Guided flow

First TIE Application (after arrival)

If your student visa is for more than 180 days, you must apply for a TIE within 30 days of arriving in Spain. This is the most important early task for new students.

2–3 months from booking the appointment to receiving the card6 steps

When to use it: Within the first 30 days after arriving in Spain on a long-stay student visa.

Updated from real student experience

Verified on 29 May 2026 at 11:00 — reflects the latest steps students have actually walked through.

Before you start

Make sure you have these ready — missing any one can send you home from the appointment.

—You must have completed empadronamiento first
—You need a valid long-stay student visa (type D) glued in your passport

The steps

What you'll do, in order

Tap any step to see the full details.

Book a cita previa for fingerprinting

Reserve a slot at a Policía Nacional foreigner office.

Booking itself is quick — finding a slot can take days or weeksWatch out

Honestly, this step is the hardest part of the whole TIE process. Appointments are booked through the official Sede Electrónica system (choose 'Barcelona' as the province and look for 'Policía-Toma de huellas (Expedición de tarjeta) y Renovación de Tarjeta de Larga Duración'), but slots disappear within seconds of being released — almost nobody catches one alone. The best thing to do is ask a senior who has already done their TIE to help you book. If you don't know anyone, ask the staff at your school — they always know who can help.

Slots disappear within seconds of being released — trying alone almost never works. Ask a senior who has done their TIE, or your school staff, to help you book.

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What you need

2 items

Where to go

Frequently asked

Things students keep asking

Can I travel before I get my TIE card?

While your student visa is still valid, yes. Once the visa has expired and you only have the resguardo, leaving Spain may complicate re-entry — consider a regreso authorization.

What is the difference between a visa and a TIE?

The visa lets you enter Spain. The TIE is the residence card you carry inside Spain and use as your local ID. For stays longer than 180 days, the visa must be converted into a TIE.

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Fill out the EX-17 form

Download the form, fill in your details, print two copies.

Fill out the form digitally where possible. Use the exact name and date of birth from your passport. Your Spanish address must match the address on your empadronamiento certificate.

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What you need

1 item

Pay the Modelo 790-012 fee

Generate the tax form, print it, pay at a participating bank.

30 minutes (excluding travel)

Go to the National Police tax portal. Select the correct concept: 'TIE que documenta la primera concesión de la autorización de residencia temporal, estancia o trabajo'. Print the three-page form and take it to a participating bank (CaixaBank, BBVA, Santander, etc.) to pay.

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What you need

1 item

Where to go

Get a passport-style photo

Stop by a fotomatón booth for white-background carnet photos.

5 minutes

Spanish ID photos are 32×26mm with a fully white background. You can get them at any fotomatón in metro stations or supermarkets for around €5.

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What you need

1 item

Attend the fingerprint appointment

Bring all documents, get fingerprinted, walk out with your resguardo.

30–60 minutes including waitingWatch out

Arrive 15 minutes early. Bring originals AND copies of everything. The officer checks your documents, takes your fingerprints, and prints ONE certificate — the resguardo. It shows your TIE is being processed AND tells you exactly where and when to come back to pick up your card. Take a photo of it before you leave the office.

If you miss the appointment, you may have to start over. Treat it like a flight — arrive early.

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What you need

7 items

What you'll receive

1 item

Where to go

Go to the office shown in your appointment confirmation email (Gmail) — or wherever your senior helped you book. The address is on the confirmation.

Pick up your TIE card

Go to the office on the date written on your resguardo.

10 minutes at the office

Your resguardo from step 5 already tells you WHERE and WHEN to pick up the card — no new appointment to book, no website to check. Just show up on the printed date, bring your passport and the resguardo, and they hand you your TIE card.

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What you need

2 items

What you'll receive

1 item

Where to go

The pickup office and date are printed on your resguardo. Go there on that date.

What if I can't get an appointment within 30 days?

If you have proof that you tried to book (screenshots), most offices will accept the appointment slot you eventually get. Keep evidence of your attempts.