Booking appointments (cita previa)

It is for anyone thinking about, planning or carrying out a move to Spain.

Start with "Finding the right office and procedure for your cita previa". It maps each task to the office and booking system that handles it, so you book in the right place the first time.

From there, the other pages cover what to do when no slots show, booking for a whole family, other appointment systems, what to bring, cancelling and rebooking, what to do when a legal deadline is running, and what an office visit is really like.

Key rules

• Fee first: For most procedures you pay the fee (modelo 790, code 012) before the appointment and bring the receipt.
• Deadlines keep running: Not being able to get an appointment does not pause a legal deadline, so file in writing through a registry or electronically to meet it.
• Fixing defects: If your paperwork is incomplete, you normally have 10 working days to fix it before the application is treated as withdrawn.
• Arrival time: Arrive about 10 to 15 minutes before your slot, and expect delays of 15 to 60 minutes.
• Appointments: Extranjería, the TIE police, Seguridad Social and the tax agency now require a cita previa for in-person service, with limited exceptions.
• One office per task: NIE, TIE fingerprints, padrón, social security number and tax registration each go to a different office with its own booking system.

Booking appointments (cita previa): the whole process, step by step

From first step to last

• Work out which office and booking system handle your task: Before you try to book anything. Read: Finding the right office and procedure for your cita previa

• Check your legal deadline and note the date it ends: Before you book, because a deadline keeps running while you wait for a slot. Read: Your legal deadline is running and you cannot get an appointment

• Look for a slot, and try other options if none appears: As soon as you know the office, and again at different times of day. Read: How cita previa works and what to do when no slots appear

• If the deadline is close and there is no slot, file in writing through a registry or electronically: Before the deadline ends, because the appointment itself does not stop it.

• Book for each family member, or use another system if yours is not the national one: At the same time as your own booking. Read: Booking cita previa for your whole family and How Spain's other appointment systems work

• Gather your documents and pay the fee: Before the appointment. Read: What to bring, and what happens if your paperwork is wrong

• Go to the appointment: On the day. Read: What a Spanish office visit is really like

• Fix any defects the office points out: Within 10 working days of the request, or the application is treated as withdrawn.

• If you miss the slot or must change it, rebook straight away: As soon as you know. Rebooking gives no priority and takes the next free slot. Read: Cancelling and rebooking a Spanish appointment without losing your place

• Allow extra time in summer: From mid-June or July to mid-September, when some offices cut hours and slots. See What a Spanish office visit is really like.

Documents you may need

Identity and residence

• Your ID — Booking cita previa for your whole family, What a Spanish office visit is really like
• The child's own passport or NIE — Booking cita previa for your whole family
• Passport or other valid ID — What to bring, and what happens if your paperwork is wrong

Payments and receipts

• Proof of payment of the fee — What to bring, and what happens if your paperwork is wrong
• The receipt for any fee — What a Spanish office visit is really like

Other documents

• Appointment confirmation — What to bring, and what happens if your paperwork is wrong, What a Spanish office visit is really like
• Proof of guardianship — Booking cita previa for your whole family
• Application form for your procedure — What to bring, and what happens if your paperwork is wrong
• Supporting documents for your procedure — What to bring, and what happens if your paperwork is wrong
• Originals of every document for your procedure — What a Spanish office visit is really like
• A digital certificate or Cl@ve access — How cita previa works and what to do when no slots appear
• A written authorisation for your representative or lawyer — How cita previa works and what to do when no slots appear

Each article lists the other documents it asks for, where you need them.

Booking appointments (cita previa): questions that cross several articles

Which office do I book with for a foreigners' procedure?

It depends on the task: Oficinas de Extranjería handle residence and work authorisations, and Policía Nacional stations take fingerprints and issue the TIE card. Padrón goes through your town hall, the social security number through the social security office, and tax registration through the tax agency.

Can I book an appointment in a different province from where I live?

Sometimes, but the office can refuse your file if it is not the competent one. Residence applications usually go to the province where you live or will work, and fingerprinting to the police office in your province of residence.

Can I file my application without an appointment?

Often yes: many applications can be filed through a public registry, by post, or electronically with a digital certificate or Cl@ve. Fingerprinting for the TIE still needs a physical appointment. Read How cita previa works and what to do when no slots appear and Your legal deadline is running and you cannot get an appointment.

Does having no slot available extend my deadline?

No, being unable to get an appointment does not pause a legal deadline. See How cita previa works and what to do when no slots appear.

Does cancelling and rebooking cost me my place or time?

You do not lose a queue place, because slots are not given in order of first booking, but a new booking takes the next free slot. Your deadline keeps running meanwhile, so a late slot can mean filing late.