You've done everything right. You've found the government portal. You've selected your province. You've clicked through the menus. And then — the message that has driven thousands of expats to genuine despair:
You refresh. Still nothing. You try tomorrow morning. Nothing. You set an alarm for midnight. Nothing. Weeks pass. Your job offer is waiting. Your landlord is waiting. Your bank is waiting. And the portal just stares back at you: no appointments available.
This is not a glitch. This is not bad luck. This is how the system works for hundreds of thousands of people every year. Here's what's actually happening — and your best options to get through it.
Why the NIE matters so much
The NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) is your Spanish tax and identification number. Without it, you are essentially invisible to the Spanish legal and financial system.
Things blocked until you have a NIE:
It's not just bureaucratic inconvenience. Without a NIE, you can't legally start working, you can't get paid into a Spanish account, and in many cases you can't even sign the lease on the apartment you need to prove you live somewhere to get the NIE in the first place. It's a Kafkaesque loop — and the appointment system is the door that won't open.
How the cita previa system works
Spain manages NIE and residency appointments through the official government portal. The process in theory:
- Select your province
- Choose the correct appointment type (more on this below)
- Enter your passport details
- Confirm your appointment time
- Asignación de NIE — standalone NIE number application
- Certificados UE — EU Residencia certificate (Green NIE)
- Toma de huellas — TIE fingerprinting (non-EU)
- Autorizaciones de residencia — residency permit renewal
In theory, the process takes 20 minutes. In practice, it can take months just to get the appointment.
The real reasons it's so hard
The "no appointments available" message isn't random — it's the predictable result of several compounding problems that have been getting worse for years.
Spain has become one of the most desirable destinations in Europe for remote workers, digital nomads, retirees, and international students. Cities like Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, and Málaga attract tens of thousands of new arrivals every year — all of whom need NIE appointments.
Extranjería offices operate with fixed staff quotas, limited daily appointment slots, and largely manual processing systems that haven't scaled with demand. Many offices release fewer than 50 appointments per day for a catchment area of hundreds of thousands of people.
Appointments are released in batches — often in the early morning or late at night. When they drop, they are gone within seconds. Not minutes. Seconds. This is not an exaggeration — it has been measured and confirmed repeatedly by expat communities across Spain.
Automated scripts run by individuals and small networks grab appointments the moment they become available, then resell them for €100–€400. While authorities have introduced security measures to combat this, it remains an ongoing problem particularly in Madrid and Barcelona.
Demand is heavily concentrated in tourist-heavy and business-hub cities. Smaller provinces often have far better availability — but most people need an appointment in the city where they actually live.
The government portal frequently crashes during peak traffic windows, times out mid-application, and rejects submissions without explanation. Even when slots technically exist, technical errors can prevent booking them.
Don't fight the cita previa system. Bypass it entirely.
NIEasy's team monitors appointment availability and secures yours — without you spending a single minute on the portal.
- ✓ We monitor and book your appointment for you
- ✓ We prepare all the requiered paperwork for you
- ✓ You show up to your appointment and leave with your document
The emotional cost nobody talks about
The practical impact is obvious — but the emotional dimension of this process is real, and it deserves to be named.
Your life is genuinely on hold
Your job offer has an expiry date. Your landlord wants a decision. Your bank account doesn't exist. You're living in a new country with no legal or financial foothold — and the one thing that would fix it is behind a door that won't open.
The anxiety of 'what if I can't get one?'
People in expat forums report checking the portal multiple times a day for months. Setting phone alarms at 7:58 AM. Waking up at midnight. The mental load of this — on top of relocating to a new country — is genuinely exhausting.
The shame of not being 'in the system'
There's a particular frustration that comes from doing everything right — moving legally, wanting to register properly, wanting to pay your taxes — and being blocked not by your own failure, but by a broken system.
Real financial consequences
Every week without a NIE can mean delayed income, missed investment opportunities, or paying for accommodation you can't put in your name. For people who moved to Spain to work, this translates directly into money lost.
You are not being dramatic. The cita previa system is genuinely broken in the ways that matter most to people trying to build a life here. Let's talk about what you can actually do.
9 strategies to beat the cita previa system
None of these are guaranteed — but each one meaningfully increases your chances. The last one is the only one with a near-certain outcome.
Check at strategic times
Appointments are typically released in batches at 8:00–9:00 AM and sometimes midnight–1:00 AM. Monday and Friday mornings tend to see fresh slots appear. Set calendar reminders and check at these exact windows rather than checking randomly throughout the day.
Use multiple devices and browsers simultaneously
Browser sessions sometimes time out at different rates. Run Chrome on your laptop, Safari on your phone, and Firefox on a tablet simultaneously. When slots appear, the extra seconds saved by having multiple sessions can be the difference between success and the dreaded empty screen.
Try neighbouring provinces
The portal allows you to book in provinces other than where you live — there is no strict requirement to apply locally for the NIE itself. Provinces like Guadalajara (near Madrid), Girona (near Barcelona), or Castellón (near Valencia) frequently have better availability. Yes, it means a longer journey, but an appointment in a rural office beats no appointment at all.
Try different appointment categories carefully
If "Asignación de NIE" shows nothing, check related categories. In some provinces, EU citizens can book under "Certificados UE" which covers both the NIE and Residencia in one appointment. Confirm eligibility before booking to avoid wasting a slot.
Prepare all documents before you start booking
The booking process has a time limit. If you're fumbling for your passport number or unsure which form you need, the session expires. Have your EX-15 form (or EX-18 for EU Residencia), passport copy, proof of reason for NIE, and the Modelo 790 Código 012 payment form ready before you even open the browser.
Monitor cancellation windows
Cancellations happen constantly as people's plans change. Checking the portal repeatedly throughout the day — particularly mid-morning and mid-afternoon — can surface slots that were booked and then dropped. This is tedious but effective.
Try police station NIE applications directly
In some provinces, National Police stations handle NIE applications separately from the main Oficina de Extranjería — sometimes with better availability. Call ahead to confirm whether this applies in your area and what the specific process is, as it varies.
Apply from a Spanish consulate before you arrive
If you haven't moved yet, you can apply for your NIE at the Spanish consulate in your home country. This sidesteps the entire cita previa queue in Spain. For non-EU citizens especially, this is often the cleanest path.
Let NIEasy handle itRecommended
This is the only strategy on this list with a near-certain positive outcome. Our experienced team of professionals will analyse your case, monitor availability and secure your appointment, prepare your documents. You will be sent to your appointment fully prepared. Hassle-free.
Where it's hardest to get an appointment
Not all provinces are equal. Here's a realistic difficulty rating based on appointment availability and wait times:
The hardest city in Spain. High corporate relocations, large expat population, and limited Extranjería capacity create extreme competition. Slots in central Madrid offices disappear in under 10 seconds when released.
Startup ecosystem, international students, and digital nomad demand make this equally brutal. Catalonia has multiple offices but demand consistently outpaces supply.
A rapidly growing expat destination that has seen demand spike sharply in recent years. Worse in summer when seasonal workers and new arrivals converge.
Highly popular with retirees and remote workers year-round. The province covers a large coastline with relatively few administrative offices.
Places like Guadalajara, Huesca, Soria, and Teruel regularly have slots available — sometimes same-week. Worth considering if geography allows.
Legal alternatives when nothing is available
There's a simpler way.
NIEasy bypasses the entire cita previa queue. Fixed price and entirely online. No portal refreshing, no queuing, no uncertainty.
- ✓ We monitor and book your appointment for you
- ✓ We prepare all the requiered paperwork for you
- ✓ You show up to your appointment and leave with your document
Frequently asked questions
Why do I keep seeing "cita previa extranjería unavailable"?
Because appointments are released in small batches and booked within seconds, often by automated tools. The visible "no appointments" message is the normal state of the portal for most people at most times — not an error.
How long does it typically take to get a NIE appointment?
In Madrid and Barcelona, people regularly report waiting 4–12 weeks before securing an appointment through the public portal. In smaller provinces it can be days. Using a representative with power of attorney is typically the fastest path regardless of location.
Can I work in Spain while waiting for my NIE?
Technically, no — employers are required to have your NIE before formalising a contract. In practice, some employers will begin informal arrangements and formalise once the NIE arrives, but this creates legal risk for both parties. The NIE should be your priority from day one.
Is it legal to pay someone to get my NIE appointment?
Paying a licensed gestor administrativo or authorised legal representative is entirely legal. What is illegal is buying a scalped government appointment from unofficial resellers. NIEasy is a licensed service operating under power of attorney — this is the correct, legal way to use a professional.
Are smaller cities genuinely easier for appointments?
Yes, significantly. Provinces like Guadalajara, Huesca, Soria, and Cuenca regularly have same-week appointments available. If you can reach one of these offices, it can be worth the trip — especially compared to waiting months in Madrid.
Is the situation improving?
Slowly. The Spanish government has introduced some digital processing improvements and anti-bot security updates. But demand is growing faster than capacity, and fundamental change requires significant administrative investment that has not yet materialised. For the foreseeable future, the cita previa system remains severely constrained.
The cita previa chaos is real, it is structural, and it is not going to resolve itself quickly. If you need a NIE — and you almost certainly do — your options are to grind through the portal with patience and strategy, or to authorise a professional to handle it for you. NIEasy exists precisely because the second option is worth it for the vast majority of people who've experienced the first.