How to Book a SEPE Appointment Online or by Phone

Important: SEPE is not the same as your regional employment service

SEPE is the state employment service and mainly handles unemployment benefits and subsidies. In Spain, registering as unemployed or as an officially registered jobseeker, known as demandante de empleo, is normally handled by the regional employment service of your Autonomous Community. Examples include SOC in Catalonia, LABORA in the Valencian Community and SAE in Andalusia.

This distinction matters because many people search for a SEPE appointment when they really need to register as unemployed or renew their jobseeker status. To apply for unemployment benefit, you normally need to be registered first as a demandante de empleo with the regional service.

How to book your SEPE appointment online

Use the official SEPE Electronic Headquarters when you need an in-person appointment for unemployment benefits or subsidies. The booking service is in Spanish, so it helps to know the key words before you start.

Step by step online

1. Open the official SEPE appointment page. Go to SEPE Cita Previa in the Electronic Headquarters. Check that you are on an official SEPE or gob.es domain before entering personal details.
2. Select the correct trámite. A trámite is the procedure you want to do. Common options relate to benefit applications, benefit information, submitting documents or changing benefit-related details.
3. Enter your postcode. The system uses your Spanish postcode to show the offices and options that correspond to you. Do not use a false postcode to force a different office.
4. Choose one of the offices offered by the system. After your postcode, SEPE may show available options. In many provinces, and depending on the options shown by the system, distrito único means that if there is no appointment at the nearest office, the system can offer other offices within the same province. Use only the official options shown to you.
5. Select date and time. Choose one of the available slots. If none appears, try again later or the next day and check whether the system offers another office in your province.
6. Enter your contact details. You will normally need your NIE or DNI, name, phone number and email address. Make sure the details are correct because the confirmation and locator may be sent by email or SMS.
7. Confirm and save the locator. Review the procedure, office, date and time. Save your localizador, the appointment locator code. You may need it to consult or cancel the appointment.

Booking by phone: 91 926 79 70

SEPE lists 91 926 79 70 as the official appointment phone number, available 24 hours. It is an automated service for booking or cancelling appointments. The appointment has no administrative fee, but the call may depend on your phone tariff. For general information about benefits, procedures or certificates, SEPE uses 060. The 060 line may have a cost depending on your operator.

1. Call 91 926 79 70. This is the official automated appointment line. You will not speak to a human operator.
2. Have your NIE or DNI ready. The system uses your identification number to associate the appointment with you.
3. Follow the Spanish voice prompts. Choose the option to request an appointment and listen carefully to the available choices.
4. Write down every detail. Note the date, time, office and locator code. If you book by phone, do not rely only on memory.

What to bring to your SEPE appointment

The appointment only reserves your visit. You still need the documents for the procedure you are doing. Missing documents can mean another visit and another appointment.

• Your valid ID: DNI, NIE/TIE, passport or EU identity document, depending on your case. The person attending should match the name and ID used for the appointment, unless you attend with valid representation documents.
• Your TIE if you have one. If you are a non-EU foreign resident, SEPE may ask for your TIE and passport. EU citizens may need the identity document from their country and proof of NIE, depending on the procedure.
• The appointment locator. Bring the localizador on your phone, printed or written down.
• Procedure-specific documents. These may include the application form, company certificate, family book or equivalent, income documents, bank account proof, letters from SEPE or any document requested for your benefit or subsidy.

On the day of your appointment

Arrive a few minutes early, check the office address and keep your documents organised. If the appointment is for an unemployment benefit application, check beforehand that your regional jobseeker registration is already active.

• Arrive around 10 minutes early. This gives you time to find the entrance and wait for your turn.
• Do not confuse the two services. SEPE and the regional employment service may share a building, but they do not always handle the same procedures.
• Do not use someone else’s details. The appointment is linked to the NIE or DNI entered during booking.
• Keep proof of the appointment. Save emails, SMS messages or screenshots that confirm the booking or cancellation.

Common problems and safer solutions

No appointments available

If there is no appointment at your nearest office, try again later or the next day. Slots can change during the day. Also check whether the official system offers another office in your province through distrito único. Do not change your postcode to force another office. Use only the options shown by the official system. For more detail, read our guide on what to do when no SEPE appointments are available.

I need to cancel or change my appointment

SEPE does not usually offer a direct reschedule button. If you cannot attend, the normal route is to cancel the existing appointment and book a new one. You can cancel online through the Electronic Headquarters or by calling 91 926 79 70. See the full steps in our guide to cancel a SEPE appointment.

I lost or cannot remember my locator

First check the email account and SMS messages you used when booking. If you need to cancel, use the official cancellation option or call 91 926 79 70. If you already have an active appointment linked to your NIE/DNI, the system may stop you from booking another one until you cancel the old appointment or until it has passed. If you cannot recover or cancel it, contact 060 or try again after the appointment date has passed.

I actually need to register as unemployed

If your goal is apuntarse al paro, meaning registering as unemployed or obtaining officially registered jobseeker status, start with your regional employment service. After that, SEPE handles the benefit or subsidy side if you meet the requirements.

Someone is asking me to pay for a SEPE appointment

Do not pay. A SEPE appointment has no administrative fee and is booked through official channels. Be careful with premium numbers, ads and websites that present themselves as compulsory intermediaries. For phone numbers, use our guide to SEPE phone numbers.