How to Renew Your TIE and Residence Permit in Spain
Renewing a non-EU residence permit in Spain is a two-step job: the permit at the immigration office, then a new card from the police. Here is the timing that keeps you legal.
To renew a Spanish residence permit, apply to the immigration office in the two months before it expires; filing on time keeps your old permit valid until the decision. Late filing is still accepted up to three months after expiry, but you risk a fine. Once approved, you request a new TIE card from the police within one month.
When can you apply for renewal?
The immigration regulation, Real Decreto 1155/2024, uses the same window for the main temporary permits: employed work, self-employment, non-lucrative residence, family reunification and the exceptional-circumstances permits such as arraigo.
| When you file | Effect |
|---|---|
| In the 2 months before expiry | Your current permit stays valid until the office decides |
| Up to 3 months after expiry | The permit is still extended until the decision, but the office can open a penalty procedure for the late filing |
| More than 3 months after expiry | Renewal is no longer possible through this route; get individual legal advice |
Mark the date two months before your card expires in your calendar. The card shows the expiry of the permit behind it, because a TIE is valid for exactly as long as the authorization it documents.
What does the office check before renewing?
Each permit has its own conditions, but these are the common ones as of November 2026:
- Employed work: you still work for the same employer, or you worked at least three months per year and now have a new contract, or your job ended through no fault of your own and you have stayed registered as a job seeker. Nine months of Social Security registration in a 12-month period also qualifies.
- Non-lucrative residence: enough money to live without working for the renewal period, health insurance kept up for the whole previous period, and school enrollment for children of compulsory school age.
- Arraigo and other exceptional permits: for most types, active job seeking and registration with the public employment service; see our guide to arraigo permits.
The office also looks at criminal convictions, unpaid tax and Social Security obligations and, where relevant, a regional integration report. Social Security arrears do not block an employment renewal on their own if you show you work regularly.
A renewed employment permit runs for four years and lets you work employed or self-employed anywhere in Spain.
How do you apply online or in person?
- Download the official application form (modelo EX) for your type of permit from the Ministry of Inclusion’s forms page, and gather the documents listed on its information sheet.
- Pay the fees on form 790 code 052 and, for work permits, form 790 code 062.
- File through the Mercurio online platform with a digital certificate or Cl@ve, or in person at the Oficina de Extranjería in Barcelona with a cita previa appointment.
- Save the filing receipt (justificante de presentación or resguardo) with its date and registry number.
- After a favorable decision, book a police fingerprint appointment within one month for the new card.
The regulation once made online filing compulsory for several renewals. In July 2026 the Supreme Court annulled that rule, so both channels remain available as of November 2026. If you file online, our guide to getting a digital certificate or Cl@ve explains the options for foreigners.
How much does renewal cost?
Fees are set by Orden PJC/617/2025. Amounts as of November 2026:
| Item | Form | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Renewal of temporary residence (non-lucrative, family, employed or self-employed) | 790 code 052 | €16.40 |
| Work authorization for a renewed employed or self-employed permit | 790 code 062 | €81.54 |
| Extension of an exceptional-circumstances permit such as arraigo | 790 code 052 | €16.40 |
| New TIE after renewal | 790 code 012 | €19.30 |
| Return authorization (autorización de regreso) | 790 code 012 | €10.72 |
The fees are paid before filing, and the receipts go in with the application. Keep copies: without the receipts the file is incomplete and the office will ask you to complete it.
What is the resguardo and what does it prove?
The filing receipt shows that you applied within the legal window, which keeps your previous authorization in force until the office decides. Keep it together with your expired card. Employers, banks and the health service may ask for both. For employed-work renewals, if the office has not decided within three months, the renewal is treated as granted by administrative silence.
After the new card is approved, you collect it at the police office and hand back the old one. The police fingerprint step works the same way as for a first card, described in our TIE appointment guide.
Can you travel while your renewal is pending?
Not on the receipt alone. If your card has expired and the renewal is in process, ask for an autorización de regreso (return authorization) before you leave. The regulation sets these rules:
- You must prove you filed the renewal within the legal deadline.
- Requested before your permit expires, it is valid for up to 90 days from the expiry date. Requested after, it is valid for up to 90 days from when it is granted.
- It allows unlimited exits and entries during its validity, but only through Spanish border crossings. Flying home via another Schengen country’s airport does not work.
- Urgent trips for a justified need are processed with priority.
The same document is available if your valid card is lost or stolen and you have applied for a duplicate.
Bottom line
File in the first weeks of the two-month window, not the last days, so you have time to fix a missing document. Before booking travel, get the return authorization in hand rather than relying on the receipt, and ask an abogado de extranjería if your job, income or family situation changed during the permit.
FAQ
Does my TIE need renewing if I have long-term residence?
The permit itself is permanent, but the card is not. Long-term national residents renew the card every five years until age 30 and every ten years after, applying in the two months before it expires.
What happens if I apply four months late?
The extension effect only covers applications filed up to three months after expiry. Past that point the ordinary renewal is no longer available, so get professional advice on the options.
Do I need a new padrón certificate to renew?
It is not on the general document list, but offices may ask for one if your address changed. Report any change of address to the police within one month.
