Regreso Permit Spain: Documents, Steps, Tips

Autorización de Regreso in Spain: What It Is, When You Need It, and How to Apply (Valencia Example)

If your TIE card has expired or you are waiting for a renewed or replacement card, but you need to leave Spain and then return, you may need an autorización de regreso (often called “regreso”).

This is a separate authorization that shows border control that you are returning to Spain legally even if you do not currently have the physical TIE card in your hand.

1) What Regreso Is for

You normally request a regreso when you need to exit and re-enter Spain in situations like these:

• You have submitted a renewal or replacement of your TIE and you are waiting for the decision or the new card
• You already have an appointment for fingerprints and TIE issuance (toma de huellas / puesta de huellas), but the card is not ready yet

Important: a regreso does not replace your passport and it does not turn you into a visa-free tourist. It only helps with one thing: returning to Spain when you have a TIE issue. It is not a Schengen visa, and it is not a residence permit for other countries.

2) Where Regreso Works

Regreso is a Spanish document designed for re-entry specifically into Spain.

The safest scenario in practice is a route with a direct arrival into Spain.

If you travel with a connection through another Schengen country, there can be problems at airline check-in or border control. That is because regreso is not a Schengen visa and not a residence card for the transit country. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not. To minimize risk, plan your return so you re-enter through Spain.

3) How to Apply: Document Package (Valencia Example)

In the Valencia example, the full application must be sent as one complete PDF package by email to:

CITAREGRESOS.VALENCIA@CORREO.GOB.ES

If the package is incomplete or incorrect, they may not start processing it.

Attach the following documents inside one PDF:

1. Modelo EX-13 form, completed and signed
2. Copy of your passport
3. Copy of your submitted renewal (renovación presentada) OR, if you already have it, the receipt confirming your fingerprints appointment at the police station (resguardo de puesta de huellas)
4. Paid fee: Modelo 790, código 052 plus proof of payment
   Note: a bank account “direct debit” statement is not accepted (no vale domiciliación bancaria). You need the official payment receipt.

Official link to download the 052 fee form:

https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/pagina/index/directorio/tasa052

After you send the package, you are usually informed when to come to the office. They typically ask you to bring the originals of everything you emailed, and you collect the regreso in person.

4) Practical Tips to Avoid Rejection

• Submit a real PDF, not photos from a messenger app
• Name files clearly (for example: EX13, Pasaporte, Renovacion, Tasa052)
• Check that the payment receipt is readable and clearly shows código 052
• Apply early, not on the day of your flight

If you plan travel while your TIE is being renewed, a well-prepared regreso application can save you a lot of stress at the airport and at border control. The key is simple: complete documents, clean proof, and timing.