Renew or replace your TIE: the right route for your situation

Which TIE situation are you in

Your TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero, the physical residence card) is not the same as your right to live in Spain. That right is your authorisation. The card just proves it. The golden rule is simple: renew your card on time and always keep the receipt (the resguardo, the paper you get when you file). That receipt is your proof that you are legal while the office works on your file.

• Route 1: you hold a temporary residence card and need to renew it
• Route 2: you hold a long-term (larga duracion) card and need to renew it
• Route 3: your card is lost, stolen or damaged

Renewing a temporary residence TIE

If you have temporary residence, renewing is a two-part job. First you renew the authorisation itself at the Oficina de Extranjeria. Once that is approved, you go to the National Police to get the new physical card, using form EX-17 and giving your fingerprints again. Read our full walkthrough of the TIE application process in Spain if this is your first time doing any of this.

1. Renew the authorisation first. File your renewal at the Oficina de Extranjeria during the two months before your card expires.
2. Pay the fee (Modelo 790, code 012). Once the authorisation is renewed, pay the card fee before your police appointment.
3. Book your police appointment. Use the cita previa (prior appointment) system to book your fingerprint slot. See our guide to booking an Extranjeria appointment in Spain.
4. Attend with your documents and give your fingerprints. Bring everything on the checklist below.
5. Collect the new card when it is ready. You will be told where and when to pick it up.

Renewal checklist

The documents to bring to your fingerprint appointment for the new card after renewing your authorisation.

• Completed form EX-17
• Valid passport
• Your renewal resolution, or the filing receipt if the decision has not arrived yet
• Proof of payment of the fee
• One recent passport-style photo
• Your old TIE card

Filing within the two month window

The standard case is easy: file your renewal during the two months right before your card's expiry date. Filing within this window automatically extends the validity of your old card until the office decides your case. Keep your filing receipt with you, it is your proof that you are still legal.

If your card has already expired

Do not panic, but do act now. You can still file within three months after the expiry date and your old card's validity will still be extended until the decision. A sanction procedure is possible for filing late, but this is a separate matter from your right to stay. File as soon as you can, do not wait any longer.

If your situation has changed

A straight renewal only works if nothing has changed. If you are moving from one authorisation to another, for example from a study authorisation to a work authorisation, this is a modification, not a simple renewal, and it has its own requirements. We do not cover the details here: check the official source for your exact case before you file anything.

Renewing a long-term (larga duracion) TIE

If you hold long-term residence (also called residencia de larga duracion, a permanent status with no expiry date), renewal only ever touches the card, never the authorisation. You still use form EX-17 and give your fingerprints again at the Police, and the fee at the time of writing is 21.87 euros (always check the current amount, since fees change).

Your first renewal

The first card renewal falls due at five years. After that, renewals continue every five years until you turn 30, then every ten years once you are past 30. Mark the date in your calendar and file during the two months before it.

If your card has already expired

Here is the good news: missing this deadline never ends your long-term residence authorisation. Your right to live in Spain stays exactly the same. Still, renew the card as soon as you can, because you need a valid document for everyday things like opening a bank account, some jobs, or travel.

If you need to travel soon

An expired card with a renewal already in progress can cause problems at the airport or the border. If you need to travel before the new card arrives, ask about an autorizacion de regreso (return authorisation, a document that lets you leave and re-enter Spain while your paperwork is being processed).

Replacing a lost, stolen or damaged TIE

Losing your card does not affect your residence status. Your NIE number never changes, whatever the reason for the replacement.

Lost or stolen

First file a police report (denuncia, a formal report you file at any police station). Then book an appointment and file form EX-17 marked as a duplicate request, along with the fee.

Damaged or unreadable

If your card is broken, cracked or the chip or text can no longer be read, book an appointment, file form EX-17 as a duplicate, and pay the fee for your card type.

Lost and expired at the same time

If your card is both lost and expired, you can combine the renewal and the replacement into one process. Be honest with yourself here: the exact order of steps can vary between offices, so ask your local Oficina de Extranjeria or Police station how they want to handle your specific case.

Fees and forms at a glance

While you wait for the decision

Your filing receipt is your proof that you are legal while your case is being processed. Keep a copy on you and on your phone. The physical card itself usually takes some weeks to arrive after your appointment, so plan ahead for anything that needs your ID, like travel or starting a new job. If you must travel before the card arrives, ask about the autorizacion de regreso mentioned above.

Common problems and how to fix them

No fingerprint appointments available

The appointment system (cita previa) is free. Never pay a reseller or a third party who claims they can get you a slot faster, this is not an official service.

Confusing the authorisation with the card

Remember: for temporary residence you renew both, the authorisation first and then the card. For long-term residence you only ever renew the card.

Fee paid with the wrong code or amount

Always use Modelo 790, code 012, and check the current amount before you pay. A wrong payment can delay your whole file.

Address does not match

If your registered address (empadronamiento, your town hall residence registration) does not match what is on file, sort this out before your appointment, it can cause your renewal to be rejected.