How to check your expediente de extranjería: SMS, phone and sede

How to check your expediente de extranjería: official channels

The sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es page on case status describes two channels [1]. It provides information on the progress of cases at the oficinas de extranjería, and the body named as responsible is the Delegaciones y Subdelegaciones del Gobierno.

• SMS. Number 651 714 610, at no extra charge. In the text, write the word NIE, a space and your number, for example “NIE X00000111L”, or the word EXPE, a space and the 15-character case number [1]. The system rejects a case number of any other length with an error message [1].
• Phone. 902 02 22 22; this system also gives the data for information only [1].

The system adds a reminder to its reply: “Datos de carácter informativo”. This means the message does not replace a decision and has no legal effect. The service is not intended for EU citizens: they should contact the office where their card was issued [1]. We have not found an official list of status wordings, so do not judge your case by a single word in the reply: read the decision and find the notification date.

Which channel for which case

Not all cases are tracked the same way. First identify the authority, then the channel.

In Barcelona, the Delegación del Gobierno gives the phone number 93 520 14 10 for questions to the Oficina de Extranjería, on working days from 9 to 14 h, and an online enquiry form [8]. The leaflet is dated 20.05.2025, so check that it is still current. The difference between the authorities is explained in the article extranjería and the UGE: who is responsible for what.

Notifications: when the time limit starts running

Article 43 Ley 39/2015 provides that an electronic notification is deemed received when its content has been accessed. If the notification is mandatory or you chose it yourself, and it has not been accessed for ten calendar days from the moment it was made available, it is deemed rejected [4]. So agree who logs in to the sede and how quickly they tell you about new documents, especially if a representative is handling the application.

The ministry’s Hoja 18 information sheet on family members of Spanish citizens puts the same thing differently: if the decision cannot be delivered, it is announced in the Tablón Edictal Único; if you chose or are required to use electronic notification, the decision is published in the sede, and if you do not open it within ten calendar days, it is deemed served [9]. So you cannot miss a letter with a decision without consequences.

Article 53 Ley 39/2015 gives the applicant the right to know at any time the status of the case, what silence means, which body is handling it and which acts have been issued; to obtain copies of documents in the file; and, when dealing with the administration electronically, to view this information through the Punto de Acceso General [4]. How this works in your particular case depends on which services the body has enabled. If you are not told the status of your case, you are entitled to request it in writing.

The first document from which it is convenient to count the time limit is the notice that processing has started. Article 21.4 Ley 39/2015 requires the authority, within ten days of the application entering its electronic register, to send the applicant a notice stating the maximum time for a decision, the effects of silence and the date on which the competent body received the application. The time limit itself runs from the day the application entered that body’s register (article 21.3.b) [4]. Keep this notice together with your case number: without it, it is hard to prove later from which date the months should be counted.

What silence means: time limits and effects by procedure

Decision times and the meaning of silence differ. A table based on public sources:

For other procedures, the meaning of silence and the time limit are given on each one’s official page: on the Policía pages it is the line “Efecto de la falta de resolución”, in the ministry’s information sheets the section “Plazo de resolución”. Do not declare a delayed case either approved or refused until you have checked this for your procedure. More on time limits: calendar of UGE and extranjería time limits; on silence: silencio positivo.

If your case has been stuck for a long time: what to do

1. Find your proof of submission. The registration date, the case number (15 characters) and a copy of the application. If a representative submitted it, ask them for these straight away [1].
2. Open your notifications in the sede or Mercurio: there may already be a requerimiento waiting. Guide: how to respond to a requerimiento [4].
3. Work out the time limit for your specific procedure, allowing for possible suspensions when documents are requested (article 22.1.a Ley 39/2015) [4].
4. Check the status by SMS and write down the reply with the date [1].
5. Write to the office using the contact details given for your authority, with your case number, NIE, submission date and one specific question [8].
6. If the time limit has passed and you were waiting for a refusal or a decision, put together a timeline and ask for an individual review: what you can do depends on how the law treats silence in your procedure. On appeals: reposición, alzada and the courts.

Common mistakes

• Treating the SMS reply as a “decision”. It is for information only [1].
• Looking for a “single tracker” for all cases: the UGE, consulates and the police use other channels [1][3][5].
• Not opening notifications in the sede for ten calendar days and losing the time to respond [4].
• Taking silence as approval. For most procedures under the general regime it is a refusal [5][6].
• Sending a screenshot of the status instead of the decision: an appeal needs the document itself.
• Not asking the representative for a copy of the proof of submission and the case number.
• Writing a general “when will there be a decision” email without the case number, NIE and submission date [8].
• Drawing conclusions about the right to travel from the status. To leave and come back you need valid documents: autorización de regreso.

When you need an individual review

You need a review if the decision has arrived and the time to respond or appeal is already running; if silence in your procedure means refusal and the time limit has passed; if the status has changed and you do not understand what it means; if the case is handled by a representative and you have no access; or if, in a family application, different members are in different procedures. The answer depends on the facts, not on a general scheme.

How we can help

The ReloVictory team in Barcelona checks your case status through official channels, helps you work out the time limit and what silence means for your procedure, sets up access to notifications and prepares the response to a request. The legal side is handled by the team’s lawyer, the administrative side by a graduada social. Case handling is priced by quote, fees and translations are paid separately, and the company is not responsible for how long the authorities take to reply. Book: consultation. Service page: documents and appointments with the authorities.

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