How many photos should I bring?

The Ministry of the Interior only specifies a recent colour photograph on a white background, passport size. It does not fix the number or the exact measurements, and each police station has its own habit. Bringing three is the safe option.

Can somebody else do the fingerprints for me?

No. The Reglamento requires the card to be applied for in person. Minors attend accompanied by their legal representative.

What happens if the one-month deadline passes?

The rule sets no penalty for going later, and in practice offices take the fingerprints anyway. The real problem is usually not the delay but finding an appointment at all — keep dated screenshots of your failed attempts.

Can I do the fingerprints in another province?

As a rule, no: the trámite belongs to the province of your domicile, where your file was processed. Some offices accept justified exceptions, but check before taking a slot elsewhere.

Fingerprint appointment for the TIE: documents, deadline and what if there is no slot

Updated: 2026-09-10

The toma de huellas is the in-person appointment where the National Police takes your biometric data to issue your TIE, the foreigner identity card. You must attend in person — nobody can go for you — and the Reglamento gives you one month. The strict minimum is two documents: form EX-17 and proof that the 790/012 fee has been paid.

What this appointment is for

When a residence authorisation is granted, the favourable decision is not yet your card. One step remains, and it is in person: attending the National Police so they can take your fingerprints and signature, and issue the TIE — Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero, the foreigner identity card.

In the appointment system this trámite appears under different names depending on the province — «toma de huellas», «expedición de tarjeta», «POLICÍA-TOMA DE HUELLAS» — but it is always the same step. Choose the wrong entry in the dropdown and you will be told there are no slots even when there are.

The deadline: one month

The Reglamento de Extranjería approved by Royal Decree 1155/2024, in force since 20 May 2025, states that the card must be applied for in person within one month. That reference matters: a great deal of the advice circulating online still cites the previous Reglamento, RD 557/2011, which has been repealed.

Two practical consequences:

The step is personal. No representative, except minors accompanied by their legal representative.
The clock runs, even though getting an appointment within a month is difficult in many provinces. If you cannot, what matters is being able to show that you tried.

What to bring

The National Police electronic office lists only two required documents:

Form EX-17, completed and signed.
Proof of payment of the 790/012 fee.

The Ministry of the Interior adds your passport or travel document, a recent colour photograph on a white background in passport size, the visa where applicable and, where relevant, proof of Social Security registration.

In practice almost every police station also asks for two things that appear on no official list:

A printed copy of the resolución de concesión — the grant decision.
A recent empadronamiento certificate, normally less than three months old, from the province where your appointment is.

Bringing them costs nothing and saves a second trip. On the EX-17: the current version references RD 1155/2024 in its header. If the form you downloaded cites RD 557/2011, it is out of date.

The fee, before you go

Without proof of payment you will not be seen. The fee is paid using form 790 code 012, and the amount depends on the type of card granted. You can pay online with a digital certificate, or print the form and pay at a bank.

If you cannot find an appointment

This is where nearly everybody gets stuck, and it has nothing to do with your documents. Slots appear irregularly and are gone in minutes; we explain it in detail in no appointments available.

What you can do straight away: save screenshots with the date visible every time the system tells you there are no slots. That is the usual way to show the delay is not your fault.

In short

Two compulsory documents — EX-17 and the paid fee — a handful of others worth bringing even though they are not officially required, a one-month deadline running from the grant, and a step you must take yourself, in person, in your province.