Articles and Guides
Guides to NIE, TIE, visas, and other cita previa procedures in Spain. Practical advice and real experiences.
Cita alert services — how to tell a legit one from a reseller
When appointments never seem to exist, paid help starts to look tempting — and the market is full of it, from honest alert services to bots reselling free citas for 100 euros. A checklist for telling them apart before you pay anyone anything.
"No hay citas disponibles" — what to do, step by step
The most frustrating message on the cita previa portal does not mean the procedure is closed; it means the last batch sold out. A practical guide to getting an extranjería appointment when the portal always says no — without paying resellers.
What time do cita previa slots actually appear? Data vs folklore
"Monday at 8:00", "Friday mornings", "right after midnight" — every expat forum has its magic hour for catching a cita previa. We measure real availability per province, and the data tells a different story.
Why are there never any extranjería appointments? What the data shows
The portal almost always says no appointments are available, but the data tells a different story; Madrid had availability on 28 of the last 30 days. The appointments exist — they vanish in minutes. Here is why, and what you can do about it.
What is cita previa in Spain and why it matters
What a cita previa is, which immigration and police procedures require one, why appointments are so hard to find, and what to do when the portal keeps saying there are none.
Temporary residency in Spain
The main temporary residence permits for non-EU nationals — income thresholds, durations and application steps — plus the fingerprint appointment you still need after approval to get the TIE card.
How to get an immigration appointment in Spain quickly
Cita Ping alerts you the moment an immigration appointment becomes available, but you book it yourself on the official website. Appointment slots disappear within minutes or even seconds, so preparation and speed decide the outcome.
What these guides cover
Cita previa is the appointment system behind every immigration and police procedure in Spain — NIE, TIE, fingerprints, residence renewals. The guides on this page walk through the procedures, the paperwork, and the realities of finding a slot.
The reality of finding a slot
Demand has outstripped supply for years, especially in the larger provinces. Slots are often booked within seconds, and the official site does not queue requests — whoever submits the form first takes the slot. The articles here explain what works and what does not, based on how the system actually behaves.
The guides also cover the documentation Extranjería and Policía Nacional offices expect, the modelo 790 receipts you may need to bring, and how to pick the right province or office for the procedure you need. Knowing this in advance saves rebookings when paperwork is rejected or you arrive at the wrong type of office.
How Cita Ping helps
Cita Ping watches the official website and sends an instant alert when a slot opens for the procedure, province, and office you chose. The guides explain how to configure a monitor that matches your situation.
Alerts arrive by email and Telegram. Telegram is usually faster, and both link straight to the official site so you can finish the booking yourself.
When an alert arrives
Open the official link straight away and complete the booking yourself — Cita Ping never books for you. Have your passport number, NIE, and contact details ready. If the slot is gone before you finish, leave the monitor running; another alert will follow.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Cita Ping book appointments for me?
- No. We send you an alert when a slot opens, and you book it yourself on the official website. Cita Ping is an independent service and never touches the booking system on your behalf.
- How fast are the alerts?
- Telegram alerts usually arrive within seconds of a slot appearing. Email takes a little longer because mail servers add their own delays. Enabling both gives you the best chance.
- Why do appointments disappear so fast?
- More people need appointments than the offices can serve, especially in the big provinces. There is no queue — the first person to submit the form gets the slot. That is why an instant alert beats refreshing the page by hand.
- Is Cita Ping an official government service?
- No. Cita Ping is an independent service with no connection to the Spanish government, the police, or any immigration office. We tell you when appointments appear; the booking itself always happens on the official site.
- Can I monitor multiple offices or procedures at once?
- Yes. Each monitor watches one procedure and office combination, and you can run several at once. Every monitor sends its own alerts.