No Extranjería Appointments Available? Here's What to Do

You open the cita previa page, pick your province and procedure, and get the same message again: “No hay citas disponibles en este momento.” If you have been seeing it for days or even weeks, you are not doing anything wrong. Here is why it happens and what actually helps.

Why there are no appointments

Booking through the official portal is free, but every office can only offer as many slots as it has staff and desks. Demand for NIE, TIE fingerprinting, renewals and other procedures is much higher, especially in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Malaga. Offices release slots in small batches at no fixed time, and they are usually taken within minutes. So the message simply means that all currently published slots are taken — it does not mean you chose something wrong or that the website is broken.

7 things you can do

1. Check the procedure name. Similar names lead to different agendas: for example, “Asignación de NIE” is for the number, while “Toma de huellas (expedición de tarjeta)” is for the TIE card. Also check whether your case is handled by the Oficina de Extranjería or by the Policía.
2. Try every office in your province. The form lets you pick among several offices, and availability differs between them. Some procedures must be done in the province that handled your file, so don't switch provinces without checking first.
3. Check several times a day. Slots appear irregularly and can vanish within minutes, so one check per day is rarely enough. Have your details ready (passport or NIE, date of birth, nationality, phone, email) so you can finish the booking before the session expires.
4. Find out whether you need a cita at all. Some applications, including many renewals, can be filed online with a digital certificate or through a representative. The physical appointment is then only needed later, for fingerprints. Check the official page for your procedure.
5. Keep proof. Take dated screenshots of the “no hay citas” message. If a deadline is running out — for instance the one-month window to request your TIE after approval — this shows you tried. It does not extend the deadline by itself, so also contact your office or call 060 for guidance.
6. Be careful with resold appointments. The official booking costs nothing. Sellers on Telegram or WhatsApp who ask for a large payment up front are a common source of scams, and the appointment must be booked in your own name anyway.
7. Let someone watch the portal for you. If you don't have time to refresh the page all day, a helper can monitor it and book the first suitable slot in your name. That's what I do — and you pay only after the appointment is confirmed.

What to bring when you get a slot

• Valid passport (and your NIE, if you already have one)
• The correct EX application form, filled in
• Proof of payment of the fee (modelo 790, código 012), when the procedure requires it
• Proof of address (padrón) and a passport-size photo, depending on the procedure
• The printed appointment confirmation

Requirements change depending on the procedure and the province, so always check the checklist for your exact case on the official site (sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es). This article is general information, not legal advice.