Cita previa extranjería: how to get your appointment in Spain

How to book an extranjería appointment step by step

1. Go to the official cita previa website and choose the province where you live. Check that the address ends in .gob.es.
2. Choose the office and the exact procedure. Each procedure has its own appointment: fingerprints and collecting the card are not the same. Read the description before continuing.
3. Enter your details: document type (NIE or passport), number, first name and surnames and, depending on the procedure, other details such as your nationality.
4. Click «Solicitar cita» (request appointment) and, if slots are available, choose the office, day and time.
5. Confirm the appointment with your phone and email: you will normally receive a code by SMS to validate it.
6. Save the receipt with the appointment number (as a PDF or printed) and bring it on the day.

Which procedure to choose

The exact names vary slightly by province, but these are the most common:

No appointments available? What you can do

The message «En este momento no hay citas disponibles» means that, at that moment, every slot for that office and procedure is taken. It is not final:

• Try again at different times of day and on different days. Appointments cancelled by other people become free again.
• Check every office in your province that offers the procedure, not just the nearest one.
• Read your resolution before looking for an appointment: at some offices the favourable resolution already includes the fingerprint appointment.
• Check whether your procedure can be filed online (Mercurio portal, with a digital certificate or through a professional). If so, you do not need an in-person appointment.
• If a deadline is running out (for example, the month to apply for the TIE), keep dated screenshots of your attempts: they will help you explain the delay. See what happens if the month runs out.
• Ask at your immigration office or call 060, the Spanish administration’s information line.

Tips from people who got one

These tips come from people who shared their experience looking for a fingerprint appointment. They are no guarantee, but they help:

• Have your details ready before you start: NIE or passport, full name, email and phone. When a slot appears, you want to fill it in within seconds.
• Log in with Cl@ve if your province offers that option.
• Do not keep refreshing the page: the website may block you for a while with the message «demasiadas peticiones» (too many requests). If this happens, wait a little, clear your cookies and cache or try another browser.
• Search every day and at different times: slots tend to appear in waves. One person in Barcelona who had been searching since 6 October found an appointment at Rambla Guipúzcoa for the following week.

What happens if the month to apply for the TIE runs out

The Immigration Act and its regulation give you one month to apply for the TIE in person, and we have not found any extension for lack of appointments. Even so, according to the law firm Legalteam, not getting an appointment in time does not cost you your permit.

When the month starts

• If you enter with a visa: from your entry into Spain.
• If your authorisation is granted in Spain: from when it is granted or takes effect. Your resolution will guide you.
• If your authorisation depends on registering with Social Security (for example, employed work): from that registration.

What does not change if the appointment takes time

Legalteam explained this after meeting the National Police in Barcelona in June 2026:

• You do not lose your authorisation or your right to work.
• Your residence time counts according to the dates on your resolution, not the card. This includes nationality.
• You can apply for renewal even if you never had the physical card.

What does get harder without the card

• Leaving Spain: not recommended, because coming back can be very difficult.
• Other procedures: you will not be able to exchange your driving licence or submit a nationality application.
• Little time left: if your permit has less than six months left, the Police will not take your fingerprints and you will have to apply directly for renewal.

Beware of people selling appointments

What you do pay is the procedure fee (for example, the tasa 790 012 for the card), never the appointment.

What to bring on the day

• The appointment receipt.
• Your valid passport or identity document, original and copy.
• The procedure form, completed and signed (for example, the EX-17 for the TIE).
• The paid fee, if the procedure has one.
• For the card, a recent passport-size photo with a white background.

The full list for each case is in TIE documents. Arrive early: if you are late, they may not see you.

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