How to Apply for a TIE Card in Spain: Step-by-Step

The complete process from approved residency to physical card. Documents, Tasa 790-012, appointment booking, fingerprinting day, and what to expect — with links to real-time tracking.

Exact document requirements may vary by province and police station. Always verify locally. · Fee amounts are set by the official Tasa 790-012 form. Do not copy amounts from old guides — they change.

Your residency has been approved. Now you need the physical card that proves it. The process has five stages: prepare documents, pay the fee, book an appointment, get fingerprinted, wait for the card. Each stage has its own pitfalls.

This guide covers the first-time TIE application (primera solicitud). If you’re renewing an existing card, the documents and fee category are different — a renewal guide is coming.

If you’re still figuring out what a TIE card actually is, start there.

Before You Start: Are You Ready?

The TIE card documents a residency authorization that already exists. You cannot apply for the card before you have one of these:

A favorable resolution (resolución favorable) from the immigration office
A long-stay visa stamped in your passport that requires a TIE
An initial work/study/family authorization that has been granted

If your application is still “en trámite” (in process), “requerido” (additional documents requested), or “archivado” (archived), you are not ready. Booking a fingerprinting appointment before your authorization is granted will result in a wasted trip.

How to check your status: use the Sede Electrónica with your Cl@ve credentials, or ask your lawyer if you have one.

Step 1: Gather Your Documents

Requirements vary slightly by province and police station, but this is the standard checklist for a first-time TIE application:

Always required

Document	Details
Passport	Original + photocopy of the data page. Must be valid.
Favorable resolution	The document proving your residency was approved. Original + copy.
Visa pages	If you entered with a long-stay visa: photocopy of the visa stamp and entry stamp.
Form EX-17	The official application form for a TIE card. Download from the Ministry of Inclusion website. Fill it out in uppercase, sign where indicated. Select the “primera solicitud” option.
Tasa 790-012	The fee form, generated and paid (see Step 2 below). Bring both the form and the proof of payment.
Passport photo	One recent photo: 32×26mm, white background, front-facing, no glasses, taken within the last 6 months. Photo rejection is the most common reason for appointment delays.
Appointment confirmation	The printed receipt from the ICP booking system.

Often required

Document	When
Empadronamiento	If you’ve changed address, if the province requests it, or if your address could cause confusion. Some offices require it even for first-time applications.
Additional authorization documents	Depends on your residency type: enrollment certificate (students), work contract or alta en la Seguridad Social (workers), health insurance (non-lucrative), family relationship proof (reunification).

Bring originals + copies of everything. The most common problem at the police station is showing documents on a phone screen instead of printed copies.

Step 2: Pay the Fee (Tasa 790-012)

The Tasa 790-012 is the mandatory government fee for issuing a TIE card. It must be paid before your fingerprinting appointment.

How to generate the form

Go to the official Tasa 790-012 page
Enter your personal details (NIE, passport number, name, address)
Under the “Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero” section, select the option for first-time issuance (primera expedición/concesión)
The system calculates the fee amount automatically — do not copy amounts from blogs or old guides, as the fee changes
Download the completed form

How to pay

Bank or ATM: Print the form and pay at any collaborating bank. The most common method.
Online debit (adeudo en cuenta): If available on the form, follow the exact instructions.

Keep the payment receipt. On your appointment day, you must prove the fee was paid. A generated form without proof of payment will not be accepted.

Step 3: Book Your Appointment (Cita Previa)

Fingerprinting appointments are booked through the ICP system — the official appointment portal for police stations.

How to book

Go to icp.administracionelectronica.gob.es
Select your province (must match your empadronamiento)
Select the correct trámite — look for “POLICÍA — TOMA DE HUELLAS” or “EXPEDICIÓN DE TARJETA DE IDENTIDAD DE EXTRANJERO.” The exact wording varies by province. Read the description before continuing — selecting the wrong trámite can get you turned away.
Enter your personal details exactly as they appear on your resolution/passport
Choose an office, a date, and a time slot
Confirm and download the appointment receipt

The office you choose matters — a lot

You can pick any police station within your province. This is not widely known, and many people assume they must go to the nearest one.

The speed difference between offices is enormous: the fastest offices process cards in 2–3 weeks, while stagnant ones haven’t moved in over a month. Check current processing speeds before choosing, and read our full guide on choosing your office.

Remember: whichever office you choose for fingerprinting is where you’ll pick up your card. No transfers allowed.

Appointment scarcity

In Madrid and Barcelona, fingerprinting slots are extremely scarce. Appointments get snapped up within minutes. Keep checking the portal — new slots appear periodically. Do not book a different trámite just because it has availability. A wrong-trámite appointment will be rejected at the window.

Step 4: Fingerprinting Day

On your appointment day, go to the police station with your full document folder. Here’s what happens:

1. Document check. The officer reviews your passport, resolution, EX-17, tasa receipt, and supporting documents. If anything is missing, they may send you away to come back with a new appointment.

2. Photo collection. Your passport photo is collected and will appear on the card.

3. Fingerprints and signature. Your fingerprints are recorded digitally. Your signature is captured on an electronic pad — it feels different from paper, so practice on a smooth surface beforehand. You can sign in Chinese characters, pinyin, or any script — there is no language restriction.

4. Receipt (resguardo). You receive a receipt with your lote number. This number is your position in the card manufacturing queue. Guard this receipt — you’ll need it to pick up your card.

The receipt may also indicate whether pickup requires an appointment (“CON CITA PREVIA”) or allows walk-ins (“SIN CITA”).

Your lote number is your key

Your lote number lets you track exactly where your card is in the production and delivery queue. Once you have it, you can monitor your office’s progress on SCLT’s live tracker — updated daily for 97+ offices across Spain.

Step 5: Wait — and Track

After fingerprinting, your card is manufactured centrally and shipped to the police station you visited. The wait depends entirely on your office’s processing speed.

Office speed	Typical wait
Fast (Valencia, top Madrid offices)	2–3 weeks
Medium (most offices)	4–6 weeks
Slow	2–3 months
Stagnant (Getafe, Terrassa, etc.)	Indefinite

See the full breakdown: TIE Processing Times by Province

How to check if your card is ready

When the office’s published lote number reaches or exceeds your lote number, your card has arrived. You can:

Check manually on the ICP website (instructions in What Is a Lote?)
Track it automatically on SCLT’s tracker
Subscribe for updates to get notified

While you wait

Your fingerprinting receipt serves as temporary proof that your TIE is in process. You can:

Continue living and working in Spain (per your authorization)
Access healthcare and public services
Not travel internationally without an autorización de regreso (return authorization)

If you need to travel, you can apply for a return authorization — but only if your authorization has been granted, not if it’s still being processed.

Step 6: Pick Up Your Card

When your lote is ready, go to the same police station where you were fingerprinted. Bring:

Your fingerprinting receipt (resguardo)
Your valid passport

Check every field on the card before leaving the station. Name, NIE, dates, address, residency type — errors caught on the spot are fixable. Errors discovered weeks later require a replacement process.

Full details: Card Pickup Guide

After Pickup: What Your TIE Unlocks

Your TIE card is more than an ID. The support number in the top-right corner lets you register for Cl@ve — Spain’s digital identity platform — which gives you access to tax filing, social security records, official certificates, and virtually every online government service.

Start here: Everything You Can Do with Your TIE →

Common Mistakes That Cause Delays

Mistake	Consequence	Prevention
Booking before authorization is granted	Wasted trip, need new appointment	Check status first
Wrong tasa category	Rejected at window	Use the official form, select “primera expedición”
Phone-only documents	Officer can’t verify	Print everything
Wrong trámite on booking	Turned away	Read the trámite description carefully
Choosing a slow office	Months of extra waiting	Check office speeds first
Old photo or wrong size	Appointment delayed	32×26mm, white background, recent

Official Sources

Appointment booking (ICP+): icp.administracionelectronica.gob.es
Tasa 790-012: sede.policia.gob.es/Tasa790_012
Form EX-17: Ministry of Inclusion