Floor 06 · British & other non-EU passports

The TIE: from fingerprints to the card in your wallet

For a TIE in Benidorm, book the fingerprint appointment (toma de huellas) for the province of Alicante soon after you arrive, bring form EX-17, a photograph and the paid 790-012, then collect the card on a later visit. The card, Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero in full, shows a non-EU resident’s NIE, photograph, type of residence and expiry date. Your visa or authorisation comes first.

Start my NIE

Before you can book

You need either a visa stamped in your passport, or a decision (resolución) granting you an authorisation. If you arrived on a visa, book the fingerprint appointment soon after arrival: the deadline is short and runs from the day you entered Spain.

Huellas TIE Benidorm: the fingerprint appointment

Your passport with the visa, and a copy of its pages
Form EX-17, filled in and signed
A recent colour photograph in passport format, on a plain white background
The paid 790-012 slip, ticked for the card
Your visa or the decision granting the authorisation
A padrón certificate, if the office requests one

Which office takes your fingerprints

The Policía Nacional’s directory lists the non-EU regime (régimen no comunitario) at the Comisaría de Benidorm, Calle Apolo XI 36, and residence cards at one of its units in Alicante, on Calle Campo de Mirra. When you book through the cita previa system for the province of Alicante, it shows which offices offer the fingerprint procedure for a card, and your appointment confirmation names the office.

Picking up the card itself

At the fingerprint appointment you receive a receipt, the resguardo, which shows that your card is in progress. Keep it with your passport. When the card is ready you collect it in person, with the passport and the resguardo; some offices ask for a separate appointment to collect.

Renewing, later on

Each time the authorisation is renewed, a fresh card follows: another fingerprint appointment, another EX-17, another fee. If you have to travel during the renewal, read about the autorización de regreso before you book the flight.

Questions on this floor

Can I travel before the card is ready?

While your visa is still valid, usually yes. Once it has lapsed, leaving Spain without a card can make the return difficult, so ask about a return authorisation first.

Does each member of the family need an appointment?

Yes, children included. Every card has its own fingerprints, its own form and its own fee.

Are the TIE and the NIE two names for one thing?

Not quite. Your NIE is a number, and your TIE is a card on which that number appears, with your photograph and the details of your residence.

Official sources for this page

This floor was read against these pages in October 2026.