New pilot launched to introduce automatic TIE appointments and end system chaos

The chaos surrounding TIE appointments in Catalonia may finally be nearing a solution.

On Friday, the Spanish Government Delegation in Catalonia launched a new pilot programme in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat that will automatically assign appointments for obtaining the TIE.

Under the new system, once applicants receive their residence permit, they will automatically be sent -via email or SMS- the date, time, and police station for their TIE appointment, without having to book it themselves.

The change is expected to make the process far more agile and efficient than the current system, while eliminating intermediaries, particularly third parties who use bots to monopolize appointments and resell them.

However, other procedures such as renewals, 'regreso' authorizations, replacement of lost cards, and all processes related to the NIE that are not included in this pilot, will continue to operate as they do now.

The pilot follows a similar initiative successfully carried out in Girona, which prompted its expansion to the Barcelona area. It is expected to be rolled out to additional police stations, especially in areas with the highest demand.

According to the Spanish government's delegate in Catalonia, Carlos Prieto, the number of available appointments is also increasing.

Combined with the new system, Prieto believes this increase should prevent criminal networks that traffic in appointments from continuing to "exploit people in vulnerable situations."

The announcement also aligns with a measure unveiled by the Spanish government a few days earlier: the regularization of around half a million migrants. Of these, approximately 24,000 are expected to be in Barcelona and 150,000 in Catalonia.

The measure will apply to individuals who were present in Spain before December 31, 2025, and who can demonstrate at least five months of residence through documentation such as registration certificates, medical reports, utility contracts, or proof of money transfers.

The admission for processing of the application would grant a provisional residence and work permit for one year and would automatically suspend any ongoing return or deportation procedures.

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