Extranjería Appointments in Madrid: Choose the Right Procedure

A cita previa is an appointment, rather than the application itself. Before searching for a slot, identify what you need to do and who handles it:

• Residence or work authorisation: follow the Oficina de Extranjería's procedure instructions. Check whether the application can or must be filed electronically.
• Fingerprints and a physical TIE: follow Policía Nacional's documentation procedure after the relevant approval.
• NIE assignment or EU registration: use the instructions for that particular procedure rather than treating every foreign-resident document as a TIE.

An NIE is an identification number; a TIE is a physical foreigner identity card. Our document guide explains the distinction.

Use the official cita previa page and the instructions issued for your procedure. Select Madrid and the relevant appointment type. Different agencies can use the same portal; they do not share responsibility for your file.

Access check, 22 October: the public appointment entry returned a 503 error, so the current slot flow and office choices could not be verified. That error does not establish that appointments are unavailable for everyone. Retry the official entry or contact the responsible agency.

If the live flow offers several eligible offices, compare the journey before booking. Use the address on your confirmation; the older office-directory link cited for this guide is unavailable.

Check that you selected the correct procedure and that it actually requires an appointment. No official slot-release timetable was established in this review; midnight or early-morning checking is not a verified route to a booking.

Keep the relevant identity and file details ready, and save the confirmation when you obtain a slot. Before cancelling or changing it, read the live system's instructions; do not give up a usable booking on the assumption that a replacement will appear.

A paid monitoring service cannot replace the official procedure or guarantee availability. We have no verified evidence that such services shorten the wait.

An unsuccessful slot search does not itself file an application or extend a deadline. Check the official filing route and deadline for your case; seek case-specific help if one is approaching.

For an existing file, use the responsible office's notification instructions. Logging into DEHú does not by itself change the chosen delivery method, while opening the actual electronic notification can constitute service. Our notification explainer distinguishes access from the separate ten-day non-access rule.