TIE Appointment in Madrid: How to Book Your Fingerprints

By Expat in Madrid team · · 9 min read

Gran Vía seen from above, with the Carrión building and traffic heading towards Plaza de Callao in Madrid

To book your TIE appointment in Madrid, you request a police fingerprinting slot (toma de huellas) through the Spanish government’s online Cita previa extranjería system, choosing the province of Madrid. You normally have one month to apply, counted from your entry into Spain or from the notification of your approval, depending on your case. This guide walks you through the process and the mistakes that most often cost people time.

Key points

  • The TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero) is the physical card that proves your legal status in Spain.
  • The usual deadline to apply is one month, counted from your entry into Spain or from the notification of your resolution.
  • You need form EX-17 and proof of payment of the fee (modelo 790, código 012), plus whatever else your appointment requires.
  • You attend in person: your fingerprints are taken at the appointment and the card is collected afterwards, with a separate collection appointment.
  • In Madrid city, fingerprinting and collection are offered at Calle San Felipe 7 and Avenida de los Poblados; cards for UGE authorisations (Ley 14/2013, digital nomads) are issued at Calle Santa Engracia 18.
  • Appointment availability in Madrid changes constantly, and nobody can guarantee you a date.

What the TIE is and who needs it

The TIE is the identity card issued to foreign nationals who hold a residence or stay authorisation in Spain. The Spanish police describe it as the document that identifies a foreigner and proves their legal situation in the country. Its validity follows the validity of your authorisation.

In practice, it applies to non-EU nationals granted a residence authorisation, whether they arrive on a long-stay visa (work, non-lucrative residence, highly qualified professional and so on) or obtain or renew an authorisation from inside Spain. It is also the card issued to British citizens and their family members who benefit from the UK Withdrawal Agreement, the so-called Brexit TIE. If that is you, see our guide to the Brexit TIE in Madrid.

The deadline: one month

Spain’s immigration regulation (Royal Decree 1155/2024, which approves the regulations of Organic Law 4/2000) sets the same rule again and again: you must apply in person at the competent police station for your TIE within one month. The starting point depends on your situation:

  • You entered Spain on a visa: one month from the date you entered Spain. The Ministry of Inclusion’s information sheets say so for visa-based residence authorisations.
  • You were granted or renewed an authorisation from within Spain: one month from the notification of the resolution.
  • Some work-based authorisations: the month can run from your registration with Social Security. Your resolution and the relevant Ministry information sheet will tell you which rule applies to you.

Because finding the appointment itself can take a while, do not wait. Start looking for a slot the day you enter Spain or receive your resolution, and keep dated evidence of your attempts.

How the cita previa system works for Madrid

Immigration appointments are booked on the government portal “Cita previa extranjería”, which is part of the state’s electronic headquarters. The portal states that for most procedures the request must be made by the foreign national or an authorised representative.

  1. Open the Cita previa extranjería service and select Madrid as the province.
  2. In the list of procedures, choose the police fingerprinting option for the card, POLICÍA-TOMA DE HUELLAS (EXPEDICIÓN DE TARJETA) INICIAL, RENOVACIÓN, DUPLICADO Y LEY 14/2013, which covers initial cards, renewals, duplicates and Ley 14/2013 cards. Do not pick the collection option (recogida de TIE) for your first visit. That was the exact wording on 21 October 2026; it can change, so read the options carefully rather than picking the first one.
  3. Enter your passport or NIE number, full name and nationality, then choose an office and a date from whatever is on offer.
  4. Confirm the booking and save the confirmation, which carries your appointment details.

On 21 October 2026 the appointment system offered TIE fingerprinting and collection in Madrid city at two National Police offices: Calle San Felipe 7, which deals only with TIE cards, and Avenida de los Poblados s/n (Aluche), which also handles NIE assignment and certificates. If your authorisation was granted by the Large Companies Unit (UGE) of the Dirección General de Gestión Migratoria, as with the digital nomad visa and other Ley 14/2013 permits, the card is issued and collected at the National Police office on Calle Santa Engracia 18. The system also lists district police stations and stations in other towns of the Community; check which procedures each one offers. EU citizens do not get a TIE: their registration certificate is a separate procedure, offered at Calle Padre Piquer 18. Offices can change, so check the address on your confirmation.

If you would rather not battle the portal yourself, our TIE card service in Madrid prepares the application and handles the online booking for you.

Form EX-17 and the fee (modelo 790, código 012)

The Police’s electronic headquarters lists two items for the TIE application: the application form EX-17 (Solicitud de Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero) and proof of payment of the fee on modelo 790, código 012. The application is filed in person at an immigration office or a police station.

You generate the 790-012 payment form online and pay it at a bank, savings bank or credit cooperative; you do not need an account there, you simply present the form. The amount depends on the type of card. On 21 October 2026 the police fee table showed, among others:

  • first TIE for temporary residence, stay or cross-border worker authorisation: 16.08 euros;
  • TIE for the renewal of temporary residence: 19.30 euros;
  • TIE for long-term or EU long-term residence: 21.87 euros;
  • TIE for family members of Spanish nationals, and for the EU and Brexit regimes: 12 euros.

Fees are updated from time to time and the table shows no revision date, so generate the form on the police website and use the amount it gives you. Choose the line that matches your case, because the amount varies by category.

Documents to bring

The official list on the police page is short (EX-17 and proof of payment), but the officer may check the rest of your file at the desk, so bring originals and a set of copies of:

  • your passport or travel document, valid, in original;
  • the resolution granting or renewing your authorisation, or the document that triggers the card, such as your visa and proof of entry;
  • form EX-17, completed and signed;
  • the fee receipt (modelo 790, código 012), validated by the bank;
  • a recent passport-style photograph. For the Brexit card the official instruction asks for one photograph meeting national ID card requirements; for other cards, check the photo requirements in your appointment confirmation;
  • proof of your address in Spain. Offices commonly ask for the padrón certificate, so have it ready; see our guide to registering on the padrón in Madrid.

Requirements can differ by office and type of authorisation, so read your appointment confirmation before you go.

What happens at the appointment

You attend in person. For a minor, the regulation says the child must apply accompanied by a parent. The officer checks your documents and your application, and your fingerprints are taken to produce the card. You should leave with a receipt or proof that you have applied. Keep it: it is your evidence that you applied on time.

Collecting the card

Collection is a separate step with its own appointment: in the cita previa system it is a different procedure (recogida de TIE), offered in Madrid city at Calle San Felipe 7 and Avenida de los Poblados, and at Calle Santa Engracia 18 for UGE authorisations. Follow the instructions on your receipt about when and where to collect the card. Take your passport and the receipt you were given. Check the card on the spot: your name, NIE, date of birth and validity dates should match your resolution, and any error should be reported immediately.

We do not quote waiting times between fingerprinting and collection: no official figure is published on the pages we checked.

Special case: the Brexit TIE

British citizens and their family members covered by the Withdrawal Agreement use a different form, the EX-23, which also requires the 790-012 fee, a valid passport and a photograph. The official instruction states that an appointment must be obtained for in-person processing; in the appointment system the procedure appears as “POLICÍA-EXP. TARJETA ASOCIADA AL ACUERDO DE RETIRADA … (BREXIT)”, and you choose among the offices that offer it. People without a registration certificate or family residence card must first apply at the immigration office and then go to the police within one month of the notification. More detail is in our Brexit TIE guide.

Common problems and how to handle them

“No appointments available”

This is the most common frustration. Availability is released irregularly, differs by office and can disappear within minutes. Try at different times of day, check other offices in the province if you can travel, and keep trying. Be wary of anyone who promises a guaranteed date: nobody outside the administration controls the calendar.

Choosing the wrong procedure

Booking a different police or immigration procedure by mistake can mean you are turned away at the desk. Check that the option you pick is the fingerprinting and card-issue one, not a NIE, passport or stay-extension procedure. If you booked the wrong one, cancel it and book again rather than hoping the office will accept it.

Wrong fee category or missing receipt

Generate the 790-012 form with the category that matches your authorisation and pay it before the appointment.

Missing the one-month deadline

If the month has passed, do not ignore it. Book as soon as possible, keep proof of your attempts and speak to an adviser, because the consequences depend on your case.

Renewals

After a renewal is approved, the regulation again requires you to request the TIE within one month of the notification, using the renewal fee category. If that is your situation, see our page on residence renewal in Madrid.

Practical tips

  • Put your resolution, passport, receipts and confirmations in one folder, on paper and digitally.
  • Spell your name exactly as it appears in your passport on every form.
  • If something looks unclear, ask before paying a fee or booking a slot.

If you want us to take care of the paperwork and the online booking, see how our TIE service works or contact us. We work online and do not have an office in Madrid.

Frequently asked questions

What do I pay for the TIE?

The government fee on modelo 790, código 012, whose amount depends on the type of card. Generate the payment form on the police website to see the amount for your category.

Can someone else book the appointment for me?

For most authorisations the portal says the request must be made by the foreign national or their authorised representative. The application and fingerprinting themselves are done in person by you.

What if I cannot find an appointment within the month?

Keep trying and save evidence of every attempt, such as dated screenshots. Then get advice, because the regulation sets a one-month period and the consequences of applying late depend on your case.

Do I need the padrón certificate for the TIE?

The official police page lists only form EX-17 and the fee receipt, but offices often check proof of address, so it is sensible to bring a recent padrón certificate. Check your appointment confirmation for anything else that is required.

Sources

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© 2026 Expat in Madrid. A service of Gestoría Beltrán Cifre SL. We are not a government office and have no public office in Madrid. Official fees are paid separately.
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