The TIE card — the proof you actually live here.
The Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero is the physical card that turns a granted permit into something you can put in your wallet — with your photo and your NIE on it. We request the cita previa on your behalf, prepare the padrón and the EX-17, settle the Modelo 790/012, and brief you so the fingerprints take one clean visit. Including the post-Brexit Article 50 card for British citizens.
You already have the right to be here. The TIE is just the piece of plastic that saves you from explaining that at every counter in Spain.
The TIE, in plain English
Four moving parts. None of them individually hard — but each is a separate queue, a separate form, and a separate way to lose your appointment slot.
An underlying authorisation
The TIE doesn’t grant status — it proves it. You first need a residence authorisation (a visa, a permit, or your rights under the Withdrawal Agreement if you’re a UK national). The card simply gives that status a physical form, with your photo and your NIE printed on it.
Cita previa & empadronamiento
You book the appointment (cita previa) at the police station or foreigners’ office, and you register on the padrón at your local town hall (empadronamiento). No cita, no card — and in high season on the Costa del Sol, appointments vanish fast, so we request yours the moment your file is ready.
The paperwork: EX-17 & Modelo 790/012
The application form is the EX-17, and the government fee is paid using the tasa Modelo 790, código 012. Add a recent passport-style photo and your supporting documents. We confirm the current fee and the exact document list at the time of your appointment.
Fingerprints, in person
The final step is the toma de huellas — you attend the police station in person to give your fingerprints and hand in the file. Then you collect the finished card a few weeks later. It’s the one part nobody can do for you; everything around it, we do.
The exact fee (tasa Modelo 790/012) and the documents required are set by the authorities and confirmed at the time of your appointment.
From granted permit to card in your wallet
Confirm the route & the clock
We check which TIE you need — Withdrawal Agreement (Article 50), family member of an EU citizen, or a standard residence permit — and note the 30-day window, because the card is normally applied for within 30 days of entry or of the authorisation being granted.
Padrón & document pack
We advise you through the empadronamiento, prepare the EX-17, generate and settle the Modelo 790/012, and assemble the photo and supporting papers — so the file is complete before anyone at the counter looks at it.
Cita previa & fingerprints
We request the cita previa on your behalf and brief you for the toma de huellas: where to go, what to carry, what they’ll ask. You show up once, give your fingerprints, and hand over a file that’s already right.
Collection & renewals
You collect the card once it’s printed. Because the TIE’s validity matches the authorisation behind it, we log the expiry and handle the renewal when that comes round — so the card never quietly lapses while you’re busy living.
The questions we get first
What’s the difference between the NIE and the TIE?
The NIE is a number — your foreigner’s identification number, which follows you for life and which everything from a bank account to a phone contract will ask for. The TIE is the physical card that proves you legally reside in Spain, and it has your NIE printed on it. Put simply: the NIE is the number, the TIE is the card. You can have an NIE without residing here; the TIE only exists once you have residence to prove.
How long do I have to apply for the TIE?
As a general rule you apply for the TIE within 30 days — counted from your entry into Spain, or from the date the authorisation is granted, depending on your route. That window is tighter than people expect, and it collides with the appointment shortages on the Costa del Sol. We request the cita previa as early as the system allows and get the padrón and paperwork ready so the 30 days work for you rather than against you.
I’m a British citizen — is my TIE different?
It can be. UK nationals whose rights are protected by the Withdrawal Agreement receive a specific residence card that reads "Artículo 50 TUE" — recognising your status under the Brexit deal rather than a standard permit. It’s the card that shows you’re a beneficiary of the Agreement. We handle these regularly, including exchanges from older green certificates to the biometric card, and we’ll tell you exactly which document applies to your situation.
What do I actually need to bring?
Broadly: the completed EX-17 form, proof you’ve paid the tasa Modelo 790 código 012, a recent passport-style photo, your passport, your empadronamiento certificate, and the document proving your underlying authorisation. The precise list and the current fee are set by the authorities and can change, so we confirm both at the time of your appointment rather than working from a figure that may be out of date.
Does the TIE expire, and do I have to renew it?
Yes. The card’s validity mirrors the residence authorisation behind it — so when the underlying permit or status is renewed, the card is renewed too. Letting it lapse can complicate travel and everyday admin, so we keep the expiry on our calendar and start the renewal in good time. The card is a snapshot of a status that itself has a shelf life.
Can you go to the appointment for me?
We can do almost everything around it — the cita previa, the padrón, the EX-17, the Modelo 790/012, the document pack and the briefing. The one step that requires you in person is the toma de huellas: fingerprints have to be your own. So you attend once, we make sure that once is clean, and you’re not queuing three times because a form was wrong.
Reviewed by a lawyer
Reviewed by Alberto García López
Immigration lawyer · ICA Málaga, reg. no. 11.441
We check every page against current Spanish law. This is general information, not advice on your individual case.
Globalium is an independent law firm, not a government agency, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any public administration. Visas, permits and identification numbers are granted solely by the Spanish authorities, and you are free to apply to them directly yourself. Our fees pay for legal advice and representation, and are separate from any official fee or tax.
Tell us your status. We'll get the file right.
A straight answer on which TIE you need, what it costs, and how we take you through the cita previa and the fingerprints in a single, clean visit — Article 50 card included.
+34 667 77 02 19 · infoglobalextranjeria@gmail.com
P.S. — the 30-day window starts quietly the moment you land. Best to have the appointment booked before the tan lines fade.