Got a trip planned? Have you already been living in Spain? If you are traveling outside of Spain and your residency card (NIE) is expired (or in the process of renewal), then you must get the autorización de regreso in order to be able to re-enter Spain. It’s easy to get this, which we lay out for you in this post.
It does not matter if you are traveling to another country within the European Union or outside, nor at what stage you are at in the NIE renewal process. If your NIE is expired and you travel outside of Spain, you must solicit the autorización de regreso in order to re-enter Spain. Technically, if you travel to the Spanish Canary or Balearic islands you do not need the autorización.
Making the appointment
Step 1: Go to the government website.
Step 2: Select “Madrid” or your provincia from the drop-down menu shown below, and click aceptar.
Step 3: On the next page, click the drop-down menu and select POLICIA – AUTORIZACIONES DE REGRESO as shown below.
Step 4: Once you accept this, it will take you to another page to make an appointment. On this page it tells you the documentation you need, which we will outline later on in the post. Go to the bottom of the page and click entrar.
Step 5: On the next page, you will have to fill out the information below. It’s quite simple:
- Document type
- NIE
- First and last name
- Date of birth
- Expiry date of your current card
Step 6: Print out the confirmation. If you get the regreso in Madrid, the appointment will be at the Brigada Provincial de Extranjería y Documentación, Avenida de los Poblados S/N, 28024 Madrid (Metro Aluche, Telfs.: 913228567 and 913228568, Fax: 913228529).
Watch out!
If the appointment date is given AFTER your departure date, you must still make the appointment and print out the confirmation. You may go to the Aluche office five days prior to your departure date with the confirmation and required documents and they should be able to attend you.
Remember: You should ask for a justificante in the Extranjería any time you miss work to take care of the autorización de regreso. They will be able to give you a form you fill out stating the time you arrived and left.
Come prepared: Documents (originals and copies)
- EX-13 form
- Passport
- NIE (front and back)
- Completed EXO0 form with Extranjeria sticker (renewal form for those on Student NIEs), OR any of the other forms for different applications, such as work permits
- Print out of plane reservation
- Receipt from Modelo 790 Codigo 012 (pick up a PHYSICAL TASA form from any police station. For example, the Comisaría de Policia inside the Sol train station has these forms, because the online form is wrong!) that you have paid the fee of 10,30 euros (note that this fee tends to change frequently, so always check the cita site for the latest amount)
- The autorización will be granted at the appointment if you bring all of the required documents.
Things you should know!
- The authorization is valid for three months as of the date of issue, only one exit and entry, and serves for any trips you might make outside of Spain during the three months. If they take it and stamp it at the airport, train station, or bus station you will not be able to use it again and will have to request another autorización for any trips you take outside of Spain while your NIE is expired. If you are not asked for the autorización, do not give it because it can be used again if it is not stamped or taken.
- It does not matter what time your appointment is made for, they only care about the date, so you can feel free to show up at Aluche in Madrid as early as possible! That being said, make sure you arrive earlier than planned in order to get the Modelo 790 Codigo 012 form or pay for it, so that you can leave, pay the fee at one of the banks in the Centro Comercial by the metro station, and get back in time before the office closes at 2pm. The Extranjería is open until 7pm for certain services, but the office for autorizaciones is only open until 2pm.
- If you are trying to pay a TASA in the same trip, the closest banks are Banco Popular, Caja Madrid, and BBVA. These banks will accept TASA payments until
10:30am from non-account holders, but only from account holders after 10:30am. If you are not an account holder at those banks, you will not be able to pay the TASA on the spot, unless you get on the metro, find a branch of their bank, and then get back to the Extranjería before 2pm. - When traveling, it’s always helpful to bring any other supporting documents (such as your work contract), in case you are ever questioned at the airports.
Can I go to my NIE renewal appointment AND get an autorización de regreso all in one go?
Yes, you can! Make sure you bring the TASAs and photocopies needed for both things. If you have your NIE renewal appointment first, tell the funcionario (civil servant) that you will be getting the autorización de regreso after, they will give you in additional copy of your “resguardo”. Then, you can go right upstairs, along with the extra copy of the resguardo, and get your autorización de regreso right then and there.
Article updated on May 22nd 2022: Autorización de Regreso: What is it, How to Apply, Requirements and More
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