Spain has launched a pilot project for automatic appointment scheduling for fingerprinting to obtain the TIE residence card. Now, after residence permit approval, some applicants receive the date, time, and police station address via email and SMS — without the need to search for available appointments themselves.
Testing began in Girona, Tarragona, Lleida, and other provinces. Since October 9, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante, Malaga, and Murcia have joined the project.
According to the Barcelona Bar Association (ICAB), the system currently covers approximately 10% of cases, so automatic appointment scheduling is not available to everyone. The first cases are already being confirmed in practice: applicants in Castellón, Tarragona, Asturias, and Barcelona are already receiving automatic invitations for fingerprinting immediately after approval of their Cuenta Propia residence permit modification.
What to do if the SMS or email doesn't arrive?
First, check the resolution (resolución): it specifies the procedure for scheduling fingerprinting. If an automatic appointment has not been received within 20 days after notification of residence permit approval, you can schedule an appointment yourself through the standard cita previa service.
If the assigned date is not suitable, you must cancel the appointment. After cancellation, the system should re-queue the applicant and assign a new date when slots become available. Skipping an appointment without prior cancellation is not recommended.
Thus, the new system aims to simplify one of the most challenging stages of obtaining a TIE, however, not all applicants can count on automatic scheduling yet.
Source: official statement from the Barcelona Bar Association (ICAB).
