TIE card (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero)
Definition
The TIE (tarjeta de identidad de extranjero, foreigner identity card) is the card Spain's police issue to non-EU nationals with a visa or authorisation to stay more than six months. It identifies you, shows your NIE and proves your legal status in Spain.
Also called: TIE, tarjeta de identidad de extranjero, foreigner identity card Spain, Spanish residence card, EX-17, toma de huellas, TIE renewal
Checked against official sources on
What is a TIE?
Article 209 of Real Decreto 1155/2024 says everyone issued a visa or an authorisation to stay in Spain for more than six months has the right and the duty to obtain a TIE. The card identifies you and proves your legal situation in Spain. It is personal and non-transferable, and you are responsible for keeping it safe.
The card carries your NIE, the identity number the police assign to foreign nationals. Until you have the card, a valid visa is what proves your status, from the day you enter Spain (article 208).
Who needs it and when
Non-EU doctors, nurses and other health professionals meet the TIE soon after arrival, whether they come on a work authorisation, as an EU Blue Card holder or for specialist training through the MIR or EIR. You must apply in person within one month of entering Spain or of your authorisation being granted or taking effect, which for work permits depends on your registration with social security.
Not getting the card, or not meeting your obligations around it, can lead to penalties under the immigration law (Ley Orgánica 4/2000).
How to get a TIE
- Book an appointment for fingerprinting (toma de huellas) at the police station or immigration office for your province.
- Fill in form EX-17, the application for a foreigner identity card.
- Pay the fee on form 790 código 012 and bring the receipt.
- Bring your passport, your visa or authorisation and a recent photograph.
- Give your fingerprints in person. The card is produced afterwards and you collect it as the office tells you.
Fees and validity
The police fee form for 790 código 012 lists:
- €16.08 for a TIE documenting a first temporary residence, stay or cross-border worker authorisation.
- €19.30 for a TIE documenting a renewal of temporary residence or an extension of stay.
- €21.87 for a TIE documenting long-term or EU long-term residence.
- €12.00 for family members of EU citizens or Spanish nationals and the Withdrawal Agreement card for British citizens.
The TIE is valid for exactly as long as the authorisation behind it and loses validity with it. When it expires, when your authorisation is renewed or when you lose the right to stay, you must hand the old card back to the police.
Common problems
- Missing the one-month window. Appointments can be hard to find, so book as soon as you arrive or as soon as you are registered with social security.
- Paying the wrong fee. First issue and renewal have different codes on the same 790 form.
- Losing the card. The regulation makes you responsible for keeping the TIE safe, so report a loss to the police and apply for a replacement rather than relying on photocopies.
- Expecting the NIE office to issue the card. The NIE is assigned once; the TIE is a separate application with its own appointment, form and fee.
- Travelling without the card. Your visa covers you only until you obtain the TIE, so keep the visa and fingerprint receipt together while the card is being made.
Questions
The NIE is your foreigner identity number. The TIE is the physical card that carries that number and shows your residence status.
One month. Article 209 of the immigration regulation says you must apply in person within a month of entering Spain or of your authorisation being granted or taking effect.
No. The duty applies to people with a visa or authorisation to stay for more than six months.
As long as the authorisation it documents. A renewal of your permit means a new card, for which the police fee form lists €19.30.
Your right to work comes from your authorisation, not the card. The regulation says the visa proves your status from entry until you obtain the TIE, but your employer may still ask for the card or the fingerprint receipt.
Hand it back. The regulation says holders must return the card to the police when it expires, when the authorisation is renewed or when the right to stay ends.