Timing and sequencingArticle 4 of 5 · 4 min read
Your visa is approved: collection, entry deadline and first steps
Approval of your visa is not yet residence. You must collect the visa, enter Spain within its validity, then start your residence card (TIE) application. It is for people whose national visa has been approved.
Terms used
- TIE — The TIE is the foreigner identity card issued to non-EU residents, and it includes the NIE.
- cita previa — A cita previa is an appointment you book in advance with a public office before you can be seen.
- empadronamiento — Empadronamiento is the act of registering your address on the town hall's padrón.
- NIE — The NIE is the identification number Spain gives to foreigners, used for tax, work, housing and official procedures.
Key rules
- Collection: Collect the visa before the deadline in your approval notice, a month from notification.
- Entry window: Enter Spain inside the dates printed on the visa, with Spain as your final destination, and keep proof of your entry date.
- Employees: Your employer handles your social security registration after you arrive.
Approval only becomes residence if you finish three steps
An approval notice does not give you the right to live in Spain. You get residence by doing three things in order: collect the visa, enter Spain while it is valid, and apply for your residence card within its short deadline.
Step 1: Collect the visa
Once the consulate tells you the decision is ready (how you are told), you collect the visa in person, unless your consulate lets an authorised person collect it for you.
Your approval notice states your exact collection deadline. It is short, a month from notification, so read it the day it arrives.
Step 2: Enter Spain within the visa's validity
The visa is valid for 90 days, and you must enter Spain within that window. The entrepreneur visa is the exception: it is valid for 1 year. The exact dates are printed on the visa sticker, so check them as soon as you have it.
- Spain must be your final destination. Entering through another Schengen country is generally fine if you are heading to Spain.
- The visa is not your residence permit. It only lets you enter and start the process.
The passport entry stamp is best. If you arrive from another Schengen country and get no stamp, keep your boarding pass and tickets. The residence card office may ask for them.
Step 3: Apply for your residence card
You must apply for your residence card (TIE) within one month of entering Spain; the month starts on the day you enter.
- Register your address at the town hall (padrón): the certificate is needed at the card appointment (how to register).
- Book a cita previa at the police foreigners' office as soon as you arrive. Appointments can be scarce, so do not wait (booking, no appointments).
- Go in person with the form and fee receipt (what to bring). A late application is still accepted; the fine is up to 500 euros (applying late).
Other first steps
- If you come as an employee, you must be registered in social security to activate your permit. Your authorisation resolution sets the period, 3 months from entry. Your employer normally handles the registration.
- Your NIE number is shown on your visa and card.
If you travel with children
Children on a visa follow the same entry window, and each applies for their own TIE (the TIE for children).
From visa approval to residence card
If your answer to “When did the consulate issue your approval notice?” is 10 Nov 2026, your steps fall on these dates:
| Step | When | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Collect the visa in person, or through an authorised person | 10 Nov 2026 to 10 Dec 2026 | Deadline |
| Enter Spain inside the visa's own validity | The dates printed on the visa (90 days) | Deadline |
| Apply in person for your residence card (TIE) | Within 1 month of the day you enter | Deadline; Hard to undo |
| Be registered in social security as an employee | Within 3 months of entry |
Documents you need
- Approval notice from the consulate, which states your exact collection deadline.
- Your passport, to collect the visa and to enter Spain.
- Proof of your entry date: the passport entry stamp, or your boarding pass and tickets if there is no stamp.
- Your padrón certificate and confirmation of your cita previa (appointment) at the police foreigners' office for the residence card.
- Your authorisation resolution, if you come as an employee. It sets the period for social security registration.
What if you miss the collection date or the entry window?
- You miss the collection date or the entry window: the visa lapses and cannot be extended. You file a new application at the consulate, with fresh documents and fees.
- You were approved inside Spain: there is no visa; the one-month card clock runs from the date you are notified (how the month is counted).
- A certificate aged out before filing: see what if a document expires.
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