Renewing your TIE card

How easy is it to renew a TIE card in Barcelona?

You’ve survived and thrived through your first year in Barcelona. Congratulations! But how do you go about renewing your TIE card to extend your stay?

You’ve already dealt with the first and most difficult round of Spanish bureaucracy: getting your TIE card otherwise known as your ‘residencia’. Now that you’ve decided to extend your stay, you know how difficult it can be. You might be dreading what lies ahead. 

But don’t worry! At Speakeasy BCN, we’ve helped hundreds of language school students renew their TIE cards in Spain. In this page, we’ll walk you through 5 easy steps to renew your TIE and take all the stress out of it.

Don’t forget to save a link to these instructions in case they come in handy!

TIE card vs NIE number – what’s the difference?

Let’s start by clearing up any confusion. If you’ve arrived in Spain and obtained a residency permit to remain for beyond the usual 3-month limit, you’ll have two important documents:

• NIE number: The NIE or Foreigner’s Identity Number (Numero de Identidad del Extranjero) is a unique number assigned to each foreigner living in Spain. This number never changes. You can’t ‘renew’ it – you can only ‘reactivate’ it if you lose your TIE card or it gets stolen while you’re in Spain.

• TIE card: The TIE card or Foreigner’s Identity Card (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero) is a physical card which grants you residency rights in Spain. It’s printed with a photograph and includes your NIE number. Each TIE card has an expiry date and, if you’re on a student visa for example, needs be renewed after your first 12 months in Spain.

You may have found this page after searching for “NIE renewal Spain” or “NIE renewal requirements” on a search engine. But, in truth, you’re looking to renew your TIE card in Spain.

With that out the way, let’s move on to the steps to renew it.

The 5 steps to renew your student TIE card in Barcelona, Spain

Step 1: Gather the right documents

The question we’re going to tackle is: what documents do you need to present?

As we are a Spanish language school in Barcelona, we have included information specifically for our language students. The student visa in Spain has specific requirements and procedures for renewal. You can find official information on the Spanish government’s website.

But in practice, we’ve found the information on the link above isn’t fully complete.  

Below, see the documents we recommend all foreign students renewing their TIE card in Spain should prepare:

• Official application form Ex-00 – download it here from the website of the Spanish government. Download the EX-00 form and fill it out.

• The official tax form Tasa 790 (052) – download it here from the website of the Spanish government. Download the Tasa 079 (052) form, fill it out, print it, and bring it to a nearby bank branch to make the payment. You can make this payment at any bank. The cost is 16.81 euros. 

• A copy of your passport identity pages. (You’ll also need to bring your original passport along to the appointment – see below.)

• A copy of your TIE card.  (You’ll also need to bring your original TIE card along to the appointment – see below.)

• A copy of your Empadronamiento document, which proves your current address. In the case you have changed your place of residence, you must provide the original and a copy of the new registration of your address. You can get a copy of your Empadronamiento from the OAC office (Oficina de Atencion Ciudadana) in your district in Barcelona – or any local town hall in Spain.

• Original and a copy of your private medical insurance (Seguro Medico sin carencia). It is important that your insurance coverage is sin carencia and sin copagos, which means that all insurance services are available to you without a time limit. You can contact us to provide you with a list of such insurance companies.

• Certificate of completion “Apovechamiento del curso” stating that you have successfully finished your previous studies and passed exams (you need to pass more than 50% of your exams) to be provided with this certificate.

• Original enrolment certificate “Matricula de la Escuela” for new course and proof of payment for the course. Please note! It is important that the pause/break between studies does not in exceed 2 months.

• Bank certificate proving you have sufficient funds to pay for the expenses of your stay (“La justificacion de medios economicos”). You must provide one of the following:

  • Bank account movement with a minimum monthly income of 600 euros for the last 6 months with a balance showing at least 3600 euros (600 euros x 6 months).

  • Bank account statement showing your balance of at least 7200 euros (600 euros x 12 months).

Step 2: Make an appointment to submit your documents

Once you have all the documents prepared, the easiest next step is to make an in-person appointment. It’s possible to renew your TIE card online – but it is more complex (see FAQ section).

For foreign students renewing their TIE card in Barcelona:

Speakeasy BCN students will find it easiest to make an appointment at the General Registry of the Government Delegation in Catalonia, Calle Bergara, 12. You must make an appointment in advance – you can make an appointment online here.

Opening hours of the General Registry in Barcelona are: Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Note the opening hours change in summer: (from June 16 to September 15) from Monday to Friday from 8 to 15 hours, Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For foreign students renewing their TIE card in other parts of Spain:

In most other parts of Spain, the place you will need to go depends on where you are. In some regions you may go to the local Immigration Office or Oficina de Extranjería. In other regions you’ll need to go to the nearest Policía Nacional office.

You can get an appointment online for any region in Spain through this link. Then follow these steps:

• Select the province where you have your current residence in Spain

• Look under both TRÁMITES OFICINAS DE EXTRANJERÍA and TRÁMITES POLICÍA NACIONAL (in some provinces, only one will appear) and look for the words “Prórroga’”or “Renovación de tarjeta de larga duración”. 

• Note down the address you’re presented with on the next page. This is where you’ll go for the appointment. 

• Fill out your details.

• Click on ‘Solicitar Cita’.

• Choose a day and time that suits you.

REMEMBER: Bring along all the relevant documents we covered above to your appointment.

Also worth noting. Sometimes you may get a message that there are ‘no appointments available’. Unfortunately, appointments can get booked out far in advance. You will have to try again at a later time – or contact your language school for support.

Step 3: View the status of your renewal file

Assuming you have now submitted your documents, how long does it take to get an answer?

Within 1 to 4 months you can view your renewal file on the immigration website. If the decision on your case is “Favorable”, your application has been approved.

But if there is a missing document your file status will appear as “Requerido”. You should receive a letter at your home address explaining what other documentation you need to submit. You’ll need to request another appointment as in Step 2 to submit the missing information. If you’re applying as a langauge student in Barcelona, you will be able to check province “Barcelona” and the process as “Incidencias trámites extranjería” (Immigration processing incidents).

If your file is marked “Archivado” (archived) or “Denegado” (rejected), it is because there was some problem with your documentation. 

You can request an appointment to find out why it was rejected. If you’re applying as a language students in Barcelona, must check the province “Barcelona” and the process “Información” (Information).

Step 4: Make an appointment to get your fingerprints taken

After your renewal has been approved, you’re not quite done yet. Next, you will make an appointment at police office to get your fingerprints taken for your new NIE card. You can make the appointment using this link.

Then follow these steps:

• Select “cita previa de extranjeria” 

• Click “acceder al procedimiento”

• Choose your province of residence (e.g. Barcelona) 

• Choose a polica station near to you or leave as “cualquier oficina” and select the “trámite” that includes text such as TOMA DE HUELLAS RENOVACIÓN DE TARJETA DE LARGA DURACIÓN

• If you don’t have a “clave” you can proceed without having one

• Fill in your details

• Choose the time slot

• Save or print out your appointment confirmation.

You must bring the following documents with you to your appointment:

• Application form EX-17 (original and copy)

• Passport and a copy

• Current or recently expired TIE card

• Two recent passport photos

• Screenshot of the “Resulto – Favorable” printed out (i.e. the status of your renewal file as in Step 3)

• In case of a change of your home registration, you must provide a new “empadronamiento” with a new address.

• Paid receipt of application fee (Modelo 790, Código 012).

Step 5: Pick up your new TIE card!

At least 30 days after your TIE extension approval, you should be able to pick up your TIE card. 

There isn’t usually a specific appointment to make. You just need to show up at the immigration office or police station where you initially submitted your documents for the TIE renewal.

You bring with you:

• Passport

• Old TIE card

• “Resguardo de solicitud” (this document will be given to you after submitting your fingerprints)

Are you a student at Speakeasy BCN and need assistance?

If you need more information or have any questions, don’t hesitate to please get in contact. We’re happy to help and our team has a lot of experience in dealing with these procedures!

If you’re not a student with us, we recommend you check with student advisors at your language school or university.

Not yet started studying Spanish or want to change courses?

Speakeasy BCN is an accredited Spanish language school in Barcelona. You are able to get or renew a Spain student visa just by making a successful application for one of our courses. Click here to see our current range of Spanish courses.