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TIE: your foreigner identity card
For non-EU students staying more than six months. You must request it within one month of entering Spain.
Other passportsLast checked against official sources on 3 November 2026. Rules change, so confirm before you act. This is general information, not legal advice.
- Deadline
- Within 1 month of entering Spain
- Where
- Police station or foreigners' office for your address
- Form
- EX-17
- Fee
- Modelo 790, code 012
Who needs this
- Non-EU students whose stay for studies lasts more than six months.
- The card shows you are legally in Spain, and it lasts as long as your authorisation does.
Deadline
- Request it in person within one month of entering Spain.
- If your authorisation was granted while you were already in Spain, ask the immigration office how the one-month period applies to you.
How to do it
- Book an appointment at a police station or foreigners' office that serves your registered address.
- Fill in form EX-17.
- Generate Modelo 790, code 012, and pay it. You can pay at a bank without having an account there. The form shows the current amount.
- Go to your appointment in person.
What to bring
- Officially listed: form EX-17 and proof you paid Modelo 790, code 012.
- Offices also commonly ask for your passport, a recent photo and proof of your visa or authorisation. Check your appointment confirmation for the exact list.
Keeping your status
- If your authorisation lasts more than one year, you or your university must provide proof of enrolment at the start of each academic year.
- The authorisation stays valid until fifteen days after your studies end.
Practical tips
Helpful experience, not official rules.
- Appointments can be hard to get, so start looking as soon as you know your arrival date. The booking site is sometimes unavailable, so try again later if it shows an error.
- Bring originals and a photocopy of every document.
Spanish for this step
Practical help, not official wording. Staff may not speak English, so it helps to have these ready.
Words you'll see
- TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero)
- foreigner identity card
- toma de huellas
- fingerprinting, the name of the TIE appointment
- cita previa
- an appointment booked in advance
- comisaría
- police station
- Modelo 790, código 012
- the form for paying the fee
- justificante de pago
- proof of payment
- foto de carné
- passport-size photo
- resguardo
- the receipt you keep until your card is ready
- recogida
- collecting your card
What to say
- Vengo a la toma de huellas para la TIE.
- I'm here for my TIE fingerprint appointment.
- ¿Cuándo puedo recoger la tarjeta?
- When can I collect the card?
- Vengo a recoger mi TIE.
- I'm here to collect my TIE.
- Hola, tengo cita a las diez.
- Hello, I have an appointment at ten o'clock.
- No hablo bien español. ¿Habla inglés?
- I don't speak Spanish well. Do you speak English?
- ¿Puede hablar más despacio, por favor?
- Could you speak more slowly, please?
- ¿Puede escribirlo, por favor?
- Could you write it down, please?
- ¿Me falta algún documento?
- Am I missing any document?
Take the next step
Book a police or immigration appointment In SpanishGenerate and pay Modelo 790, code 012 In SpanishNational Police: student card procedure In Spanish
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