Cita Previa Extranjería in Barcelona: Booking and Which Trámite
One website handles every immigration appointment in the province. Here is how to choose the right procedure, deal with empty calendars and avoid paid slot sellers.
Immigration appointments in Barcelona are booked on one government website, the cita previa de extranjería (online appointment system) run by the Ministry for Territorial Policy. You pick the province of Barcelona, then the exact procedure (trámite): police procedures for an NIE, TIE card or EU certificate, or immigration-office procedures for permit applications. Appointments are free as of November 2026.
Where do you book an extranjería appointment?
All slots for the province are released on the official cita previa de extranjería page. The same page serves two different authorities, and mixing them up is the most common reason people turn up at the wrong office:
- Oficinas de Extranjería (immigration offices of the Government Delegation): they receive and decide applications for residence and work permits, family reunification and similar authorizations.
- Policía Nacional (Spain’s national police): they assign NIE numbers, issue the EU registration certificate, take fingerprints for the TIE card and issue resident or non-resident certificates.
The booking page states who may request each type. For an initial employed-work permit, the employer or its authorized representative books. For family reunification, the family member already living in Spain books. For minors, a parent or legal representative books, and the child does not need to attend. For everything else, the foreign national or an authorized representative books.
Which trámite should you choose?
The list of procedures changes from time to time, but the logic stays the same. Match your goal to the authority first, then pick the line whose wording fits.
| What you need | Authority | Where it is explained |
|---|---|---|
| NIE number on its own (property, inheritance, a job offer) | Policía Nacional, NIE assignment | NIE guide |
| Green EU registration certificate | Policía Nacional, EU citizen certificate | EU registration guide |
| First TIE card after a visa or approved permit | Policía Nacional, fingerprints and card issue | TIE appointment guide |
| Residence or work permit filed in person | Oficina de Extranjería | The permit’s information sheet |
| Resident or non-resident certificate | Policía Nacional, certificates | Policía Nacional website |
If a police line mentions both fingerprints and long-term card renewal, it is the TIE line. Do not book an Oficina de Extranjería slot to get a card printed: that office decides permits, it does not take fingerprints.
How do you book, step by step?
- Open the booking page and choose Barcelona as the province.
- Select the procedure. Read the whole line, because several start with the same words.
- Read the requirements screen and continue.
- Enter your document type and number (NIE or passport), your full name as it appears on the document, and your nationality.
- Choose an office if the system asks. In Barcelona it may list police stations across the province, not only in the city.
- Pick a date and time, give a phone number and email, and confirm.
- Save the confirmation with its locator code. Offices ask for it at the door.
The fee forms (790 code 012 for police procedures, 790 code 052 or 062 for permits) are separate from the booking. Generate and pay them before the day, for the exact line that matches your procedure.
Why are there no slots, and what can you do?
Barcelona has more requests than appointments, and new slots are not announced. The usual message is that there are no appointments available for the selected procedure. Practical steps that stay within the official system:
- Try at different times of day and on different days of the week.
- Accept any office in the province if you can travel there.
- Keep dated screenshots of your attempts, especially when a legal deadline is running, such as the one month you have to request a TIE.
- Check whether your procedure can be filed online instead (see below), which avoids the appointment altogether.
- Ask a lawyer or gestor to act as your authorized representative if you cannot spend the time.
Is it legal to buy an appointment?
No official channel sells slots. Appointments on the government site are free, and anyone offering one for money is outside the system. The Policía Nacional has broken up groups that used bots to grab extranjería appointments in bulk and resell them, and others that sold appointments that did not exist. In those cases the buyers lost their money, and some found at the office that no booking was in their name.
If someone offers you a paid appointment, keep the messages, payment details and phone numbers and report it at a Policía Nacional or Mossos d’Esquadra (Catalonia’s police) station. Paying a lawyer or gestor for their professional work on your file is different from buying a slot, and the receipt should say what the fee covers.
Which procedures skip the appointment?
Permit applications decided by the Oficina de Extranjería can, in most cases, be filed electronically. The main route is Mercurio, the ministry’s online platform for immigration authorizations, used with a digital certificate, Cl@ve or an electronic DNI. The general electronic registry (registro electrónico) of the public administration is the other route. Both give you a filing receipt with the date and time, which is what counts for deadlines.
The immigration regulation in force since 20 May 2025, Real Decreto 1155/2024, pushed many applications online. In July 2026 the Supreme Court annulled the rule that made online filing compulsory for several renewals, so in-person filing with an appointment remains possible as of November 2026. Our guide to digital certificates and Cl@ve for foreigners covers how to get the credentials.
Police procedures are different. Fingerprints for a TIE, and the EU certificate, still require you to attend in person, so the appointment cannot be skipped.
Bottom line
Before you search for slots, write down which authority handles your step and the exact procedure name, and pay the 790 form for that line only. If your step is a permit application, check whether you can file it on Mercurio this week instead of waiting weeks for an in-person slot.
FAQ
Can someone else book the appointment for me?
Yes, an authorized representative can request it. For police procedures that involve fingerprints you still have to attend in person.
Can I book in another province?
Generally you book in the province where you live, because that office handles your file. The system for Barcelona already includes offices across the whole province.
What if I miss my appointment?
The slot is lost and you have to book again through the same page. If you cannot attend, cancel it with your locator code so someone else can use it.
Do I need an appointment to collect my TIE card?
Usually yes. The receipt you get at the fingerprint appointment says where and how to collect the card, and in Barcelona collection is normally booked as well.
