Immigration procedures: NIE, TIE and appointment booking
We bring together the guides for the procedures surrounding any immigration file: the NIE, the foreigner's identity card (TIE), fingerprinting, appointment booking, registration on the padrón and the fees. We explain what each one is for, how to request it and in what order. Practical tips so you don't get lost between offices and deadlines.
- Getting your TIE for the first time: fingerprints, appointment and documents
Already have your favourable decision? Now it's time for the TIE. We tell you, step by step, how to book the fingerprint appointment, where to go, which documents to bring and by when to do it so you don't run into trouble.
- Recognising your foreign university degree in Spain: complete guide
Did you study abroad and want your degree to count in Spain? We explain, step by step, when you need homologation (full recognition) and when equivalence is enough, which documents to prepare, how long it takes and how it links to your residence or work. No jargon and with the official sources.
- My residence was refused: what to do and how to appeal
A refusal is not the end of the road. We explain what deadlines you have to appeal, when an internal review (recurso de reposición) makes sense or when to go straight to the courts (contencioso-administrativo), and how to prepare a new application with better chances under RD 1155/2024.
- Form 790 code 052: the immigration fee and how to pay it
Form 790 code 052 is the fee you pay to process most residence authorisations. We explain how much it costs, how to fill it in and how to pay it at the bank or online, without getting confused by the codes.
- How to register on the padrón without a rental contract: legal options 2025
Without a contract in your name you can still appear on the padrón. We explain the legal ways to register, which documents work and why the municipal registration underpins almost all your immigration procedures.
- Criminal record certificate with apostille and sworn translation for immigration
Almost every immigration procedure requires your criminal record certificate from your country of origin, and submitting it as is is not enough: it must be legalised or apostilled and accompanied by a sworn translation into Spanish. We explain step by step how to do it correctly and avoid having your file refused over a badly legalised document.
- How to renew your TIE: deadlines and what happens if it expires
Is your card's expiry date approaching? We walk you through, step by step, how to renew your TIE: when to file the application, what documents you need, how much the fee costs and what happens if your card has already expired. Everything updated to the new Immigration Regulation (RD 1155/2024), in plain language and with no fine print.
- How to get an immigration appointment step by step
No appointment, no procedure. We explain how to get an immigration appointment (cita previa) on the electronic portal, which procedures require it and what to do when there are no slots available.
- Difference between NIE and TIE: what they are, what they are for and how to apply
NIE and TIE are not the same thing, even though they are confused every day. Discover what each one is, how they differ and how to obtain them depending on your situation in Spain.