Your residence card
TIE Card in Valencia: Fingerprints and Collection
If Spain grants you a visa or authorisation to stay more than six months, you must request the TIE card in person within one month of entering Spain or of the grant (RD 1155/2024, art. 209.1). A first card costs 16.08 €. We handle the form, the fee and both police bookings.
Step by step with us
- Work out your last day to apply
- Fill in EX-17 and the 790 fee form
- Book the fingerprint and pick-up visits
Paperwork checklist
- Passport with your visa, or your approval letter
- A recent passport-style photo
- Your address in the province
The basics
Your visa or your approval letter is what lets you stay; the card is what you show day to day. Valencian banks, the health centre where you sign up, letting agents and passport control whenever you fly back in all ask for it. The Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero (TIE) shows your photo, your NIE, which authorisation you hold and when it ends.
The clock starts early. In most cases you have one month to request the card: counted from your entry date when a long-stay visa brought you here, or from the grant date when Spain approves your authorisation. The first week after landing is the moment to act.
Two police visits are involved. At the first you give your fingerprints (toma de huellas); at the second you pick up the card. If you live in Valencia city, both happen at the Comisaría de Patraix, Calle Gremis 6. Elsewhere in the province the booking system offers stations such as Alzira, Burjassot, Gandia, Ontinyent, Paterna, Sagunto and Xirivella (in Gandia the option is labelled “Expedición TIE”), and the right one depends on your address.
Who it is for
- New arrivals on a long-stay visa: students, remote workers, retirees and employees.
- Anyone whose residence authorisation the Valencia foreigners' office has just approved.
- Anyone who has just renewed and must swap to a card showing the new expiry date.
- People whose card was lost or stolen in Valencia.
- Relatives from outside the EU of EU citizens living in the province.
Paperwork checklist
- Passport (visa page included) and one copy of it.
- Form EX-17 with your signature.
- Proof that the 790 fee (code 012) has been paid.
- A passport-style colour photo on a white background, taken recently.
- If the authorisation was granted inside Spain, the approval resolution.
- A recent padrón certificate from your town hall in Valencia, which officers often request.
Different permits call for slightly different papers. Before we book anything, we confirm the list that applies to you.
Step by step with us
- Your dates. Starting from the entry stamp in your passport or the date on your approval, we tell you the last day to apply.
- The paperwork. The EX-17 is prepared together with the fee form (790, code 012); photo and papers are checked against your permit type.
- Fingerprints. We look for a toma de huellas slot at the station that serves your address and book it for you.
- Pick-up. When the card has been produced, we reserve the collection slot and remind you what to bring.
- If anything is missing. Should the officers ask for an extra paper, we get it ready with you so the card keeps moving.
Waiting times in Valencia
The legal clock is yours: one month to apply (RD 1155/2024, art. 209.1). Once your fingerprints are taken you leave with a receipt (resguardo), and the card usually follows within a few weeks. From first step to card in hand, count on one to two months. The date of the first appointment depends on the station and the season, so we do not promise one; you get our estimate before paying.
Fee for our help
From 200 € + VAT, covering the form, the fee document and both police bookings. The state fee comes on top of our price. If you also need to register on the padrón, ask for a joint quote.
Official fee in 2026 (form 790, code 012): a first card costs 16.08 €, a card issued after a renewal 19.30 € and a long-term resident’s card 21.87 €.
A typical case
A remote worker lands at Manises on a long-stay visa and signs a lease in Campanar. Their one month counts from the entry stamp, so we date it first, then fill in EX-17 and the 790 form and book the fingerprint visit at the station for Valencia city, with the padrón certificate prepared alongside. After the fingerprints we book the collection and tell them what to check on the card before leaving the desk.
Frequently asked questions
Which police station issues the TIE in Valencia?
For addresses in Valencia city, the Comisaría de Patraix on Calle Gremis 6 takes the fingerprints and hands over the cards. Outside the city, the booking system lists stations such as Alzira, Burjassot, Gandia, Ontinyent, Paterna, Sagunto and Xirivella; the one you use depends on where you live.
What waiting times should I expect in Valencia?
You have one month to apply (RD 1155/2024, art. 209.1). After the fingerprints, the card usually follows within a few weeks; from first step to card in hand, count on one to two months.
My one month has already passed. Can I still apply?
Usually yes, although applying late can have consequences. Send us your entry or approval date and we will explain the options.
Can someone else attend the appointments for me?
No. The card has to be requested personally, the fingerprints have to be yours and the card is normally handed only to its holder. Everything around those two visits we do for you.
What if something is missing at the fingerprint appointment?
The officer can ask you to come back with it, which means another appointment. That is why we check every document, including the photo and the fee receipt, before you go.
Is it safe to travel abroad before the card is ready?
Your visa dates decide that. The fingerprint receipt alone may not be enough at a border, so talk to us before you book a trip.
Do you deal with me in English?
Yes. We work in English and Spanish, by WhatsApp, phone or email, and every step is explained in English before it happens.
Source: Royal Decree 1155/2024, article 209 (BOE). Laws and fees change, so we confirm the current ones for your case before you pay.
Want to see how the whole process works first? Read our free guide: TIE Appointment in Valencia: Patraix and Bailén Police Stations.
You get a written quote with a closed fee before you pay anything. Official fees are listed separately.
Write on a working day and we reply within one business day, with a plan for your case.
WhatsApp, phone or email in English (or Spanish). No guessing what a form or an official letter means.
Expat Valencia is a service of Gestoría Beltrán Cifre SL, a gestoría registered in Spain.
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Tell us where your passport is from, what you need and which Valencian town you are heading to. A message that reaches us on a working day gets a reply by the next one, with the steps and a fixed fee in writing.
- Emailcontact@expatvalencia.com
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