TIE and huellas in Barcelona: getting your card after approval

TIE and huellas: what each step is for

The Tarjeta de identidad de extranjero (TIE) proves a foreign national’s legal status in Spain. Everyone who has been granted a visa or permit for more than six months has the right and the obligation to obtain one (article 209.1) [1]. The NIE is a number, while the TIE is a card; the difference is explained in the article NIE, TIE and residence permit.

Toma de huellas is the taking of fingerprints when the card is issued. It is not a separate document but a stage in getting a TIE: first the application and payment, then the fingerprints, then the finished card. Cards are produced by the police station where the case was handled or where the decision was served. When you collect the card, you have to prove you are the person it is addressed to and show that the fee has been paid (article 209.11) [1].

In Barcelona, the Delegación del Gobierno splits appointments as follows. Card procedures (issue, fingerprinting, collection, duplicado, card serial number) go through Policía Nacional stations by cita previa, and the Oficina de Extranjería does not book appointments for them [4]. The guidance note is dated 20.05.2025, so check the rules on the Delegación page and in the appointment system before your visit [4][6].

When and by what deadline to apply for the TIE

When the month starts depends on your situation [1]:

Failing to meet the obligations linked to the TIE can lead to penalties under Ley Orgánica 4/2000 (article 209.4) [1]. So put the date in your calendar on the day you receive the decision. General deadlines for UGE and extranjería are collected in the deadline calendar.

Procedure: from the decision to the card, step by step

1. Check the decision. The permit name, its duration, the notification date and the conditions for it to take effect (for example, alta in Seguridad Social). Keep the decision file itself, not a screenshot [1].
2. Fill in form EX-17 (Solicitud de Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero) [2].
3. Pay modelo 790 código 012 and keep the receipt. The form is generated on the Policía website and banks accept the payment; you do not need an account with them [2]. Details: how to pay the fee with modelo 790.
4. Book through cita previa. Choose the province of Barcelona and the Policía procedure for TIE issue and fingerprinting. Check the exact names of the procedures in the appointment system when you book [4][6].
5. Go in person. Bring: the decision, your passport, EX-17, the receipt and the appointment confirmation. The Policía page lists no other documents, but you may be asked for something else on the day, so read the appointment conditions [2].
6. Give your fingerprints. They are taken at the appointment for the application; the exact procedure at the station depends on the appointment [4].
7. Collect the card with a separate appointment or on the date you are given at the appointment [4].
8. Check the details on the card: name, NIE, date of birth, document type and expiry. Compare them with the decision [1].

More on appointments and the different queues: cita previa at extranjería. Which offices accept documents in Barcelona: who accepts documents.

How much the TIE costs: amounts by card type

The card fee is paid separately from the fee for the permit itself. Policía table as of early October 2026 [3]:

For the card for family members of Spanish and EU citizens, Orden PJC/617/2025 sets the fee at the amount Spaniards pay for a DNI [7]. Amounts change, so check them in the form on the day you pay. Full breakdown: how much a TIE costs.

What happens after you collect it: validity, return, loss

The TIE is valid for as long as the permit and expires with it (article 209.7) [1]. If the card has expired, the permit has been renewed or the right has been lost, the card is returned to the police station where you live (209.8) [1]. A renewed permit always means a new card, so go through the same procedure again straight after notification [1][2].

A lost or stolen card is replaced with a new one valid for the same period, and this does not count as a renewal (209.9) [1]. What to do: lost TIE. If you have applied for renewal and need to travel, there is the autorización de regreso: form EX-13, fee under código 012, valid for no more than 90 days. It is also issued when a card is lost, if a duplicado has been applied for [5]. More: autorización de regreso.

Until you have your first TIE, your status is proved by the visa: under article 208 it is valid from entry until you receive the TIE or until the visa expires [1]. The article does not say directly whether you can leave and come back on the same visa before you get the card, and we do not know how border officers handle this in practice. Check before you travel.

The card is personal and non-transferable, and the holder is responsible for keeping it (article 209.3) [1]. Any change in legal or employment status, including a renewal, leads to a new card valid for the period in the decision (article 209.10) [1]. If the permit takes effect only after alta in Seguridad Social, the Policía checks it before issuing the card (article 209.11). You do not need separate certificates for this, but it is best to check the alta date in the decision in advance [1].

Common mistakes

• People choose the “recogida de TIE” (collection) option in the appointment system before they have given fingerprints or applied. These are different options and different appointments [4].
• People miss the month because they do not realise it is counted differently for renewals and family procedures [1].
• People pay under the wrong code or the wrong amount. The TIE needs código 012, not 052 or 038 [2][3].
• People mix up the NIE, the TIE and the decision. Until you have the card, the decision is the main document [1].
• People do not check the card when they collect it. A mistake in the name is corrected officially, not by editing a copy.
• People keep the only copy of the card on their phone. It is safer to keep a scan in a secure folder and the expiry date in your calendar [1].
• People assume one appointment will cover the whole family. For children and other family members, check whether a separate slot is needed.

When you need an individual review

It is worth having your situation reviewed if the decision has arrived but there is no alta in Seguridad Social yet, the TIE deadline has passed, the decision contains an error in your details, you want to travel before getting the card, a representative is collecting the document, or several family members need booking at once. The answer depends on the permit and the circumstances.

How we can help

The ReloVictory team in Barcelona checks the decision, works out the TIE deadline, prepares EX-17 and the receipt under the correct code, helps you book an appointment and tells you what to bring. The administrative side is handled by the team’s graduada social. Book: consultation. Service page: documents and appointments with the authorities. The whole route from registration to card: residence permit in Barcelona.

Frequently asked questions

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