DIY Guide for Digital Nomads: Preparing for the TIE Appointment at the Spanish Police

Once you have obtained your authorization to reside in Spain as a remote worker (Digital Nomad Visa) or through any other existing residence permits, the next step for you is to go to the police for fingerprinting and to apply for the identity card known as TIE.

It’s advisable to approach these police procedures with patience, as you will need to obtain an appointment through an online system that can have glitches throughout the process, and appointments are limited and posted “randomly.” Depending on the workload of the location, you may have to try multiple times to secure an appointment. Additionally, depending on the police station you attend, there may be differences in the process between cities.

You must schedule an appointment at a police station in the same province where you reside. Each authorized family member, including minors, must obtain their own appointment for fingerprinting.

Below are instructions to help you carry out this procedure yourself. If you prefer, we can provide a contact to hire this service, as it can be time-consuming and quite tricky.

WHAT YOU NEED TO PREPARE IN ADVANCE

If you prefer the DIY option, here’s what you need to have ready in advance:

• NIE number assigned to the applicant, which typically appears on your residence authorization document.
• A Spanish mobile phone to receive a numeric code needed during the process.
• In some cases, you may be asked for your passport number.
• Your first and last name should be entered exactly as they appear on your passport.
• You’ll need to go to a Spanish bank to pay the official fee, as online payment is not available.
• In most cases local registration or empadronamiento is not required for the initial TIE request for digital nomads.

1 APPOINTMENT – STEPS TO SECURE AN ONLINE APPOINTMENT

Link: https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/pagina/index/directorio/icpplus

Appointment availability is limited in many cities, and you will typically have to try repeatedly to secure your appointment or appointments for the entire family. Remember, you’ll need to have your NIE, passport in some cases, and a Spanish mobile phone handy to receive a code during the process.

This process is described in 5 steps on the official website, although it actually consists of 11 pages from the time you access it until you can print the appointment. These are those pages and steps:

1. Page 1: Click to access the procedure “Acceder al procedimiento.”
2. Page 2: Select the province where you reside and click “Aceptar.”
3. Page 3: Select the procedure in the dropdown under “TRÁMITES DE POLICÍA NACIONAL.” For most cities in Spain, the procedure is “POLICÍA-TOMA DE HUELLA (EXPEDICIÓN DE TARJETA), RENOVACIÓN DE TARJETA DE LARGA DURACIÓN Y DUPLICADO,” but if you reside in Madrid or Mallorca, the procedure is “POLICÍA- EXPEDICIÓN DE TARJETAS CUAYA AUTORIZACIÓN RESUELVE LA DIRECCIÓN GENERAL DE MIGRACIONES.”
4. Page 4: Here, you’ll be asked to choose the identification method you’ll use. Since you likely don’t yet have a digital signature to operate with the Spanish administration, you should select “Presentación sin Cl@ve.”
5. Page 5: Enter the required identification details, which include the NIE assigned in your authorization, your name and last name as in your passport, and the country issuing your passport.
6. Page 6: Request an appointment with the “Solicitar Cita” button.
7. Page 7 (Step 1 of 5): In the “Selecciona oficina” dropdown, choose the police station from the options provided.
8. Page 8 (Step 2 of 5): Enter the mobile phone number you will use to confirm the appointment and your email twice for confirmation.
9. Page 9 (Step 3 of 5): Fill out the Captcha code shown and choose an appointment labeled as “Libre.” This page will ask you to confirm your selection by clicking “SI.” At this point, check your mobile phone for a numeric code you’ll need in the next step.
10. Page 10 (Step 4 of 5): Enter the numeric code received via SMS on your phone, select both options for compliance and acceptance, and click “Confirmar.”
11. Page 11 (Step 5 of 5): Click to print and save the appointment as a PDF to print now or later. You will also receive an email with the appointment that you can print.

Remember, you’ll need to bring the appointment obtained in this step or the one you receive by email to the police.

2. OFFICIAL FEE – COMPLETE, PRINT, AND PAY IN PERSON AT A BANK

The next step is to fill out, print, and take the official fee of 16.08 euros to the bank. Most major Spanish banks are authorized by the tax office, and you can visit a nearby branch to pay this fee in cash. Additionally, if another person has an account with a bank, they can pay it in person using their account.

Make sure to go to the bank with time to spare before your appointment and ask there, as each bank has specific hours for these types of transactions, and payment is not possible at any time. Some banks may have designated hours on certain days of the week, and others may require an appointment.

Link: https://sede.policia.gob.es/Tasa790_012/ImpresoRellenar

To fill out the fee form:

• In the “Identificación” section, enter your NIE, last name, first name, and your residential address.
• In the “Autoliquidación” section, keep the “principal” option, and in the field “Tarjetas de identidad de extranjeros (TIE) y certificados de registro de residentes comunitarios,” select the option “TIE que documenta la primera concesión de la autorización de residencia temporal, de estancia o para trabajadores transfronterizos.”
• In the “Declarante” section, write your city.
• In the “Ingreso” section, select “en efectivo” for cash payment.
• Complete the Captcha code and click the “descargar impreso rellenado” button.
  This form doesn’t always download documents correctly, so to save them, you need to use the Print and Save as PDF options.

In the end, you need to obtain three pages to print on A4 paper at decent quality so the bank can stamp them.

3. OFFICIAL FORM – COMPLETE, PRINT TWICE, AND SIGN

You’ll need to complete and print the official form twice, which is specifically for those authorized to reside in Spain under the Entrepreneurial Law, which regulates aspects for digital nomads:

Link to form: https://www.inclusion.gob.es/documents/410169/2156463/MI_TIE_NOV_2018.pdf

In the “APPLICATION FOR FOREIGNER IDENTITY CARD” section, tick the option “inicial”.

In the “STATUS IN SPAIN” section, tick “emprendedor”.

The personal details required are:

• Pasaporte – Passport
• NIE
• Primer apellido – Surname
• Nombre – Name
• Sexo – H for man, M for woman
• Estado civil – S (single), C (married), V (widow), D (divorced, Sp (separated)
• Fecha de nacimiento – Birth date dd / mm / yyyy
• País – Your country
• Nacionalidad – Your country
• Nombre del Padre – Name and surname of father
• Nombre de la madre – Name and surname of mother
• Domicilio en España – Street name
• Nº – Street number
• Piso – Floor
• Localidad – City
• CP – Postal Code
• Provincia – Provincia
• Tf fijo – Telephone (do not fill)
• Tf móvil – Cell phone
• E-Mail – Your email

4. SUMMARY OF THE DOCUMENT LIST FOR THE TIE APPOINTMENT AT THE POLICE

Here’s a summary of the documents you’ll need to bring to the TIE appointment at the police:

• Passport – Your original passport.
• Passport-Sized Photos – Recent, passport-sized photographs that meet Spanish ID photo requirements (usually white background).
• Printed Appointment Confirmation – Bring the printed confirmation of your scheduled appointment obtained online.
• Official Fee Payment Receipt – The fee document stamped at the bank showing payment of the 16.08 euros fee.
• Completed and Signed Official Form – Two copies of the official TIE application form, completed and signed.
• Your printed residency authorization that we forward you once granted.

Before leaving the table where the police officer hands you the document, it is advisable to check that all the information on the provisional paper given to you during this appointment is correct.

Another important detail is that the police officer will inform you of how long it will take for the card to be ready and the location where you will need to pick it up. To collect the card, it is necessary to book a TIE pickup appointment and go to the police to have it handed to you, as explained in this other guide.

This process can often be somewhat complicated, so we can put you in touch with someone to hire it as a service.