When to file the renewal
You file within the 60 calendar days before your card expires. You may also file up to 90 days after expiry — the permit can still be renewed, though a penalty procedure is possible.
Filing on time keeps you legal: your permit stays valid until the decision is issued.
Core document set
- Form EX-17 and the paid 790 fee.
- Full valid passport and your current TIE.
- Evidence the original grounds still hold: contract and payslips, self-employment filings, or funds.
- An up-to-date empadronamiento certificate.
- Certificates showing no debts with Social Security and the tax office, where relevant.
- Health insurance, if it was a condition of the original permit.
Changing job or status (modificación)
If your circumstances change — from studies to work, from employment to self-employment, or to a different permit type — you file a modification rather than a plain renewal, with its own requirements and documents.
Moving from a student card to a work permit is possible once the study and activity conditions are met. Plan it well before your current card expires.
Working and travelling while it is pending
- You can keep working: a renewal filed on time extends your permit.
- The filing receipt (resguardo) together with the expired card evidences your status.
- If the card has already expired, you may need a return authorisation to re-enter Spain.
- Check electronic notifications regularly — an unanswered requerimiento leads to refusal.
After a favourable decision
Once approved, you book a fingerprint appointment and the new TIE is normally issued within 30–45 days.
Keep track of your legal residence years: five years opens long-term residence, and citizenship timelines depend on your category.