Residence approved in Spain: what to do next
12/05/2025 
Reading time: 5 min My Spanish residence is approved — what is next?
Your residence approval isn't the finish line. One mandatory step remains: an in-person police visit to give biometrics (huellas) and collect your plastic TIE residence card. Without the card you're technically a resident but can't prove it on paper. Here's the whole process, step by step — with the real-world booking quirks the official instructions don't mention.
- Right after approvalbook the huellas cita30 days; delays due to no slots are treated leniently.
- At the appointmentMI-TIE + €16.08 taxPlus passport, a 32×26 mm photo and the approval printout.
- Card readyin 30–45 daysIn Madrid and Barcelona, by a separate recogida appointment.
- While you waityou're legalApproval + the huellas receipt prove your status.
- After the TIEpadrón, doctor, digital cert, bankFreelancers: register as autónomo within 30 days.
Step 1. Book the fingerprint appointment (cita previa)
After approval you have 30 calendar days to book with the police. Slots go fast, so a short delay in overloaded provinces (Valencia, Barcelona) is treated leniently — but don't drag it out. Book via the official cita previa portal: choose your province and the procedure:
| Province | Procedure name in the system |
|---|---|
| Madrid | Policía — Expedición de tarjetas cuya autorización resuelve la Dirección General de Migraciones |
| Barcelona | …Expedición de tarjetas… or Policía — Toma de huella |
| Other provinces | Policía — Toma de huella |
Formally you need town-hall registration in the same province for huellas. In practice: Madrid and Barcelona accept without it if your residence application listed that province and the address hasn't changed; Valencia, Alicante, Málaga and Tenerife often accept without it too; and Reus (Tarragona) takes applicants from any province after 15:00 without it.
Step 2. Prepare the documents
Bring everything at once — if something's missing you'll have to rebook:
- MI-TIE form — printed and signed for each family member, including children under 6. Data carries over from the MI-T / MI-F you filed earlier.
- Tasa 790-012 — paid at a bank/ATM in advance, option "TIE que documenta la primera concesión…". Cost €16.08, one receipt per person.
- Approval document — the printed UGE or immigration decision.
- Passport — original.
- Photo — one, 32 × 26 mm, white background, colour. Ask for "foto para TIE".
Step 3. The police visit
At your appointment the officer checks your documents, takes fingerprints and photographs you — 5–15 minutes. You'll get a receipt with the card's approximate ready date, usually 30–45 days, often faster in big cities.
Step 4. Collect the TIE card
In Barcelona and Madrid the card is issued by appointment only: go back to the cita previa portal and choose Policía — Recogida de tarjeta de identidad de extranjero (TIE). Elsewhere, turning up with the ready-receipt is usually enough. The card is issued in person only — no power of attorney.
Step 5. What to do right after getting the card
- Empadronamiento — if you haven't registered at the town hall, do it now: it's needed for a doctor, schools and more.
- Health card — with the padrón and TIE, register with a GP at your Centro de Salud.
- Certificado Digital — with the NIE from your TIE you can get the digital signature that opens all government portals online (how to get it).
- Bank account — now without limits: all Spanish banks accept the TIE.
- Renewal — set a reminder 60 days before your permit expires.
You must register for tax and with Social Security (RETA) within 30 days of receiving the card. Which permit you hold and what's next — see the residence permit guide.
Frequently asked questions
Official sources:
• Policía Nacional — Sede Electrónica (TIE)
• Portal de Cita Previa Extranjería
