Government fees for a Spanish residence application

Terms used

• Extranjería — Extranjería is the provincial foreigners' office that handles immigration and residence paperwork.
• TIE — The TIE is the foreigner identity card issued to non-EU residents, and it includes the NIE.

Key rules

• Three fees: Most non-EU applicants pay a visa fee, a processing fee and a TIE card fee, at different stages.
• Paid before fingerprints: Pay the TIE card fee after approval and before your fingerprinting appointment.
• Exemptions: Only specific groups, such as people with international protection, are exempt, and each needs proof.

Which fees you pay, and when

Most non-EU applicants pay three government fees. Two of them are paid with a form called modelo 790, which you fill in and pay at a bank or online. Each form has its own code.

If you already live in Spain and apply without a visa, you pay two fees: 052 for the permit (73.78 euros) and 012 for the TIE (16 euros). Each person pays their own fees, so a family multiplies the amounts.

1. Consular visa fee

You pay this to the consulate when you apply for a national long-stay visa. The standard amount is 80 euros, but some nationalities pay a different amount, because of agreements between countries or EU rules. The consulate takes payment in local currency, so the amount you pay depends on the exchange rate. The consulate publishes the local figure on its website.

Short-stay (Schengen) visa fees are separate and do not apply here.

2. Processing fee: modelo 790 código 052

This is the tasa for processing your residence authorisation. You pay it at a bank or online on modelo 790, not at the immigration office (Extranjería), and attach the receipt to your application.

The fee for an initial temporary residence authorisation, or an initial residence and work authorisation, is 73.78 euros in 2026. A renewal uses the same form with the renewal procedure description.

On work and entrepreneur routes the same 052 fee of 73.78 euros is paid at the start, when the authorisation is filed and before the visa. It is the processing fee itself, not an extra charge, and you do not pay it again later.

3. TIE card fee: modelo 790 código 012

The TIE is your foreigner identity card. You pay for it once your authorisation or visa is granted, and before your fingerprinting appointment. The fee is 16 euros in 2026. It applies in the same way to a first card, a renewal and a duplicate.

Exemptions and reductions

Some groups pay nothing or pay less. These include people with international protection, stateless people, humanitarian cases, and victims of gender violence or trafficking. Some cases under bilateral agreements also qualify. Family members of EU citizens can have the consular visa fee waived.

Ordinary work or residence applicants are not exempt. Each exemption has its own conditions, so confirm yours for your specific procedure before you skip a payment. Keep proof of your exemption with your application.

EU and EEA citizens do not follow this path: the EU certificate costs 12 euros and the UK Withdrawal Agreement card 16 euros, both on modelo 790 código 012 (the card costs the same 16 euros as any other TIE). UK citizens with Withdrawal Agreement rights pay that card fee; UK citizens without those rights follow the non-EU fees above.

If your application is refused

The processing fee is not refunded, and a new application needs a new payment. After an express refusal you can file a recurso de reposición with the same office within 1 month of the notice, or go to court within 2 months; these are alternatives, so choose one. If the office never answers (silent refusal), the recurso de reposición has no deadline and the court route is open for 6 months.

Amounts change

Fees are set by law and updated by law, in the annual State Budget Law. They do not rise automatically. If no new budget law passes, the earlier amounts stay in place.

If you are still abroad

You pay the consular fee when you apply for the visa. You pay the 052 processing fee when the authorisation is filed: on work and entrepreneur routes at the start, before the visa, and on other routes after you enter Spain. Then pay the TIE fee and apply for your TIE within one month of entering Spain.

Documents you need

• Consular visa fee receipt: proof of payment of the national long-stay visa fee, paid to the consulate in local currency.
• Modelo 790 código 052 payment receipt: proof that you paid the tasa for processing your residence authorisation.
• Modelo 790 código 012 payment receipt: proof that you paid the fee for issuing your TIE card (your foreigner identity card). It is €16 in 2026 and is paid before your fingerprinting appointment.
• Proof of exemption, only if you are in a protected group such as international protection, stateless status, humanitarian cases, or victims of gender violence or trafficking.

Quick answers on immigration fees

Do children pay the same immigration fee as adults?

Children's fees depend on the procedure. A child's residence card carries the same card fee as an adult's (16 euros), some family or minor authorisations are reduced, and children under international protection are exempt.

Can someone else pay the tasa for me?

Yes, a relative, employer or representative can pay the tasa at the bank, as long as the form lists you as the taxpayer. Your name, NIE or passport number and the correct code must appear on the receipt. Some banks and online payment pages ask the payer to use their own account or card.

Do I get the tasa back if I withdraw my application?

No, because processing has already started once you file. You can ask for a refund only if you paid by mistake, paid twice, or the procedure never started. In that case, send a refund request to the tax agency with your receipt and bank details.

Can I reuse a tasa I already paid if I refile?

Yes, in two cases, set out under wrong form or wrong fee.