TIE Appointment in Valencia: Patraix and Bailén Police Stations

You have your visa or your residence authorisation, you have arrived in Valencia, and now there is one more step: the TIE card. To get it you need a fingerprinting appointment with the National Police, and finding that appointment, choosing the right procedure and turning up with the right papers is where many newcomers get stuck. This guide explains what the TIE is, when you must apply, how the appointment works in Valencia, which police offices are involved and what to bring, including a note for British residents under the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.

What is the TIE?

The TIE is a plastic photo card issued by the National Police to foreign nationals who are authorised to stay or live in Spain for more than six months. It shows your NIE, your type of authorisation and its expiry date. It is the document you will use day to day to prove your status: when renting a flat, starting a job, opening a bank account, travelling in and out of the Schengen area, or dealing with any Spanish administration.

The TIE is different from the NIE. The NIE is just your identification number; the TIE is the card that carries that number together with your residence status. If you want to understand the difference in more detail, read our guide to the NIE in Valencia.

When do you need to apply?

Spain’s Immigration Regulation (Royal Decree 1155/2024, in force since 20 May 2025 and amended by Royal Decree 316/2026) sets a general deadline of one month to apply for the TIE in person. When that month starts depends on your situation:

• If you entered Spain with a long-stay visa (for example a residence, study, work or family visa for more than six months), the month generally counts from your entry into Spain.
• If your residence authorisation was granted while you were already in Spain, the month generally counts from the notification of the decision, or in some work cases from your registration with Social Security.

There are exceptions for some categories, so read your visa or resolution carefully. In practice, the safest approach is to start looking for an appointment as soon as you arrive or receive the resolution, because appointments in Valencia can take time to find.

How to book the TIE appointment

TIE appointments are booked on the official Spanish government cita previa website for foreigners’ procedures, at icp.administracionelectronica.gob.es/icpplus. Booking is free. The steps are:

1. Open the cita previa site and choose the province of Valencia.
2. In the list of police procedures, select the TIE fingerprinting procedure (toma de huellas). This is the appointment for the issue of the card. Do not confuse it with other procedures on the list, such as “POLICIA-CERTIFICADOS Y ASIGNACION NIE” or “POLICIA-CERTIFICADO DE REGISTRO DE CIUDADANO DE LA U.E.”.
3. If the system lets you choose an office, choose one; otherwise it will offer whichever office has availability.
4. Enter your details exactly as they appear on your passport or resolution, including your NIE.
5. Pick a date and time, confirm, and save or print the confirmation with the appointment code.

If the system says there are no appointments available, try again on other days and at other times. Avoid websites or people who sell appointment slots: they are not official and you may lose your money.

The police offices in Valencia: Patraix and Bailén

Valencia has more than one police office dealing with foreigners’ documentation, and people often confuse them. This is what the official cita previa system showed for Valencia city in October 2026.

Comisaría de Patraix (TIE cards)

The Comisaría de Patraix, at Calle Gremis, 6, València, offers TIE fingerprinting (toma de huellas), TIE collection (recogida) and the card for people from Ukraine. For most non-EU nationals, this is where fingerprints for the TIE are taken and where the card is collected.

Comisaría de Bailén (NIE and EU certificates)

The Comisaría de Bailén, at Calle Bailén, 9, València, offers the EU registration certificate (“POLICIA-CERTIFICADO DE REGISTRO DE CIUDADANO DE LA U.E.”), residence, non-residence and concordance certificates, and “Certificados y asignación NIE”. It does not appear in the system for TIE fingerprints.

Calle Zapadores and the rest of the province

The office at Calle Zapadores, 52 only deals with invitation letters (carta de invitación). Outside the city, the system also lists other police stations in the province, such as Alzira, Burjassot, Gandia, Ontinyent, Paterna, Sagunto and Xirivella; the procedures each one offers vary, so check them when you book.

The rule that matters

Whatever you read online, go to the office shown on your appointment confirmation. The cita previa system assigns the office, and each office only attends the appointments booked for it. Turning up at the wrong comisaría usually means losing the appointment and starting again.

Documents to bring

The exact list depends on your type of authorisation, but most applicants need:

• Form EX-17 (application for the foreigner’s identity card), completed and signed, usually with a copy.
• Form 790 código 012, paid, choosing the option that matches your card (for example, the first issue of a TIE for a temporary residence authorisation). The fee is set by ministerial order and updated periodically, so check the current amount on the form when you generate it rather than relying on figures from older guides. In October 2026 the Policía Nacional fee table showed 16,08 € for a TIE documenting a first temporary residence or stay authorisation, 19,30 € for a renewal and 12,00 € for the Withdrawal Agreement (Brexit) TIE.
• One recent passport-style colour photo meeting the usual Spanish ID photo requirements.
• Your valid passport, plus a copy of the identity page and of the visa page if you entered with a visa.
• Proof of your status: your visa, or the resolution granting your residence authorisation.
• Your padrón certificate (registration with Valencia City Council) where it is requested to prove your address. Many applicants bring it as a matter of course, since the card shows your address.
• Your appointment confirmation.

Depending on the case, the police may ask for more, such as proof of Social Security registration for some work authorisations. If any document is in a foreign language, check in advance whether a sworn translation is needed.

What happens at the appointment

At the appointment, an officer checks your documents, takes your fingerprints and confirms your details. You will normally be given a receipt (resguardo) showing that your card is in process. Keep it safe: together with your passport, it helps show that you have applied while you wait for the card.

Collecting the card

The card is not handed over on the day. It is produced afterwards and must normally be collected in person. Waiting times vary depending on the period of the year and the workload of the office. Check your receipt for instructions: in some cases you will need to book a separate collection appointment on the same cita previa website, choosing the province of Valencia and the collection procedure. Bring your passport and the receipt when you go.

When you get the card, check every detail: name, NIE, date of birth, type of authorisation and expiry date. Errors are much easier to correct straight away.

British residents: the Brexit TIE

UK nationals who were living in Spain before the end of the Brexit transition period (31 December 2020), and their family members, have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement. Spain gives them a specific residence document: a TIE that refers to their status as beneficiaries of the agreement (it mentions Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union).

According to the Spanish government’s official Brexit information, this card is requested with form EX-23, together with your passport, the paid fee form 790 código 012 and a photo, after booking an appointment on the cita previa system. Older green EU registration certificates issued to UK nationals before the end of the transition period remain valid as proof of residence. However, the official information explains that the TIE is the document that identifies you as a Withdrawal Agreement beneficiary at Schengen borders, including for the EU Entry/Exit System, so it is worth having one.

The Brexit TIE follows its own rules, so do not use the standard EX-17 path if you are covered by the Withdrawal Agreement. We explain the process in detail on our Brexit TIE page.

Common mistakes

1. Missing the one-month deadline. Start looking for an appointment as soon as you arrive or receive your resolution.
2. Booking the wrong procedure. For a card you need the TIE fingerprint appointment (toma de huellas), not the NIE or EU certificate procedures.
3. Going to the wrong comisaría. Patraix and Bailén are not interchangeable. Follow your appointment.
4. Ticking the wrong option on form 790. The fee depends on your type of card.
5. Forgetting the photo or copies. Simple omissions can mean a second appointment.
6. Letting your passport expire. Your passport must be valid when you apply and when you collect.

Want us to handle it?

Expat Valencia is an online paperwork service, run by Gestoría Beltrán Cifre SL. We can prepare your EX-17 or EX-23, the correct fee form and your document checklist, and help you secure the appointment, for a fixed price confirmed in writing. We answer in English and reply within one business day. See our TIE card service, our Brexit TIE service, or call +34 673 374 567.

Sources

• Official cita previa for foreigners’ procedures (icpplus): offices and procedures for the province of Valencia
• Policía Nacional: immigration fees (tasas de extranjería)
• BOE: Royal Decree 1155/2024, Immigration Regulation (consolidated text)
• BOE: Royal Decree 316/2026, amending Royal Decree 1155/2024
• BOE: Order PJC/617/2025 on immigration and foreigners’ document fees
• Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration: Brexit, citizens’ rights

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