How to Get an Autorización de Regreso (Return Authorization) in Spain — Step-by-Step Guide 2026
After your biometrics appointment — where you submit your fingerprints (huella = fingerprint scan) — the TIE card (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero = resident ID card) takes 30–45 days to be issued. During this period, you have no document that officially permits you to leave and re-enter Spain. If you need to travel urgently, you can apply for an autorización de regreso (return authorization): a document that lets you leave Spain and return directly on a flight to Spain within 90 days.
Why you need the return authorization
After your biometrics appointment you receive a resguardo de huellas (biometrics submission receipt). Your TIE card is not yet ready (typically 30–45 days). The autorización de regreso covers this gap and allows you to leave Spain and return during the wait.
- The return authorization is valid for up to 90 days
- It is recognized only by Spanish border authorities — not by other EU member states
- When returning to Spain, you must fly directly into Spain
- After returning, keep the original document until your TIE card arrives
What to prepare
| Document | Where to get it |
|---|---|
| EX-13 — application form (2 copies) | Migraciones → documentos section on inclusion.gob.es |
| Tasa 790-012 — paid fee receipt | sede.policia.gob.es/Tasa790_012 |
| Resguardo de huellas or Resolución favorable (positive approval decision) | The document you received at your biometrics appointment |
| Passport + color photocopy | Prepare in advance |
| Flight tickets (optional) | Speeds up an urgent walk-in appointment |
Step-by-step process
- Pay the government fee (€10.72 [TODO: verify current fee]) — use Form Tasa 790-012 on the Policía Nacional website and select "Autorización de Regreso" as the transaction type.
- Book a Cita Previa appointment (cita previa = advance booking slot) at sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es — select "POLICÍA – AUTORIZACIÓN DE REGRESO", choose your province, and pick an available slot.
- Attend the police station and hand your documents to the officer.
- Check the document on the spot: verify your surname, passport number, expiry date (up to 90 days), and province. Take a photo of the document before leaving.
How to use the return authorization
- When departing Spain: present your passport together with the autorización de regreso to the Spanish border officer.
- When returning to Spain: present the same combination; your return flight must land directly in Spain.
- Keep the original document safely until your TIE card is in your hands.
Tips and frequently asked questions
No appointment slots available? Go to the police station at opening time with your full document package and ask for a cita de urgencia (urgent walk-in slot). If you have your flight tickets with you, officers will often process you on the spot.
Airline unsure about boarding you? Show them the Policía Nacional page on policia.es that explicitly states the right to return to Spain within 90 days using the autorización de regreso.
Prefer to have someone handle this for you?
We manage the entire process — from document preparation to collecting your resident card.
Get Started