Skip to main content

Legal Status While in Spain

If you are a permanent student or you are staying at SLU-Madrid for more than one semester, you are required to obtain a residency card, or TIE. Be sure you review the information below to learn more about the standard immigration processes for students.

Two students laughing and strolling near the Royal Palace in Madrid.

Immigration in a new country with an unfamiliar language can be daunting. Your legal status is 100% your responsibility, and SLU-Madrid strongly recommends you work with a lawyer, a gestor or an organization that can help you with the different immigration processes you might go through during your studies. The U.S. Embassy maintains a list of English-speaking immigration lawyers, if you are looking for one.

These are the typical immigration processes for a SLU-Madrid student, as well as links from the CityLife website with more information on how to request appointments, what documents to bring, etc.:

  • Obtaining a NIE: Students who hold EU passports must obtain a NIE number, which is their foreign identification number, thereby validating they are living in Spain.
  • Getting your first TIE: Students who arrive in Spain with long-term visas (permanent students or those who are studying abroad for one year) are required to start the process of getting their first TIE within 30 days. The first part of this process is making an appointment to submit your documents and get your fingerprints taken. The second part is a second appointment for about 40 days after you do your fingerprints to pick up your TIE.
  • Empadronamiento (“padrón”): The empadronamiento (padrón) is a document that certifies you live in a regulated home. It's best practice to get a padrón when you get your first TIE, and it’s a requirement to have it to renew your TIE. You should get a new padrón every time you move to a new home.
  • Renewing your TIE: When your TIE expires, you have a window of time during which you need to apply with the government to get permission to renew it. That window is 60 days before expiration or 90 days after. Please be mindful of your expiration date.

    As more and more students are getting TIEs valid for longer terms, the government is expected to create some kind of “check-in” process. That process has not been defined as of the last update to this website. Be sure you work closely with a lawyer, gestor or company supporting your immigration needs to understand what that might look like for you.
  • Autorización de regreso: Any time you don't have a valid TIE and you need to leave Spain, you should get an autorización de regreso (regreso). This document allows you to travel outside and re-enter Spain. The regreso is only valid for 90 days, starting the day it's issued at your appointment, so be mindful of those dates.

Important note: You will frequently need your NIE number for different government processes. Your NIE is your foreign identification number that you can find on your visa in your passport. It is nine characters long and starts and ends with a letter, with numbers in the middle.

If you require a new visa, we recommend you contact a lawyer or return to your home country to obtain a visa through a Spanish consulate or embassy.

This website was updated on January 26, 2026.