Urgent - trying to get TIE before visa expires

Posted: Thu Mar 7, 2024 5:13pm

58 replies11 members subscribed

Page 1 of 6:
1
2
3
...
6
Next

brucexyz

Posts: 22

19 helpful points

Location: Vera Playa

Joined: 11 Dec 2023

I bought an apartment in Vera Playa last year, obtained a Non-Lucrative Visa for retired people and then relocated here in January. The first part of registering my residency (getting the Padron certificate) was easy and took only two weeks. However the second part - obtaining the TIE (Foreigners Identity Card) - has turned out to be far harder than I expected. Apparently you have to book an appointment at a competent police station and now that has to be done online through the Spanish government portal. Unfortunately I'm unable even to register an account for that as I don't have the required document numbers. So I've had to get my solicitor to use her account to book an appointment for me. She has been trying for the last five weeks but none has so far been available and my situation is now getting urgent as my visa is due to expire on 15th April. That is normally the deadline for obtaining the TIE or at least applying for it. If I can't get an appointment by then I may have to return to the UK otherwise I could be liable to pay a huge fine for overstaying my visa time. Has anyone else been in the same situation? I am getting really worried.

Reply
View 58 replies

Posted: Thu Mar 7, 2024 6:09pm

Lmj18

Very helpful member

Posts: 501

581 helpful points

Location: Partaloa

Joined: 2 May 2019

Posted: Thu Mar 7, 2024 6:09pm

The appointment needs to be at the Oficina de Extranjería in Almeria, not

a police station

Posted: Thu Mar 7, 2024 6:28pm

brucexyz

Original Poster

Posts: 22

19 helpful points

Location: Vera Playa

Joined: 11 Dec 2023

Posted: Thu Mar 7, 2024 6:28pm

Lmj18 wrote on Thu Mar 7, 2024 6:09pm:
The appointment needs to be at the Oficina de Extranjería in Almeria, not
a police station

My solicitor contacted that office in Almeria and she actually got a reply saying they could not make an appointment for the TIE as that had to be done at a competent police station!

May I ask, did you have an appointment for the TIE at that office and if so when?

Could anyone please tell me where they obtained their TIE.

Reply

Posted: Thu Mar 7, 2024 8:08pm

DarioMartin

Legendary helpful member

Posts: 5909

7135 helpful points

Location: Vera

Joined: 16 Aug 2017

Posted: Thu Mar 7, 2024 8:08pm

brucexyz wrote on Thu Mar 7, 2024 6:28pm:
My solicitor contacted that office in Almeria and she actually got a reply saying they could not make an appointment for the TIE as that had to be done at a competent police station!
May I ask, did you have an appointment for the TIE at that office and if so when?

Read more...

Could anyone please tell me where they obtained their TIE.

In the province of Almeria, ALL TIE’s are done at the Oficina de Extranjería in Almeria.

Did you sight the response from Extranjería to your solicitor? I ask because there seems to be a peculiarity with Solicitors in Spain …

A person will use the same solicitor they used for house purchase for migration issues; this is often outside the solicitors field of expertise and instead of saying “I don’t know”, they’ll tell you what they think you want to hear, then spin you a tail when they fail, trying to shift blame. I’m sure you can find 10 other people at least on this forum who have had similar experiences.

DO NOT USE THE SAME SOLICITOR YOU USED FOR A HOUSE PURCHASE OR SIMILAR TO DO MIGRATION. They might get it right … but all too often it ends in tears.

Use a gestor or solicitor well versed in migration issues - if you are in Vera Playa, I would recommend Mundi Abogados at Las Buganvillas - migration is one of their specialties.

You most definitely DO NOT go to a “competent police station” because TIE’s are administered by Policia Nacional and your closest CNP station is Almeria - the Oficina de Extranjería

Posted: Thu Mar 7, 2024 8:13pm

Lmj18

Very helpful member

Posts: 501

581 helpful points

Location: Partaloa

Joined: 2 May 2019

Posted: Thu Mar 7, 2024 8:13pm

brucexyz wrote on Thu Mar 7, 2024 6:28pm:
My solicitor contacted that office in Almeria and she actually got a reply saying they could not make an appointment for the TIE as that had to be done at a competent police station!
May I ask, did you have an appointment for the TIE at that office and if so when?

Read more...

Could anyone please tell me where they obtained their TIE.

Everyone in Almeria goes to the office I mentioned. Neighbours went last week, think you need to change your legal advisor.

Posted: Thu Mar 7, 2024 9:43pm

brucexyz

Original Poster

Posts: 22

19 helpful points

Location: Vera Playa

Joined: 11 Dec 2023

Posted: Thu Mar 7, 2024 9:43pm

DarioMartin wrote on Thu Mar 7, 2024 8:08pm:
In the province of Almeria, ALL TIE’s are done at the Oficina de Extranjería in Almeria.
Did you sight the response from Extranjería to your solicitor? I ask because there seems to be a peculiarity with Solicitors in Spain …

Read more...

A person will use the same solicitor they used for house purchase for migration issues; this is often outside the solicitors field of expertise and instead of saying “I don’t know”, they’ll tell you what they think you want to hear, then spin you a tail when they fail, trying to shift blame. I’m sure you can find 10 other people at least on this forum who have had similar experiences.
DO NOT USE THE SAME SOLICITOR YOU USED FOR A HOUSE PURCHASE OR SIMILAR TO DO MIGRATION. They might get it right … but all too often it ends in tears.
Use a gestor or solicitor well versed in migration issues - if you are in Vera Playa, I would recommend Mundi Abogados at Las Buganvillas - migration is one of their specialties.
You most definitely DO NOT go to a “competent police station” because TIE’s are administered by Policia Nacional and your closest CNP station is Almeria - the Oficina de Extranjería

No, my solicitor is not the one I used to buy my apartment she was the one who helped me get my visa for residency in Spain. She is not based in Almeria but has had a lot of experience helping clients to get residency in different parts of Spain, including obtaining the TIE.

Maybe her experience has been with other parts of Spain not with Almeria and she was speaking generally about getting an appointment at a police station competent to deal with the TIE application. However she did in fact contact the office in Almeria to ask if I could have an appointment and for some reason the advisor there gave her a negative reply. That is baffling!

Anyway, as you have made very clear that the immigration office in Almeria is the one to apply through I will contact them myself and maybe I will go there even if I can't get an appointment as my solicitor has sent me the application forms almost completed which just require my signature. I will of course take all the other necessary documents they require.

Reply

Posted: Thu Mar 7, 2024 9:58pm

DarioMartin

Legendary helpful member

Posts: 5909

7135 helpful points

Location: Vera

Joined: 16 Aug 2017

Posted: Thu Mar 7, 2024 9:58pm

brucexyz wrote on Thu Mar 7, 2024 9:43pm:
No, my solicitor is not the one I used to buy my apartment she was the one who helped me get my visa for residency in Spain. She is not based in Almeria but has had a lot of experience helping clients to get residency in different parts of Spain, including obtaining the TIE.
Maybe her experience has been with other parts of Spain not with Almeria and she was speaking generally about getting an appointment at a police station competent to deal with the TIE application. However she did in fact contact the office in Almeria to ask if I could have an appointment and for ...

Read more...

...some reason the advisor there gave her a negative reply. That is baffling!
Anyway, as you have made very clear that the immigration office in Almeria is the one to apply through I will contact them myself and maybe I will go there even if I can't get an appointment as my solicitor has sent me the application forms almost completed which just require my signature. I will of course take all the other necessary documents they require.

Don’t waste your time going without an appointment - you won’t even get through the front door. You queue outside and security will turn away anyone without an appointment.

I again suggest contacting Mundi Abogados at the Las Buganvillas roundabout at Vera Playa

Posted: Thu Mar 7, 2024 10:36pm

brucexyz

Original Poster

Posts: 22

19 helpful points

Location: Vera Playa

Joined: 11 Dec 2023

Posted: Thu Mar 7, 2024 10:36pm

DarioMartin wrote on Thu Mar 7, 2024 9:58pm:
Don’t waste your time going without an appointment - you won’t even get through the front door. You queue outside and security will turn away anyone without an appointment.
I again suggest contacting Mundi Abogados at the Las Buganvillas roundabout at Vera Playa

Thank you for your advice. I will contact them to see what they can do.

Posted: Fri Mar 8, 2024 7:58pm

chrisso50

Super helpful member

Posts: 1390

1742 helpful points

Location: Roquetas de Mar

Joined: 23 Jul 2018

Posted: Fri Mar 8, 2024 7:58pm

brucexyz wrote on Thu Mar 7, 2024 10:36pm:
Thank you for your advice. I will contact them to see what they can do.

Dario’s advice is spot-on. You will need to make an appointment online at the Oficina Extranjeros in Almeria. The office is at

C. Marruecos, 1, 04009 Almería

https://maps.google.com/maps/place//data=!4m2!3m1!1s0xd7a9e0fb451fc95:0x8ba8e776e4ef7a99?entry=s&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwit2aGQq-WEAxXm_rsIHUHRAFYQ4kB6BAgUEAA&hl=en-gb

There is parking nearby. You can make the appointment online but it may be as well to go with a gestor (or abogado as Dario suggests) who makes the appointment for you. That is what we did in 2018 for residence purposes but in 2020 we converted to a TIE without needing a gestor.

You will have to supply biometric data so may need two appointments.

Chris

Posted: Fri Mar 8, 2024 8:08pm

DarioMartin

Legendary helpful member

Posts: 5909

7135 helpful points

Location: Vera

Joined: 16 Aug 2017

Posted: Fri Mar 8, 2024 8:08pm

chrisso50 wrote on Fri Mar 8, 2024 7:58pm:
Dario’s advice is spot-on. You will need to make an appointment online at the Oficina Extranjeros in Almeria. The office is at
C. Marruecos, 1, 04009 Almería

Read more...

https://maps.google.com/maps/place//data=!4m2!3m1!1s0xd7a9e0fb451fc95:0x8ba8e776e4ef7a99?entry=s&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwit2aGQq-WEAxXm_rsIHUHRAFYQ4kB6BAgUEAA&hl=en-gb
There is parking nearby. You can make the appointment online but it may be as well to go with a gestor (or abogado as Dario suggests) who makes the appointment for you. That is what we did in 2018 for residence purposes but in 2020 we converted to a TIE without needing a gestor.
You will have to supply biometric data so may need two appointments.
Chris

Will only need one appointment - the first appointment will be the application and fingerprints will be taken;

@brucexyz when that’s done, they’ll give you a piece of gray paper with a reference number and a date on it - do not lose that paper - that’s what proves your appointment when you return to collect the TIE. Once you get that appointment - even if it is past expiry of your visa, you can breathe easy because you have to have started the TIE process within a certain amount of time of arriving (I think it’s 30 days) not completed it