How to Get Through Your Fingerprinting Appointment Successfully: What It Is For, Where It Takes Place, Documents and Booking

Once your residence application has been approved, you are very close to finally getting your residence card. Only one last step remains: the fingerprinting appointment to obtain your TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero, the foreigner identity card).

In this article we explain how the process works step by step, the requirements you must meet and what to bring on the day of your fingerprinting appointment.

What is the fingerprinting appointment?

Fingerprinting (toma de huellas) is a procedure in which the National Police (Policía Nacional) or the staff of the Immigration Office (Oficina de Extranjería) take your fingerprints so that they are on record.

In general, fingerprinting is the last step in the process of obtaining your TIE (sometimes wrongly called the NIE) or residence card.

In other words, when you file your residence application in Spain (whether for your initial residence authorization or for a renewal), you will have to go to the Immigration Office so that your fingerprints can be recorded and the physical card, which will be your identity document in the country, can finally be issued to you.

When does this step take place?

After you submit your application and the administration has taken the time it needs, you will receive a notification with the details of your favorable decision. In other words, your application has been approved.

On the administration's online platform where you have been checking the status of your application, you will see your assigned TIE along with the rest of your personal details, as well as the decision date (this date is important).

Depending on the procedure you are going through and the autonomous community where you live, this online information will be enough to book an appointment at the Immigration Office and have your fingerprints taken (by presenting a screenshot of the decision).

In some cases, however, that will not be enough: you will have to wait for a confirmation letter to arrive at your home address.

When does this letter arrive? Counting from the decision date you see online, allow 15 to 20 days for the letter to reach your home.

If it has not arrived 15 days after that date, you will need to go to the Immigration Office to request a duplicate, because, as we mentioned, certain procedures require it before your fingerprints can be taken.

Others, however, such as the long-term TIE or the EU family member card, do not, and the online decision alone is enough.

Where does the process take place?

Once you have your favorable decision, you must register your fingerprints to request the issuance of your physical residence card. The process is very simple.

First, you must book an appointment online. On the day of the appointment you must present all the documents. At that point the production of your card will be requested, and a few days later you will have to come back to collect it.

This whole process takes place at the Immigration Office or police station closest to you that corresponds to the place where you are registered with the town hall (empadronamiento, municipal registration), more precisely at the Foreigners' Documentation Unit (brigada de documentación de extranjeros) of the National Police.

How do you book the fingerprinting appointment?

The prior appointment (cita previa) is requested online through the Public Administration's electronic office (Sede Electrónica). It is vital to make sure you enter all your details correctly (email and phone number), since that is where you will receive notifications.

Which documents must you present on the day of the appointment?

• 2 or 3 recent passport-style photos (that is, in color, with a white background and facing forward)
• Form EX-17 (the standard form for the issuance of residence cards), plus a copy of it, duly completed.
• Original passport, which must be valid (and a full copy)
• Initial residence card (if you are going through a renewal)
• Copy or screenshot of the decision granting your residence authorization (in some cases the online decision will be enough, in others you will need to provide the letter)
• Municipal registration certificate (empadronamiento) (both for initial applications and for renewals if you have changed address)
• Tasa 790-012 (the card fee), paid in advance, since the exact amount varies depending on the type of residence you are applying for. You must fill in the fee form online, download it to your computer and then pay it at any bank.
• Copy of the appointment confirmation

There are also two special cases in which the applicant must be accompanied:

If the applicant is a minor, they must be accompanied by their legal representative with the proper documents (father, mother or guardian).

And if it is a card for family reunification, the reunited family member must be accompanied by the sponsoring family member with their original card.

How long does the NIE take after fingerprinting?

Once your fingerprints have been taken, you will be given a receipt (resguardo) confirming that you have completed the process successfully.

This procedure takes approximately 30 to 40 days.

On the day of your fingerprinting appointment, the office staff will tell you from which date you can book your second appointment to collect the card (which will take place at the same Immigration Office where you had your fingerprints taken).

By then, make sure you keep the receipt and bring it on collection day, and the card will finally be yours!