How long do I have to get my residence card (TIE) after arriving in Spain?

Visa holders should start the TIE process — the fingerprinting appointment known as the huella — within 30 days of entering Spain. The card is what turns your visa into physical proof of residence, and several later steps hang off the date it establishes.

The catch is appointment scarcity: in big cities the wait for a slot can run several weeks, which eats your window fast. Book the appointment as one of your first arrival tasks — you’ll want your padrón registration in hand for it, which is why the two steps sit together at the top of every arrival sequence.