How Spain's other appointment systems work

Terms used

• Cita previa — Cita previa is the prior appointment you must book for most dealings with Spanish public offices.
• Padrón — The padrón is the register of residents kept by your town hall, which you join by registering your address.
• TIE — The TIE is the foreigner identity card issued to non-EU residents, collected at a police office after fingerprinting.
• Sede electrónica — The Sede electrónica is the official online office of a Spanish public body, where you book and file procedures.

Key rules

• Province: The province where you live, or where you will work for work-based permits, decides which office handles your case.
• Police steps: Fingerprinting and TIE collection use the national police system, even in Catalonia and the Basque Country.
• Padrón: Each town hall runs its own padrón booking, so search your town hall's own website or phone it.

Appointment systems differ by authority, province and region

There is no single place to book everything in Spain. The national police, your town hall and some regional governments each run their own system. Which office handles your case depends on your province, so start there.

Your province decides the office

The competent office is generally the one in the province where you live. If your authorisation is work-based, it is the province where the work will be done. Check which applies to you before you book, because an appointment in the wrong province is wasted.

• First applications from abroad go to the consulate for your place of residence.
• Renewals go to the province where the authorisation was granted or where you live.
• Fingerprinting and TIE collection are handled by the police office in your province of residence.
• Short stays and some special cases follow other criteria. Ask the office that handles your case.

The national portal covers most provinces

Most provinces use the national cita previa portal for foreigners' procedures. Select your province and the procedure you need. This is also where you book police steps such as fingerprinting and TIE collection.

Town halls run their own padrón booking

Registering on the padrón is handled by your town hall, not the national police. Every town hall has its own system, and names and steps differ.

• Search your town hall's name plus "cita previa padrón" or "empadronamiento".
• Or open the "Sede electrónica" or "Trámites" section of its website.
• Big cities have their own pages. Madrid uses Línea Madrid, and Barcelona uses its own online booking. Both have the phone number 010. Valencia, Málaga and Sevilla also have their own pages.
• Small towns often accept phone calls or walk-in visits instead.

Catalonia and the Basque Country

Catalonia: Some procedures go through the Generalitat's own services, such as "Canal Cita Prèvia". Catalonia also offers extra support through its own offices. Fingerprinting still goes through the national police system.

Basque Country: Some services, such as municipal registration and Basque government services, use regional and local booking systems. Police TIE and fingerprinting stay on the national system.

In other regions, expect the national portal for police steps and your town hall for the padrón. Some regions also run their own booking for other services, so ask your town hall what is available.

Use the checklist and FAQ below to work through your own case.

Checklist

• Find out which province you live in, because that decides which office handles your case.

• Check whether your procedure is work-based, and if so, note the province where the work will be done.

• Open the national cita previa portal for foreigners' procedures and look for your province.

• Search your town hall's name plus 'cita previa padrón' or look in its 'Sede electrónica' section to book your padrón appointment.

• Phone or visit your town hall in person if it is a small town with no online booking.

• Book fingerprinting and TIE collection with the national police system, even if you live in Catalonia or the Basque Country.

• Check whether your region runs its own booking service for other steps, such as the Generalitat's 'Canal Cita Prèvia' in Catalonia.

Frequently asked questions

Do I book fingerprinting through the regional system if I live in Catalonia?

No, fingerprinting in Catalonia still goes through the national police appointment portal, not the Generalitat's own booking service. The Generalitat's 'Canal Cita Prèvia' covers some other procedures. The same split applies in the Basque Country, where police TIE and fingerprinting stay on the national system.

How do I find my town hall's padrón appointment page?

Search the town hall's name plus 'cita previa padrón' or 'empadronamiento', or open the 'Sede electrónica' or 'Trámites' section of its website. The padrón is the local register of residents. In small towns you can often just phone or walk in.

Which province's office handles my renewal?

Renewals go to the province where your authorisation was granted or where you live. Fingerprinting and TIE collection are handled by the police office in your province of residence. For work-based authorisations, the first application can depend on where the work will be done.