Last Updated on March 18, 2026 by Bruno Bianchi
Question about the Digital Nomad Visa Spain
What happens if I get approval but I don’t get empadronamiento and TIE for several months? Will my Digital Nomad Visa Spain be in any kind of risk?
I ask because immediately after my hopefully aproval I need to travel back to my home country (Chile) for some period of time, so I expect that I will not have time for empadronamiento and TIE. And I’m worried if I will be able to enter again Spain easily just showing the aproval letter? Im in Spain now but I already ran out of Schengen days
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These are the answers of some Facebook group members:
”It’s your right to residency (and then permanent residency) that’s at risk. If your plan is to stay in Spain long term you would be advised against delaying applying for the TIE”
”Theoretically you are supposed to get your TIE appointment within 30 days of arrival if approved outside of Spain, or 30 days of approval if approved in Spain. Not sure how much it is being enforced but that is the rule”
”Don’t worry, Ignore that 30 days message. Before it was normal to wait for the police appointment for 2-3 months 🙂 There are no penalty for that. Also, you can try to get TIE without empadronamiento. It’s also possible in certain situation / location”
”I’ve been in Spain for 7 weeks with Digital Nomad Visa Spain and no officials are checking up on me to make sure I’m doing anything. Just do the best you can and don’t worry about whether it takes more than one month”
”Once you are approved you are good. The TIE card is just a physical representation of the data in the Immigration system. It can take time to get the TIE card, several months. Do not delay but don’t worry if it takes time. Some people have taken 6 months to get appointments without issue”
Conclusion
In conclusion, according to Spainguru Facebook group members, it’s recommended to apply for the TIE promptly upon approval, many have experienced delays without facing penalties. The TIE is essentially a physical representation of the data in Spain’s Immigration system.
While the official guideline suggests obtaining the TIE within 30 days of arrival or approval of the Digital nomad visa Spain, some members report waiting several months without issues. Traveling back to one’s home country immediately after approval might raise concerns, but having an approval letter might suffice for re-entry, although individual experiences vary.
It’s always advised to follow official guidelines to ensure residency and entry rights in Spain.
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