Ayuda Trámites
Since 8 October 2026, the Policía Nacional books the TIE fingerprint appointment automatically for some approved applications (10 % at first) and sends it by SMS or email. See whether you get one. No appointment 20 days after the notification? Book it yourself.
Does the Policía book your appointment automatically?
Not everyone gets an automatic TIE fingerprint appointment (the TIE is your foreigner identity card). Check your residence permit approval letter (resolución) to find out. Not sure where your resolución is? See how to check your application status.
If your letter mentions an automatic appointment, the Policía will send you the date, time and police station by SMS, email or both.
| What your approval letter says | What you should do |
|---|---|
| It mentions an automatic appointment | Wait for the SMS or email. Check your spam folder too. |
| It does not mention an automatic appointment | Book your fingerprint appointment yourself. |
| Your approval has conditions you must meet first | Meet those conditions (for example, your Social Security registration), then book your appointment yourself. |
| You have not received an appointment 20 days after you were notified | Book it yourself, even if your letter mentions an automatic appointment. |
Where will the notification go?
The Policía uses the phone number and email address from your application. If a lawyer or gestor submitted your application, check with them too.
No appointment after 20 days? Book it yourself
- Open the official website.
Go to the immigration cita previa website.
- Choose the province.
Select the province where you live and click "Aceptar".
Open the "Provincias disponibles" list and pick your province. - Choose the fingerprint appointment.
Next to "Trámites Policía Nacional", choose the toma de huellas (fingerprint appointment for the TIE). In Barcelona it is called "POLICÍA-TOMA DE HUELLAS"; other provinces may word it differently. Click "Aceptar".
For the TIE, choose "POLICÍA-TOMA DE HUELLAS". - Read the page and choose "Presentación con Cl@ve".
The main points on that page: you can only get your TIE in the province where you live; before booking, check that your application shows "Resuelto favorable" (see how to check your application status); and the appointment is personal, so every family member needs their own. At the bottom, click "Presentación con Cl@ve" if you have Cl@ve, a digital certificate or DNIe, or "Presentación sin Cl@ve" if you do not.
Scroll down the page: both buttons are at the bottom. - Choose how to identify yourself.
On the Cl@ve page, pick your method: digital certificate or DNIe, Cl@ve Móvil or Cl@ve permanente.
The Cl@ve page can appear in Spanish or English. Here, with a digital certificate. - Choose your certificate.
Your browser asks which certificate to use: select it and click "OK" or "Aceptar".
This is how it looks on a Mac. On Windows the window looks different but works the same. - Complete your details.
Click "Copiar a datos solicitante" to fill in your NIE and name, choose your nationality and click "Aceptar". Without Cl@ve you type the details yourself, and the form only accepts a NIE, not a passport number. They must match exactly the details the Policía has for you, or you will not be seen.
Your NIE, name and nationality must match your documents. - Click "Solicitar Cita".
From here you can also check or cancel an appointment. - Check for appointments.
If there are any, you choose an office, date and time. Most people see the message "En este momento no hay citas disponibles" (no appointments available right now): you did nothing wrong, the slots are simply taken. Try again on another day and at another time.
What to do if there are no appointments
The message most people see: no free appointments right now. - Save the confirmation. You need it if you want to cancel later.
This is the same TIE appointment you would always book. If no slots show up, our guide to the Extranjería cita previa covers every step and what to do when there are no appointments.
If you cannot go to the appointment
Cancel it on the same cita previa website where you book, before the day of the appointment. You need your details and the code in the SMS or email (número de justificante). You cannot cancel on the day itself.
Once you cancel, the system assigns you a new appointment when dates free up. If you do not go and did not cancel, you have to book a new appointment the usual way. The Málaga Extranjería Office explains this in the text it attaches to decisions.
What to bring to the fingerprint appointment
Take these documents to the comisaría (police station):
- Your appointment confirmation (from the SMS, email or cita previa website).
- Your valid passport or cédula de inscripción (registration document), the original. A passport must have been issued in the last ten years.
- Your previous TIE, if you have one.
- Your resolución (approval letter), if you were given one.
- A recent colour photo of 32 × 26 mm, facing forward, on a plain white background.
- Your certificado de empadronamiento (proof of your registered address, issued in the last three months, original and a copy) if you moved since your current card was issued, or your permission for them to check it.
- Form EX-17 (see how to apply for your TIE).
- Proof that you paid the tasa 790 012 (the Policía fee for the card), printed in full, including the bottom part marked "Ejemplar para la Administración". A photocopy is not accepted.
If a document is missing, you will not get the card.
At the appointment, the police take your fingerprints and your application. You collect the card itself later: see collecting your TIE card.
Where it works and why it is a trial
This is a trial by the Policía, announced on 8 October 2026. At first, only about 1 in 10 cases decided from that date gets an automatic appointment; everyone else books it the usual way. According to the Policía, it runs in Girona, Tarragona, Lleida and the rest of Spain, and since 9 October also in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante, Málaga and Murcia. Later, the authorities will decide whether to use it for everyone.
In Málaga, the appointment goes to the police station closest to your home, in order of decision date and depending on free slots at each station; conditional approvals are left out of the system.
Common problems
You have a technical problem with the automatic appointment
The Policía Documentation Units have no access to the automatic system and cannot fix it. Use the official cita previa help form, the support desk (CAU) for the immigration appointment app.
Someone offers you an appointment for money
The cita previa is free, and so is the automatic one. If someone asks you to pay for it, do not.
Tips many people share
These are not official Policía rules, but they help:
- Put the date when the 20 days run out in your calendar.
- Keep the SMS or email: it has the details you need to cancel.
Frequently asked questions
What is the fingerprint appointment and why do I need it?
It is the appointment where the Policía take your fingerprints and your application for the TIE card. You have to apply for the TIE in person within one month of your permit being approved, and this appointment is how you do it.
Is the automatic appointment for all foreigners?
No. It is a pilot that initially covers 10 % of cases decided from 8 October 2026. Your decision tells you whether your case is included.
Can I choose the police station or date?
No. The Policía assigns the appointment. If it does not suit you, cancel it before the appointment day. The system will assign another one when dates are available.
Do I have to pay for the appointment?
Not for the appointment. To get the card you do pay the tasa 790 012, and you bring proof of payment to the appointment.
Does the automatic system also apply to TIE renewals?
The Policía describes it for cases with a decision granting the permit. If you are renewing and your decision does not mention the automatic appointment, book it yourself; the steps are in our guide to renewing your TIE.
Official procedure
Official sources
These are the official sources for this guide:
- Dirección General de la Policía: inicio del proyecto piloto de asignación automática de cita para toma de huella (8-10-2026, publicado por el ICAB) www.icab.es
- Cita previa de extranjería, portal ICP (administracionelectronica.gob.es) icp.administracionelectronica.gob.es
- Consulta sobre la aplicación de Extranjería: incidencias de cita previa (sede de las Administraciones Públicas) ssweb.seap.minhap.es
- Tarjeta inicial o renovación de residencia o residencia y trabajo (Sede de la Policía Nacional) sede.policia.gob.es
- Tarjeta de identidad de extranjero (Ministerio del Interior) www.interior.gob.es
- Tasa modelo 790 código 012: rellenar y descargar el impreso (Policía Nacional) sede.policia.gob.es
These links go to official websites. Booking an appointment and downloading official forms is free; if the procedure has an official fee, it is paid only to the authorities.
Spotted something incorrect? Email us at info@ayudatramites.es.
