “TOMA de HUELLAS…” etc.
2. So, this morning, after selecting Barcelona from the pull-down menu y saw that there is a list of 5 trámites — thought this was information only, but the fact is that you have to choose item 3, which reads “3. Expedición de Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero.” (without clicking the red “Aceptar” button, which is for other trámites!)
3. Then, you will be taken to another screen with the right pull-downs for the TIE card, including “…HUELLAS…” at the bottom.
Hope this sorts your issue!
Andy
Just an update. We went through TIE appointment in Malaga yesterday. They were visibly and verbally displeased by bogus phone numbers used to book the appointment! I understood they were calling us to confirm it. As all documents were correct they handled everything in 10 minutes, took fingerprints from two fingers, gave us a paper confirming the acceptance and asked to come back in 35 days. I asked if they would call when the TIE is ready, they said No. They didn’t check our bank balance even I had a copy of the bank statement. Only one guy could say something in English, the lady was talking only in Spanish as if we were locals.
and Padron wasn’t needed and we didn’t have one!
Thank you very much for the useful information. There is so much of it on the internet but your site is very helpful.
Hi, my girlfriend and I have been trying for over a month now to get an appointment for our TIE in Barcelona. Does anyone have any advice on how to get an appointment and/or to their building to discuss?
Any help is much appreciated!
Hi,
Thanks for all the useful tips about getting your TIE, details are incredibly accurate.
I recently got approved my Non-Lucrative residency, with the 90 days visa pasted in passport expiring by Mar 15th 2020.
I was initially planning on entering Barcelona by Feb 20th (Stil within the initial visa range) but considering the numerous experiences with delayed times for requesting the TIE, I could be in risk of going outside the initial 90 days while waiting for the TIE to be processed or even getting the appointment in time.
Now, the rules are not very clear on this, they say, you must apply for your TIE within 30days of arrival to Spain, to my understanding that would, in theory, allow you to enter Spain (BCN) on the 89th day of your initial visa (The one in your passport) and still be valid to apply for the TIE, as long as you do so within the 30 days after entering the country.
Or, are you required to apply for the TIE, BEFORE your 90 days visa expires on your passport?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Cheers!
The idea of the 90 day visa is that you arrive on the first day and have 90 days to complete the TIE process. Arriving near the end of your initial 90 day visa gives you precious little time to get it done, especially as appointments are very hard to come by in Barcelona.
Technically speaking, until you complete the TIE process, you are not a resident and don’t have a resident permit. That means that you are effectively there as a tourist, can be in the Schengen zone only 90 days (as an American- it may be less if you are from elsewhere). With that said, if you are an American you should have 90 days as a tourist from your date of entry to complete the TIE process, regardless of what the visa pasted into your passport says. Just be aware that they will backdate your residence permit/TIE to the date you told them you were going to enter Spain (the start date of your 90 day visa), not the day you actually did. So, you’re giving up some of your 1 year in Spain by not entering on the date you gave them.
Hi,
Just had a quick question about processing payment. So based on the instructions I know you pay at the bank and provide them the 790 form, but are their specific banks that take the payment or can all banks help? Also, since we can’t get a bank account until we get our residence card I wanted to make sure that not having a bank account wouldn’t be an issue.
Thank you again for all the help!
You can pay tasas like the M790 form in cash at any bank, even if you don’t have an account there. In theory, you can pay a tasa any time, but you need to be clear that you are paying a tasa (tax or government fee) and not a recibo (water/electric/etc. bill). People occasionally mention being asked to come back on a certain day and time, but according to the arrangement between the government and banks this should only be for recibos. Regardless of whether they make you come back or not, you an definitely pay it at any bank.
Perfect, thank you really appreciate the help!
If you go to BBVA you pay at the ATM machine. Super easy.
Hola!
I am a filipina, my husband is a EU Citizen(Polish) living here in Barcelona. I have arrived last December 30.
We have done getting the empadronamiento documents here in Gav, so as the rest of the necessary documents for the TIE.
Now, we are not lucky enough to get an appointment for the TIE. As per the blogs i read, it should be done within the first 30days since my arrival here.What is the best thing we should do? we are now considering to pay an agent to fast track the process. Thank you
First, thank you so much for this information, it’s been invaluable as I’ve navigated this process!
Second, I am hoping someone out there can provide some insight. I’ve been trying to get an appointment with the extranjeria in Madrid every day for three weeks, including at 8am. I saw in the comments above that some people had luck emailing or going in person, but the Madrid system is confusing in that there are multiple offices with various extranjeria functions.
Does anyone have any Madrid-specific advice in getting a TIE appointment. I’m coming up on 30 days in Spain, which I understand isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker, but it is unsettling.
Thanks,
Jessica
Hi Vagabond, here we are in Spain, in a self imposed quarantine for one more week. To have some cash on hand, we withdrew 1100 euros from an ATM and on top of the anticipated 5 euro fee, the additional charge was almost $250. We have traveled all over Europe in the past couple of years and have never seen a fee like this. Of course we will be opening a Spanish bank account soon, but I thought I’d ask if this is typically seen?
thanks,
John B
Holy cow, John, NO, I have never seen anything like that. We generally pay a 2-5 Euro fee or so when using our Schwab account, which is reimbursed at the end of the statement cycle. I am not clear on what “additional charge” you are referring to here. The ATM should tell you about any and all fees and have you accept them before completing the transaction. Are you saying you were charged a fee that you didn’t accept explicitly? Who charged this fee, the ATM/Spanish bank or your bank? What bank’s ATM was this?
A withdrawal of 1100 Euros net of 5 EUR fee at today’s exchange rates should be about $1250. If you don’t already know where this additional amount came from, I would absolutely follow up with your bank. As an aside, never accept any ATM’s “conversion rate” or “conversion service.” This will be an usurious exchange rate far above the rate your bank will offer. Is this perhaps what you are referring to? I have never heard of a 25% exchange markup but… maybe? Maybe a Euronet yellow and blue tourist ATM? If so, for the future you can absolutely turn any exchange rate offer down and still get money out at the interbank rate.
I have a feeling I did something wrong. I’ve already sent an email to my bank to have them check on it, but it’s Sunday so I won’t hear back until tomorrow. Thanks for the information. I’ll be checking out some alternative ATMs before this happens again.
John,
You should be safe as long as you: always use the ATM of an actual bank (rather than a “tourist” ATM, usually found in touristic zones and airports, the most infamous of which are Euronet yellow and blue ATMs), and always turn down the offer of using the ATM’s conversion rate (this usually yields a few screens you have to click through as they want to make it seem like you’re making some horrible mistake). This should result in getting the interbank exchange rate with only the ATM fee and any fees charged by your own bank added.
Even so, a 20% fee or exchange markup sounds crazy even if you inadvertently got hit by all of these. Please definitely report back once you know for sure what happened here.
When following the steps you pointed out, the same problem of unusual fees has not been repeated. I am chalking this one up to user error. We have now identified the ATM to use, as well as the proper card. We are five days out of quarantine and moving cautiously forward, protecting ourselves as well as those around us. Our chosen destination is in the Costa Blanca so tourist season is revving up.
Hi, before seeing all this wonderful and detailed information I contacted a lawyer’s office and the fee was 3,000 euros to process the paper work for my wife and myself.
This will save us some money since I can do this myself.
We’ re retiring next year and want to be in Spain by late September early October 2021.
We have a laundry list of all the things we have to do like selling our house. I’ ll try to time all this as best as possible.
I will assumed that the process is the same unless you have some updates that I most be aware off.
We live in Florida I believe we have to do this process in the Spanish consulate in Miami.
Again thank you very much for all this great information.
Hi Jose,
Holy cow! There is absolutely NOTHING in this process worth 3K EUR, that’s for sure! Best of luck to you and come back here if you need any help.
Thank you, I’ll do it for sure.
Best regards
Hi again,
I have a question about the medical insurance. I saw a video where some of the requirements are: no copay and no waiting times (CARENCIAS). In your info I’m sure you said no copay and some other things but I didn’t see “SIN CARENCIAS”. Is this something new? I didn’t see this on the Spanish consulate web.
My other question, did you pay for the whole year for the insurance or you made some other arrangements with Sanitas due to the fact that you didn’t know if you were going to be approved for the visa.
Thank you,
The only requirements are no copay and no deductible. There is no requirement that there be no waiting time (as this really isn’t something an insurance company controls and there isn’t a medical provider in the world that could guarantee such a thing).
You need to have your insurance coverage covering the whole period of (or nearly the whole of) your visa duration arranged by the time of your visa appointment. In most cases the insurers will only allow you to start coverage the month after you make payment. This may mean that you have to start coverage for a date before you intend to enter Spain. If you end up not using the coverage, any portion after the date of cancellation can be refunded in accordance with European laws. This does mean that you might end up paying for dates before you arrive, and if you cancel, that you may not get all your money back. This is a risk you take when applying for this visa (albeit minor as you are likely looking at a few hundred bucks if you cancel a month into a policy).
Great, so we’re planing to be in Spain June 2021, I’ll be submitting the paper work around February, let’s say it takes 45 days for approval, I have 30 days once they call me to get the passport with the visa and 90 days after that to be in Spain. So by February I must have the medical insurance paid for a year and must be applied for in January? Is this correct?
Again, thank you for your help. Once in Spain we owe you lunch.
Best regards,
It’s more like if your appointment is on February 15th, you may need to arrange to have health insurance coverage to start March 1st and have all the policy documents at the visa appointment. That’s about as optimized as you can get it in most cases. But sure, if for whatever reason your policy started February 1st, that should be fine as well.
Hi again,
How did you handle the payment for the insurance and how did you get the paper work from them?
This is my plan but I have concerns: Our city of interest is Oviedo (northern Spain) I’ve located a Sanitas office there and I’m calling them tomorrow for a quote, my concern is to transfer money without knowing them.
Best regards,
Payment via credit card. Documents via email. You don’t need a Sanitas office anywhere near where you plan to live, you can find any broker you like and work through them.
Great. Thank you so much👍👍
Hola Dear Vagabond, I wanted to let you know our current standing, and maybe you can give me some advice.
We have obtained our Empadronamiento, and a Spanish phone number, and are trying multiple times per day to get an appointment for fingerprinting and getting our TIE. Said appointment is supposed to be scheduled within 30 days after arrival, but so far we are being told electronically that there are no appointments available at this time. We have the feeling that this delay will not cause us problems, especially since our NIE #s are included on our visas.
Have you run into this before? There are such extraordinary circumstances we’re all going through, I expect not, but thought I would ask.
Secondly, is there an alternative process or procedure that may help us move things along? We’ve been told that we must have our TIE before we will be able to open a bank account, and in fact we did try at one bank and were told we could not open a bank account since our NIE was expired (our entry visa expired on July 14, but we arrived prior). We have submitted our bank account application at a different bank without a problem, but final approval of that account isn’t final until Monday, August 10.
Do you have any thoughts you can share? It’s holiday here in the EU so if I don’t hear back from you in a few days, no worries. Thank you.
John B
Hi John,
Unfortunately the “unable to get a TIE appointment” scenario was all too common even before the pandemic, at least if you happen to live in one of the expat-dominated cities like Barcelona, Valencia, or Madrid. Now, all British residents of Spain are being asked to get TIE cards, something they previously didn’t need, by the end of the year. With millions of British residents, the system is swamped nationwide.
On the off chance that you live in a smaller city, I would suggest simply dropping by the extranjeria (conveniently carrying everything you need for a TIE appointment) and asking them what you should do. If you are moderately proficient in Spanish and can explain that you have diligently tried to get an appointment, they may be able to help you get one, or at least ease your fears. I have always found the extranjeria here in Granada genuinely helpful, even if their online systems aren’t.
Outside of the above, you have a couple options: camp out in the morning hitting the cita previa site again and again between 8 and 9 AM. Most of the extranjerias seem to release canceled appointments during this hour, though the days can vary. I have heard from one person that it was always on Friday in their city, which someone else reported that it was always Monday. Finally, there’s the option that really annoys me: pay a lawyer to get it expedited. This is the one annoying instance of backchannel corruption I have seen in all of our time in Spain. Lawyers servicing expats appear to either a) nab all the available appointments to try to proxy to their clients, or b) use a connection in the office to get an appointment secured. It annoys the hell out of me and I would love to deprive these people of business, but if you become desperate enough you can see what a lawyer would charge you to get you in for a TIE appointment (and hopefully have SOME value, like looking over your paperwork).
Stick with the bank that worked with you with only your passports (for us it was Cajamar). You can convert the non-resident account to a resident account by showing up with your TIE once you have it, but I literally didn’t get around to it for over two years and I only just last month finally had to upload my TIE to their portal.
I hope this helps a little.
It does help, and I spent the last hour of this morning trying repeatedly to see what would happen. Several times I made it far enough to think I might be successful, but the final click resulted in a “no available appointments at this time”. Yesterday I got as far as finding a single appointment open, but by the time I entered the last field, it was gone. Your information about the UK residents needing TIE cards now was the real eye opener, as we didn’t realize that.
We have made it to retirement without needing a lawyer for help with things we are capable of doing ourselves, and “frugal” is the key word here on your site. I will keep trying for the appointment this week, and next we will carry all of our paperwork to the office and see what we can do. Thanks again for your help!
I have been a resident here for 22 years and have had to change document so many times that I had to go to the EU for guidance. i am a citizen from another EU state.
I have read many of the comments in this page and I get the impression that you refer to some other country and not Spain.
This process is indeed for Spain, and specifically is the correct process to be followed for non-EU citizens granted Nonlucrative visas. This process does not pertain to EU citizens, who instead register as EU/EC members and have a different process and card.
Pingback: Getting a Spanish Driver's License - The Frugal Vagabond
Hi there just found this fantastic amount of info that you’ve shared regarding TIE application and have a question : can I book an appointment for myself and my husband at the same time or do we need 2 separate appointments? I can’t see anywhere on the government website that says we can have the same one but we are applying together. Any help please ?
One appointment per person, but if you can’t snag two on the same day you can sometimes arrive together for whichever is first and they will process you. This is more commonly done when it’s a family with small children but you can still try.
Hi, thank you so much for the helpful information! My 2nd visa renewal was approved and I was able to secure an appointment in Barcelona for Toma de Huellas (felt like winning the lottery) for the fingerprinting. Two questions –
1) You mention 30 days until the card is ready – is this fairly standard? I am currently out of the country and am flying back just to go to the Toma de Huellas appointment and am trying to figure out when I would need to go back again to pick up the actual card…
2) You mentioned that no appointment is needed to pick up the card once its ready however I noticed in the appointment system there is an option on the dropdown menu for “recogida de identidad de extranjero (TIE)”. Do you know if this process has changed, perhaps also due to covid?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Julie,
Congrats on the renewal.
1) 30 days has been standard for years, but this isn’t your usual year. I can’t say with any degree of certainty that it is or will still be 30 days. As of today we have a new six month state of alarm (subject to approval by congress) so I’m guessing everything is up in the air. I would plan on flexibility, and honestly even your current plan may not prove doable given the new state of alarm.
2) This does appear to be a new measure, most likely a combination of both the pandemic and the crush of British needing TIEs by the end of the year. I believe it’s national now as all the provinces I checked have this option. So yeah, you’ll probably need to make an appointment.
Thank you so much for your help! Fingers crossed that appointments won’t be cancelled due to the state of alarm…
Hi, just an update! I had my fingerprint appointment today (toma de huellas) and they told me the card would be ready in 45 days. A cita previa to pickup the card is definitely needed. They were super friendly and nice today and even were able to help me process an urgent autorazacion de regreso that has been impossible to get an appointment for…I had all the documents ready just in case and they took care of it for me. Thanks again for your help!
Well, my visa renewal has been approved (yay!)
And after trying for over 3 weeks I finally was able to get an appointment to apply for my TIE.
The problem is that it is for 29 Dec. – 2 months out.
I don’t know if I should I be worried or try to change this, but for now I am happy that, at least, I have a cita.
Thanks again for all your great documentation & support!
Congrats! Should be fine as long as you stick around! I am sure it’s a relief to have it all (almost) done!
I thought I´d add a comment regarding our TIE experience in Alicante, given the perfect storm of Brexit and Covid-19. I saw a few older comments from people in Alicante and thought my experiences would be helpful, though these regard a TIE renewal.
I can confirm that you definitely do need the empadronamiento certificate before they’ll process your TIE application. However, the folks processing the latter have been truly wonderful and accommodating. So, don’t sweat it. No one is going to cancel your visa or kick you out of the country if it’s clear you’ve been conscientiously working through their process. It’s worth bearing in mind these agents don’t necessarily love their job. They spend their work day processing paperwork for mostly impatient, anxious, clueless, entitled, non-Spanish-speaking idiots. Personally, I wouldn’t last a day in such a job, but that’s another story.
Mainly, I want to address the issue of delays in trying to secure an appointment. The “cita previa” system and the offices here have been inundated with people and applications. You have to understand that the coronavirus shutdown has created a backlog for an already taxed system. Add to that all of the expat Brits who fear losing their benefits and/or resident status (remember many have lost jobs due to Covid-19, which has put their work visas in jeopardy at the exact moment that Brexit has effectively invalidated all existing procedures for handling their situation). Almost everyone is confused and many have just given up trying to get an appointment online and exacerbated the delays by going to the office in person.
Some background: Our first TIE expired in March, 2020 and we completed all of the paperwork for renewing our visa by the end of February. Everything was approved and we were ready to move on to the final (easy) step of getting fingerprinted for the TIE. We had friends visiting from the States the first week of March and didn’t try getting our appointments until the second week of March. Alicante went into lockdown on 3/14, ending our initial attempts to get an appointment. All existing appointments were cancelled. If you aren’t already aware of this, the government eventually issued a decree automatically extending all expiration dates to 6 months after the state of alarm ended. The state of alarm ended 6/21.
Welcome to the New Normal! Before the state of alarm ended, offices started opening up and I began trying to get an appointment. I continued trying once or twice every day. A few times I even got as far as the page that was supposed to show open appointment dates, but always got “sorry, try again later” instead.
Today, I finally managed to secure appointments for my wife and me. So, after more than 100 days of trying, we made it. We each have an appointment for the end of this month.
I want to say, to all of those still trying:
1) Keep trying. It’s a pain and frustrating, but you will eventually get through
2) No te preocupes. Nobody is going to blame you for the delays. Proceed as if you have your TIE until you get it. You have your NIE and that’s all you really need if anyone asks for your “DNI” (very few people will have heard of the TIE, but it’s basically the DNI card for foreigners).
Sorry for the long comment. Hopefully, it’s been helpful or at least reassuring for others in a similar situation.
Great and informative insight from Alicante, thanks David.
Hola Vagabond! At last we have landed appointments for our TIE. Brexit above all else has made it difficult, but we are enjoying our new lives in Spain, and certainly understand the importance of waiting patiently for our turn. All of our paperwork is together, an interpreter is identified, and even though our appointments are on separate days, we will be prepared on day one for both of us just in case they will be lenient with adding another person on the first appointment.
My question: We are following your “TIE Residency Process” to the tee, but are wondering if you know of any changes in the process that we should be aware of? I have seen comments on other forums from British residents that talk about requirements that are different than ours.
We will go with what we have, but I’d like to be prepared with explanations if they should ask. Here is an example of a requirement: “Pension checks must be deposited into a Spanish Bank account for the past three months.” Because of the uncertainty these days, we have had a Spanish bank account for more than 90 days, but have waited until we received our TIE before we have the US Social Security checks deposited here.
Share your thoughts, please. We will go with what we have and I’ll let you know if we are told to provide additional information.
All the best to you!
John
Hi John,
It’s best to think of the TIE process for British citizens as a completely different process as the one described here. For those with nonlucrative visas, the process is above and is only finalizing an already-granted residence visa. For the British, it is essentially the visa and TIE card process rolled into one, as they are asking to remain in Spain when they become non-EU citizens.
The only new requirement that I am aware of is that it appears to now be necessary to get an appointment to pick up your cards when they are done, rather than simply dropping by as it used to be.
Thank you so much! We landed appointments on Monday, and they are for next week. I’m not sure how we got so lucky.
It was exactly four years ago this month that we decided it might be a good time to take a leave…
Take good care,
John
Apologies if this question has already been asked — but does it matter if the address that we listed on Form 790 052 for our consulate appointment in the US is different than the one we have listed on Form 790 012 for our TIE appointment?
And I can pay the tasa a few days ahead of the appointment, correct?
For the record, here in Madrid I snagged a cita previa appointment at a little after noon (Spanish time) on a Friday. I had already gotten two before we left the US at 6:30 am Eastern time on a Friday. Perhaps that will help someone trying to get the elusive appointment(s)!
It doesn’t matter that your address has changed since arriving in Spain. In fact, it’s probably more often the case than not. You can pay the tasa a few days before without any issues, and you probably should.
Our huellas appointment did not go well today in Madrid. In fact, it was “un fracaso.” I had secured four appointments (one each for my three teens and I) but was hoping they would process the paperwork for us in one sitting.
Unfortunately, our first appointment belonged to my 17-year-old son.
The officer said that the first appointment for the group has to be MINE.
(I brought proof that we have four appointments, but no one asked to see that. Maybe I should have insisted.)
My Spanish is very good, but it was hard to hear/make out what else he was saying through the plexiglass and amid the background chatter. I think he told me to come back on my appointment date (Dec 29) and then I can get appointments (online) for the other three members of my family.
Our next appointment is for my 14-year-old daughter (12/23); the third is for my 19-year-old son (12/28), and the fourth, of course, is mine. This is the order in which they popped up in the system!
I have two questions:
Do I cancel the next two appointments and try to make three more after I have mine? (Getting the appointments is difficult in Madrid, as we all know.)
Or is it worth trying to go to my 19-year-old’s appointment on 12/28?
(In any event, I plan on having my kids come with me to my appointment on 12/29 in case they allow us to all be processed at once.)
Further, I am very skeptical of what they say at the office. The last time we did this (in 2017) we were missing a document. They told us to bring it back the next day. But the next day they wouldn’t let us into the office, as we didn’t have “a note” from the officer who had told us to come back! I argued until the woman relented.
Thanks.
Help! I had my TIE appointment today in Madrid. I got a TIE three years ago, when I came to Spain with my kids for 6 months, and I am still in the “system.” Even though I’m applying for a new card… with an entirely new visa application from the States, because I am not at the same address as I had three years ago, they asked me to produce an empadronamiento.
I understand that’s required with a change of address, but I didn’t think this was a “renewal.”
Unfortunately, we’re staying at an Airbnb! We’ll only be here til mid-June, and things were so up in the air before we came that I was reluctant to sign any kind of lease for an apartment, so I have gone with shorter-term housing. So the empadronamiento isn’t in the cards.
I am tempted to go back and say I am at the “old” address because I’m not sure what else to do! Any advice?
My partner and I are scheduled to pick up our TIE cards on Monday and Wednesday this week. It is just under a 90 minute drive one way, and we are wondering if you think it’s advisable to ask if the Wednesday pick up can happen also on Monday? We will go together on Monday anyway, but since my scheduled pick up is Wednesday between 1:00 and 2:00, I don’t want to seem inconvenienced. It’s been smooth sailing so far. Gracias!
I don’t think there is any harm in asking. Since they’ll likely only let one of you in, whomever has the Monday slot can possibly just mention that the other is outside and see if it’s possible to do both at once. The worst they can say is no! At this point there’s not much they can do to foul it up out of spite.
After thinking about it a little more thoroughly, we have decided to both go on Wednesday. It saves us an additional three hours on the road, and we know for sure we can obtain both cards. I do think your suggestion also would have worked. We have found the Spaniards to be most helpful each time we have needed assistance. Happy Holidays to you!
John
Do whatever you think is the best thing– but in your position I’d rather try to get both at the first appointment than blow off one of the appointments that are few and far between and expect them to be very happy about it.
Hi!
First of all, thank you for being such a wonderful resource. I was able to get my second renewal approved!
However, I’ve moved provinces (from Madrid to Cordoba).
I have my huellas appointment on the 4th of january and I’m currently not empadronado (in Cordoba). I went to get myself empadronado a couple of months ago, and I did it successfully but they said it will take 4 months to process. Then I will receive the certificate.
I’m stressing because my appointment for the huellas is fast approaching.
My question: on the appointment day do you think I should be honest w/ the person at extranjeria and tell them my situation, OR should I not mention it and see if I can get away with it (but risk having it rejected because my addresses won’t match)?
Thank you,
Frank
Have you gone into the ayuntamiento or emailed to try to push your empadronamiento forward by showing them your cita date? Personally I’d try to get that done urgently. The actual process is minutes, so there’s really no excuse for them taking four months. Failing that, I would probably try to be as up-front as possible with the extranjeria on Jan 4th and provide another proof of domicile (most recent power/water bill) as well as the stamped empadronamiento paperwork, if you have it, which would should the date you submitted the file.
This is an invaluable resource, thank you. I got my email indicating the time and date of my appointment (in my own city, too!), but the email included NOTHING about any necessary documents. Fortunately, I have the pile of documents that consulate in Los Angeles told me I’ll need, and I found this website, but I’m still mildly terrified I’m going to miss something. Any ideas.
Hi Justin,
Only the documents you see above are necessary, you shouldn’t need anything from your original consular appointment to get through your TIE. With that said, for your own peace of mind you can bring everything you’ve got along, and write back to your extranjeria (which may yield no response, but it can’t hurt to try!).
I have received a call notifying me that my visa is ready to be picked up. I do not yet have a lease in Spain and am hoping to get clarification on the TIE process. I’ve read your 5-step instructions and several of the TIE threads…all very helpful! Questions:
1. If the province I am moving to does not require an empadronamiento in order to secure a TIE number, do I even need a lease?
2. Can I apply for a TIE card in one province and wind up leasing in another?
3. Can I make my first fingerprinting appointment from the states (once I get my visa) or must I wait to arrive in Spain before making that appointment?
4. As long as my multiple entry visa does not expire in the interim, can I leave the country and return to pick up the TIE card after 30 days?
My situation is that I can enter any time from now to the first week of July without violating any of the stated procedures. I would like to settle permanently in October if possible. I would like to avoid paying several months of rent for a flat I won’t use. Is there a service provider that would provide an address I can use for a fee? Even an airbnb host?
Finally, just to be sure…If I show the consulate a ticket with a June 15th arrival date, they will put that on my visa and I will have 90 days from June 15th before my visa expires?
Thanks for any help/suggestions!
No, you do not.
Yes, you can, but this will mean that you will need to have an empadronamiento on renewal.
Yes, you can. You’ll have your NIE once you have your visa. Doing so in practice may be easier said than done, however, as the system is under enormous pressure at the moment between Brexit and the pandemic backlog.
In theory, and in normal times, yes. Practically speaking the landscape is constantly shifting right now. Coming and going, even with a visa, has become significantly more complicated and there is no telling what might happen while you are out of the country. TIE cards are taking closer to 45-60 days right now, and sometimes much longer. You might find that your visa has expired while still waiting for the TIE to be delivered, and while the Spanish government would excuse that lapse (since it’s their own doing) while you are IN Spain, you might have a complicated time explaining it while trying to get back in from OUTSIDE Spain if Americans are still not allowed to enter.
I am not aware of anyone who will provide you with a mailing address for visa purposes, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist.
Yes, your visa start date will be the date of the ticket you show the consulate.
For FV: You mentioned in an earlier thread about obtaining a bank account without a TIE number that you were given an IRS document that provided the “magic handshake” to make the bank’s internal process work. Can you tell me the name of that IRS document?
Thanks for your quick & detailed response above!
No idea at this point– it has been over three years now since we opened our accounts here. I’m sorry not to have this detail.
Do you recall where you got your passport photos done in Granada? I am having trouble with finding a place. Thanks for your help!
-Tara / Four Take Flight
The search term that will work is “fotos carnet,” we have gone to Imagine Studio on Calle San Juan de Dios a couple of times with no problems. Usually about 5€ for a sheet of pics, and this guy will cut them out for you too.
Hello, Thank you for these helpful instructions! The link in #3 for the Carta de resolución doesn’t work anymore. Any idea of the new link or how we go about getting a carta de resolución? Thank you!
Hi Jen, thanks for the heads-up about the link. I’ve updated the link with the newest portal. You’ll want the option to enter with a form if you wish to use your NIE, otherwise if you have a Cl@ve you can use that.
Thank you so much!! This is really helpful!
Hi, great information thank you so so much for such a wonderful post, as this is a bit outdated I needed just a bit of help as I had some questions. So I have already done the entire process, fingerprints and all and just need to pickup my TIE card, how will I need to do that? And do I need to specifically get an appointment at the same police station I did my fingerprints? and also we are a family of 4, do I need to specifically get an appointment for each of us?
Thank you so much for such a great blog it is wonderful, if you do not know it is more than okay but I felt comfortable sharing it here seeing how great and insightful your replies are!
Thank you once again.
Hi,
Things may have changed since my last TIE some years ago, but yes, at that time it was necessary to make an appointment for each person, and for them all to show up in person. Since the place that did your fingerprints will be the ones who receive your physical card, yes, you’ll need to go there to pick it up.