Crowdsourced Data

Spain Bureaucracy Wait Times

How long will YOUR paperwork take? Stop guessing.

See real processing times reported by expats just like you. Updated daily with crowdsourced data from thousands of submissions.

Total Reports

2,633

Avg Wait (Filtered)

26 days

Fastest Location

Barcelona

Filter Wait Times

Select a procedure and city to see specific wait times

NIE Application

Solicitud de NIE

Madrid234 reports

Average

28

days

Range

14 - 45

days

Trend

-12%

Recent Reports

21 days
2025-01-14

Got an appointment in 3 weeks, processed same day!

18
35 days
2025-01-10

Waited 5 weeks for appointment in Aluche

12
25 days
2025-01-08
8

NIE Application

Solicitud de NIE

Barcelona312 reports

Average

42

days

Range

21 - 60

days

Trend

+8%

Recent Reports

45 days
2025-01-15

Very difficult to get appointment, try early morning

24
38 days
2025-01-12

Used script to auto-refresh, got slot after 2 days

31
50 days
2025-01-09
15

NIE Application

Solicitud de NIE

Valencia156 reports

Average

21

days

Range

10 - 35

days

Trend

2%

Recent Reports

18 days
2025-01-13

Much easier than Barcelona. Got appointment in 2 weeks.

22
25 days
2025-01-10
9

TIE Card (First Application)

TIE Primera Solicitud

Madrid189 reports

Average

35

days

Range

21 - 56

days

Trend

-5%

Recent Reports

30 days
2025-01-14

Fingerprinting at Aluche, card ready in 4 weeks

14
42 days
2025-01-11

Waited 6 weeks for the card after fingerprinting

11

TIE Card (First Application)

TIE Primera Solicitud

Barcelona221 reports

Average

49

days

Range

28 - 70

days

Trend

+15%

Recent Reports

55 days
2025-01-15

Very backed up. Card took 8 weeks after huella

28
45 days
2025-01-12
16

TIE Card (First Application)

TIE Primera Solicitud

Málaga87 reports

Average

28

days

Range

14 - 42

days

Trend

3%

Recent Reports

25 days
2025-01-12

Smoother process here than in big cities

19

EU Registration (Green NIE)

Certificado de Registro UE

Madrid145 reports

Average

14

days

Range

7 - 28

days

Trend

1%

Recent Reports

12 days
2025-01-14

Easy process, bring all documents!

25
18 days
2025-01-10
10

EU Registration (Green NIE)

Certificado de Registro UE

Barcelona178 reports

Average

21

days

Range

10 - 35

days

Trend

+10%

Recent Reports

25 days
2025-01-15

Appointment hard to get but process fast

17

Empadronamiento

Alta en Padrón Municipal

Madrid289 reports

Average

7

days

Range

1 - 21

days

Trend

-20%

Recent Reports

3 days
2025-01-15

Online appointment available, very quick!

34
10 days
2025-01-12

Went to Linea Madrid, done in 30 minutes

22

Empadronamiento

Alta en Padrón Municipal

Barcelona267 reports

Average

21

days

Range

7 - 35

days

Trend

+15%

Recent Reports

28 days
2025-01-15

Very strict about rental contract. Must be registered.

29
18 days
2025-01-11
14

TIE Card Renewal

Renovación de TIE

Madrid156 reports

Average

42

days

Range

28 - 60

days

Trend

4%

Recent Reports

40 days
2025-01-13

Start renewal 60 days before expiry!

21

TIE Card Renewal

Renovación de TIE

Barcelona189 reports

Average

56

days

Range

35 - 80

days

Trend

+12%

Recent Reports

60 days
2025-01-14

Took 2 months. Keep your resguardo safe!

26

Autónomo Registration

Alta como Autónomo

Madrid98 reports

Average

3

days

Range

1 - 7

days

Trend

0%

Recent Reports

2 days
2025-01-14

Used a gestor, done in 2 days

28
1 days
2025-01-10

Did it online myself, same day!

35

Autónomo Registration

Alta como Autónomo

Barcelona112 reports

Average

3

days

Range

1 - 5

days

Trend

0%

Recent Reports

2 days
2025-01-15

Straightforward online process

22

How to Reduce Your Wait Time

Book appointments early

Check for new slots at midnight or early morning

Consider smaller cities

Málaga, Valencia often have shorter waits than Barcelona

Prepare all documents

Missing documents = rebooking = more waiting

Use browser extensions

Auto-refresh tools can help catch cancelled slots

Know Your Documents?

Use our Document Checklist Generator to know exactly what to bring

Generate Checklist