The sequence, step by step
- Your visa or residence authorisation is granted
- Once on the island, you book a cita previa for the fingerprints; the deadline runs from your entry into Spain and is short, so book in your first days
- The EX-17 gets filled in, the 790-012 slip gets paid
- At the appointment: passport, a recent passport-size photo on a white background, the EX-17, the paid fee, your visa or resolution and, often, a padrón certificate
- Once the card is ready, you collect it, with a new appointment where the office requires one
Where on the island
Between the two main police offices, it is Santa Cruz, on Calle Ramón Pérez de Ayala, that lists TIE issue; the Comisaría Sur in Adeje does not. For a resident of Arona or Costa Adeje, that usually means planning a trip north, once for the fingerprints and once for the collection.
When the authorisation is renewed, the card is renewed with it, through a new fingerprint appointment, a new EX-17 and a new fee.
Small things that cause a second trip
- A photo that is not recent or not on a white background
- A 790-012 paid under the wrong box
- An EX-17 that does not match the type of residence on your resolution
- No copy of the passport pages
- A padrón certificate that is too old, where the office asks for one
On Tenerife
For TIE procedures the island tilts north: the Santa Cruz police office on Calle Ramón Pérez de Ayala lists TIE issue, and the south office in Adeje does not; on the north coast, the Comisaría de Puerto de la Cruz - Los Realejos lists it too. Residents of Los Cristianos, Playa de las Américas and Granadilla de Abona should plan the motorway trip north twice, once for the fingerprints and once to collect the card.
Questions on this topic
Can I travel while I wait for the card?
Only with care: leaving Spain without a valid card can make the way back difficult. If you must travel during the wait, ask about a return authorisation (autorización de regreso), which the Santa Cruz office lists among its procedures.
Do British residents need a TIE?
Yes. Since Brexit, UK citizens resident on the island hold a TIE, and those covered by the Withdrawal Agreement have one that says so.
Does my partner need a separate appointment?
Yes: each person has their own card and their own fingerprints. You can try to book consecutive slots, but every booking is individual.