How to renew your TIE/NIE in 2026: a step-by-step guide to the health insurance Spanish immigration requires

Short answer: the residence permit renewal can be filed up to 60 calendar days before the expiry date, and also within the 90 calendar days after that date thanks to the grace period — although filing within that window already means the infringement has been committed and a penalty file may be opened. At the office we recommend not leaving it to the last minute: if the application is filed before expiry or within the 90-day grace period, the validity of the previous permit is automatically extended until the file is decided. What we check before that appointment is that the health insurance certificate is up to date with no gaps in coverage, because immigration can request it at any point in the file.

Short answer: there is a 90-calendar-day grace period after expiry during which the renewal can still be filed, and if it is filed within that window the previous permit is automatically extended until a decision is issued — although the authorities may open a penalty file for the infringement already committed. At the office we regularly see clients who let the date slip because nobody reminded them, and that oversight, while fixable within the 90 days, adds the risk of a penalty and of extra documentation being requested. Once that grace period passes with nothing filed, the situation becomes considerably more complicated and it is best to go straight to an immigration lawyer.

Short answer: the authorities have 3 months to decide a renewal file from the moment the complete application is filed, and if that period runs out without a notified reply, administrative silence applies — the specific effect of which depends on the type of permit and should be confirmed on the official procedure sheet for your file. During those 3 months the person remains covered by the automatic extension of their previous permit, so they can carry on working, studying or residing normally while it is decided. At the office we recommend keeping the filing receipt and the proof of payment of the 790-052 fee, because those are the documents that show the procedure is under way if you are ever checked during that waiting period.

Short answer: two form 790 fees are involved: the 790-052 (the heading for renewing or extending a residence permit, around €17-18) when you file the application, and the 790-012 (issuing the TIE, known as the fingerprint fee, around €16-16.08 for an ordinary card and slightly more for long-term residence) on the day of the fingerprint appointment. These figures are approximate for 2026 and vary slightly according to the exact heading that applies to your type of permit, so at the office we always recommend generating the form 790 on the Ministry of the Interior electronic office right before paying, to confirm the amount currently in force.

Short answer: the fingerprint appointment is booked on the electronic office of the Spanish central government (sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es), through the ICP prior-appointment system, selecting your province and the relevant police procedure — although at some police stations the National Police's Mercurio system lets you complete part of the process online without attending in person. Appointment availability, and Mercurio itself, varies a great deal by province and by station, so it is worth checking both channels in parallel. The usual window to get an appointment after the renewal approval notice is 30 calendar days, and at the office we alert our clients as soon as that notice arrives.

Short answer: immigration requires a health or sickness insurance certificate with continuous coverage for the whole period of the permit, with no copays and no waiting periods, issued by an insurer authorised to operate in Spain — and that certificate must be current as of the renewal application date, not the one from when you first signed up. At the office we issue the official certificate for the visa and NIE policy in under 24 hours, in Spanish or English, from €67.76/month, precisely because we know immigration can ask for it at short notice within a renewal file. Not every private policy qualifies: we check that the policy keeps its no-copay, no-waiting-period conditions throughout the renewal.

Short answer: the usual documents include form EX-01 (renewal) or EX-17 (fingerprints/issuance), your full valid passport, your previous TIE, proof of payment of the 790-052 and 790-012 fees, an up-to-date town-hall registration certificate (empadronamiento), evidence of financial means or of the relationship matching your type of permit, and the health insurance certificate with no copays and no waiting periods, plus two passport-style photographs for the fingerprint stage. At the office we track our clients' expiry dates and warn them well ahead of each NIE/TIE renewal appointment, so the insurance certificate they bring always carries a recent issue date.

Short answer: no, they are two sequential procedures: first you renew the residence permit (the application filed up to 60 days before expiry or within the 90-day grace period afterwards) and, once approved, you book a fingerprint appointment to have the physical card issued, typically within 30 calendar days of the notice. Confusing the two stages is a common mistake: people think the process is over when the renewal approval arrives, but they still have to book the fingerprint appointment and pay the second fee to hold the physical card. Until you collect the new TIE, keep the approval decision as proof of your regularised status.