Line N · Non-EU nationals · Stop N1
Studying in Madrid from outside the EU: visa first, card second
Non-EU students get the student visa at a Spanish consulate before travelling, then the TIE card in Madrid once they have arrived; the NIE ends up printed on that card. Madrid’s universities and business schools draw students from every continent, and these are the stops for a degree, a master’s or a research stay.
While you are still at home
The student visa is requested at the Spanish consulate that covers where you live, with your admission letter and the documents that consulate lists. Requirements vary with the length of the course and with the consulate, so work from its own list rather than a forum thread.
Keep copies of everything you hand in: the TIE stop in Madrid may ask for some of the same papers again.
After you land
- Settle into your accommodation and register on the padrón if a later step needs it
- Reserve your toma de huellas (fingerprinting for the card)
- EX-17 completed, 790-012 paid
- Turn up with passport, visa, photo and whatever else the desk requested
- Collect the TIE once it is ready
Where it tends to stall
The fingerprint appointment is the usual bottleneck, worst at the start of the academic year, when a whole new intake looks for the same slots. The other snag is a mismatch between visa and card application: a name spelt differently, an address that changed, a missing enrolment letter.
We line your documents up with your visa, prepare the EX-17 and search for the fingerprint slot, so the card follows the visa without a gap.
Platform
The desk for this stop
From the official sources. Your cita previa confirmation always names the office: if it differs, trust the confirmation.
-
TIE cards · Poblados
Sección de Documentación de Extranjeros (SDEx), Jefatura Superior de Policía de Madrid
- Address
- Avda. de los Poblados s/n, 28047 Madrid
- Desk hours
- 9:00–14:30 and 15:00–19:00 (except information and the mobile unit)
Handles
- Issue, duplicates and handover of TIE cards
- mobile TIE unit
Information point
Questions about Student visa and TIE
Can I work while I study in Madrid?
It depends on your authorisation and on the rules in force for students. Check the conditions before you accept a job, and ask the employer how they will register you.
Do I need a NIE before applying for the visa?
No. You apply for the visa with your passport; the number comes with the Spanish side of the process and ends up on your TIE.
My course is short. Is the route the same?
Not always. Short courses can follow a different route from a full degree, and the consulate tells you which visa, if any, applies to yours.
Plan your route
Get this stop prepared
Tell us your situation and dates for “Student visa and TIE”. We reply by email with your route and what we can take on.
- Tell us where you stand
- We map your route
- Paperwork prepared
Prefer email? desk@nie-madrid.com