This page is for people who have already received a permit, a visa or temporary protection and need to get a foreigner’s identity card, and for those who have lost their card or are renewing their permit.
How does a TIE differ from an NIE and a permit?
A TIE is a card that confirms your legal status. The NIE is the number printed on the card. The right to live in Spain comes from a decision granting a permit or temporary protection, and the card is valid for as long as that decision is.
| NIE | TIE | Permit or temporary protection | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A personal number | A card with the NIE number | A decision by an authority |
| What it confirms | Only identifies the person; does not confirm status | Legal status in Spain | The right to stay itself |
| Validity | The number does not change | Same as the permit on which it was issued | Set by the decision |
Who must get a TIE, and by when?
All foreign nationals who have been issued a visa or a permit to stay in Spain for more than six months must get the card. The Regulation calls this both a right and an obligation.
You apply in person within one month of the day you entered Spain or the day the permit was granted or took effect.
Holders of temporary protection apply for the card after they receive the protection decision. The decision can be downloaded online. After that, they book an appointment at a police station and apply for the card within one month of the day the permit was granted.
How do you get the card?
- Get the decision. Without a permit, a visa or a temporary protection decision, no card is issued.
- Book an appointment. Appointments are booked through the official cita previa service. In the list of police services, the procedure is called “toma de huellas” (fingerprinting) for issuing the card. For Ukrainian citizens with temporary protection, the police guide from 2023 names the service “POLICÍA-TARJETA CONFLICTO UCRANIA”. Before you book, check the name against the list on the website.
- Prepare the documents. The police require an application on form EX-17 and form 790 with code 012 showing the paid fee. The EX-17 form itself asks for the original and a copy. The general police page does not say whether photos and copies of other documents are needed; check this when you book or at the station.
- Come in person. At the station, your fingerprints are taken to produce the card.
How much does a TIE cost in 2026?
The first card costs €16.08, and a card after a permit renewal costs €19.30. The amounts are the same on the police website and in Orden PJC/617/2025. You pay the fee with form 790-012.
| Card | Fee, 2026 |
|---|---|
| First card under a new permit | €16.08 |
| Card after a permit renewal | €19.30 |
| Long-term residence card | €21.87 |
| Card for a family member of a Spanish citizen | €12 |
The official fee list has no separate line for holders of temporary protection. Ask at the police station where you booked your appointment whether they pay for the card.
How long is the card valid, and how do you renew it?
The card is valid for as long as the permit or decision it was issued on remains valid. When the permit is renewed, a new card is issued.
A separate rule applies to temporary protection. Orden INT/96/2026 automatically extended the cards until 4 March 2027; you do not need to apply for a new card for this. The EU decision of July 2026 extends temporary protection itself until 4 March 2028. As of 12 October 2026, we have not found a Spanish order extending the cards beyond March 2027; we will update this page when one appears.
What should you do if your card is lost, stolen or damaged?
You need to get a new card. The Regulation does not treat this as a renewal: the new card is valid for the time the old one had left.
You hand in the card at a police station if it has expired, if it has been replaced with a new one or if you have lost the right on which it was issued.
What mistakes should you avoid?
- Missing the one-month deadline to apply after entering Spain or after the decision.
- Confusing a permit renewal with a card renewal. First the permit is renewed, then a new card is issued on that basis.
- Assuming the card gives more rights than the decision on which it was issued. The right to work is determined by the decision itself.