Autorización de regreso: can you travel while renewing your permit?

What autorización de regreso is and who needs it

The autorización de regreso (“return authorisation”) is provided for in Article 5 of the Reglamento. It is needed when the usual documents for leaving and returning are missing or their status is unclear. The Reglamento names two situations [1].

First: your residence or stay permit is in the renewal period. You may then be issued a regreso if you prove that you applied for renewal within the legal deadline. Second: the holder of a valid TIE has had it stolen, lost, destroyed or damaged and has applied for a duplicate [1]. The article says “may be issued”: there is no automatic right, and the authority decides on the application.

If you have a valid permit and a valid TIE, you do not need a regreso: neither of the two cases applies to you. Nor does it become a new residence permit; it is only a right to return on the terms stated in the document.

Can you leave Spain while your residence permit is being renewed?

Applying for renewal on time does not settle the question of travel. What it does is preserve your situation in Spain: for no lucrativa, an application filed within two months before expiry, or within three months after expiry, extends the validity of the previous permit until a decision is made (Article 64) [1]. For the DNV, the same rule applies under Article 76 of Ley 14/2013: the application extends the validity of the permit until a decision, including when it is filed within 90 days after the previous period ends [4]. Deadlines for other grounds are set out separately in the Reglamento, so check the article for your own ground.

But renewing your permit and having the right to return to Spain across the border are two different things. The filing receipt shows that your case is in progress, but it is not a document for the border: that is what the regreso is for. What the authority checks on the merits, for example how many days you have lived in Spain, depends on the ground: for no lucrativa, renewal requires more than 183 days of actual residence in the calendar year (Article 64.2.f) [1]. We covered this topic in the article how long you can be away from Spain with a residence permit.

Until your renewal is decided, plan any trip outside Spain only after you have the regreso and have checked your route. The general renewal procedure is described in the articles residence permit renewal in Spain and when to apply for renewal.

How long autorización de regreso is valid: three situations

The validity period depends on when you applied and why you need to travel. Article 5 distinguishes three options [1].

An example based on the text of the article: your permit expires on 1 November and you applied in October, so the window is valid for no more than 90 days starting from 1 November. When the trip is caused by a situation of necessity (illness, the funeral of a relative and the like), the application is processed as a priority [1]. Within the period, the number of entries and exits is unlimited, and one document is enough [1].

This limitation is often forgotten: under Article 5.6 of the Reglamento, which refers to EU law, the regreso is valid only for entry through Spanish border crossing points [1]. If your route enters the Schengen area through another country, check it separately and before buying tickets. Neither the Policía page nor the Reglamento says anything about such a route.

How to get regreso: what to do

Policía Nacional describes the procedure as follows: the application is made in person on form EX-13, together with the receipt for payment of the tasa under modelo 790 código 012. You can apply at any Oficina de Extranjería or police unit [2]. The document is issued by the Delegado or Subdelegado del Gobierno, the Comisario General de Extranjería y Fronteras, or the heads of Policía stations and border posts [1][2].

1. Show that your renewal has been filed. Article 5 requires you to prove that you started the renewal on time. Bring proof of filing and the application itself [1].
2. Download form EX-13 from the Policía page [2].
3. Pay the fee under modelo 790 código 012. According to the Policía table, a regreso costs €10.72 [3]. The payment form is generated on the Policía website, payment is accepted at banks and savings banks (cajas), and you do not need to open an account [2]. How to choose the code is explained in the articles on tasas 790 and on paying the fee online.
4. Submit the application in person. Appointments are made through cita previa; to avoid choosing the wrong office, see the article cita previa at extranjería.
5. Wait for the reply and only then buy tickets. The Policía page does not state a processing time, and if there is no reply the application is deemed rejected [2].

A decision on a regreso does not exhaust the administrative route: you can appeal a refusal under the general rules [2]. We wrote about the difference between silencio negativo and silencio positivo in the article on silencio positivo.

What you can and cannot do with this document

A regreso only gives you the right to return to Spain. It does not lift other countries’ entry and transit requirements, does not replace a valid passport and does not extend your permit. The decision to admit you at the border is taken by the border authorities, not the airline: the carrier’s answer on boarding is no substitute.

Do not schedule your return for the last day of the period: if the flight is cancelled that day, the document will stop being valid. Keep copies of your passport, the renewal application, the receipt and the regreso itself separately from the originals. If the document you are issued contains an error, do not correct it yourself; contact the authority that issued it.

If you are already abroad

This case is poorly covered by the Reglamento, and we do not have a universal answer. Article 5 refers to an application by the holder who intends to leave, and to periods counted from the expiry of the permit or from the issue of the document [1]. Policía states that you must apply in person at an Oficina de Extranjería or a police unit [2]. The sources do not say how this fits a situation where the person has already left.

If you are already abroad and your renewal has not yet been decided or your card has been lost, the answer depends on your nationality, the type of permit, the country you are in and your route. Do not count on getting the document retroactively, or on a scan of the receipt being enough to enter. It is better to contact the Spanish consulate first and get an individual review at the same time. If you lose your TIE abroad, the procedure is described in the article lost or stolen TIE.

Common mistakes with autorización de regreso

• Buying tickets before the decision. If there is no reply, the application is deemed rejected, and getting a refund for the ticket is your problem.
• Applying for a regreso without proof of renewal. Article 5 expressly requires you to prove that the renewal was started on time [1].
• Not telling the two cases apart. A regreso during renewal and a regreso after losing a TIE are applied for on different grounds; in the second case you must prove that you applied for a duplicate [1].
• Paying under the wrong code. The fee is paid under modelo 790 código 012, not código 052 or the UGE fee code [2].
• Treating the document as a travel document for Europe. It is for returning to Spain through Spanish border crossing points [1].
• Counting the 90 days from the date of issue when the application was filed before expiry. In that case the period runs from the expiry date of the permit [1].

When you need an individual review

An individual review is worthwhile if the trip coincides with your renewal and you do not live in Spain all year; if the renewal was filed late, within three months after expiry; if the trip is out of necessity; if the route passes through other Schengen countries; if each family member has a different permit expiry date. In these cases a general answer may not fit.

How we can help

The ReloVictory team in Barcelona checks whether you need a regreso, prepares form EX-13 and the set of supporting documents, checks the fee code and amount, and finds an appointment. The legal side is handled by the team’s lawyer, the administrative side by a gestor. You can book through the consultation form, and for the general renewal scheme see the renewal route card and the residence permit renewal page.

Frequently asked questions

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ReloVictory · Sources reviewed 02.10.2026 · Not a substitute for individual legal advice.