Residence and work permit renewal for €250, fully online.
As a general rule the filing window runs until three months after your card expires. Upload your documents and we file on time, with the whole case reviewed first.
Residence and work permit renewal for €250, fully online.
Residence and work permit renewal: Renewal of a residence and work permit, and the modification from an arraigo into residence and work. Holders of a residence and work permit approaching expiry, or holders of a valid arraigo. Booka's fee is €250, plus the official fee of 16,40 €. Applied for from within Spain.
Renewing your residence and work authorisation keeps your legal status in Spain as your card approaches expiry — and the same case file covers the modification from an arraigo into residence and work. Under the current regulation, the renewed card is valid for 4 years.
What complicates most renewals is not the requirements, it is the calendar: filing late or with a rejected document leaves you months waiting on a correction request.
Updated on · Rule: RD 1155/2024 · Source: inclusion.gob.es
Residence and work permit renewal: The facts that decide your case.
- What it is
- Renewal of a residence and work permit, and the modification from an arraigo into residence and work.
- Who can apply
- Holders of a residence and work permit approaching expiry, or holders of a valid arraigo.As a general rule; the modification from arraigo requires meeting the target permit's own conditions.
- Where you apply
- From within Spain. No need to leave the country or visit a consulate.
- Official form
- EX-03, application to renew temporary residence and work.
- Filing window
- From two months before the card expires until three months after.As a general rule; filing outside the window changes the case.
- Can you work?
- Yes: filing on time keeps your situation covered while the case is processed.
- Length of the permit
- Under the current regulation, the renewed card runs for 4 years.
- Government fee
- 790-052 for the renewal, plus 790-012 for the TIE card.Paid separately to the administration; the amounts are detailed in your case file.
Residence and work permit renewal: Who it is for — and who it is not.
This is your procedure if…
- Your residence and work card expires within two months, or expired less than three months ago.
- You have worked or paid Social Security during your current permit, or can evidence equivalent means.
- You can obtain clearance certificates from the tax office and Social Security.
- You hold a valid arraigo and want to move to a residence and work permit.
This is not your procedure if…
- You have never held a Spanish residence permit: there is nothing to renew yet.
- Your card expired more than three months ago and nothing was filed within the window.
- What you want is to bring your family over, which is a different case with its own requirements.
- You have been here 2 years or more with no prior permit: your route is arraigo, not renewal.
Is this really your procedure?
If you are torn between routes, answer them before hiring anything. Twelve questions, three minutes, and we tell you which ones fit your case, what you are missing for each, and what puts it at risk. It comes off the price if you then hire the full service.
Residence and work permit renewal if you come from Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Argentina or Cuba
Residence and work permit renewal does not go through the consulate or through documents from your country: it is decided on your contributions, contract and registration in Spain. Your country of origin matters again only when you apply for long-term residence or citizenship, which do require apostilled or legalised criminal records from home.
| Country | Apostille or legalisation | Consulate of Spain | Criminal record certificate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colombia | Colombia apostilles online at the Cancillería (Ministry of Foreign Affairs). Colombian degrees are first legalised, free and online, at the Ministry of National Education. | Consulate General of Spain in Bogotá | Colombia's certificate of judicial records (antecedentes judiciales) is issued by the National Police and apostilled online by the Cancillería as a digital document. |
| Venezuela | Venezuela apostilles at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MPPRE), by appointment, with an electronic apostille for many documents. Venezuelan degrees first go through the Ministry of University Education. | Consulate General of Spain in Caracas | Venezuela's criminal record certificate is issued online by the Ministry of Interior, Justice and Peace, valid for 3 months, and apostilled by the MPPRE. |
| Argentina | Argentina apostilles at the Foreign Ministry (TAD platform, digitally signed documents) or at any Colegio de Escribanos (notaries). Argentine degrees are first legalised at the Ministry of Education or the Ministry of Health. | Consulates General of Spain in Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Mendoza, Rosario and Bahía Blanca, depending on the province | Argentina's criminal record certificate is issued online by the Registro Nacional de Reincidencia, valid for 90 days, and apostilled via TAD or at a Colegio de Escribanos. |
| Mexico | Mexico has a dual apostille system: federal documents are apostilled by the Secretaría de Gobernación (SEGOB) and state documents by each state's Secretaría General de Gobierno. Mexican consulates do not apostille. | Consulates General of Spain in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey, depending on the state | Mexico issues the federal criminal record certificate (SSPC, online, with SEGOB electronic apostille) and the state certificate of no criminal record; check with the Spanish consulate which one it requires. |
| Peru | Peru apostilles at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, online or in person in Lima. Peruvian degrees must be registered with SUNEDU before the apostille. | Consulate General of Spain in Lima | Peru's criminal record certificate is issued electronically by the Judiciary (Poder Judicial), valid for 90 days, and apostilled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. |
| Cuba | Cuba is not party to the Hague Convention, so there is no Cuban apostille: Cuban documents are legalised at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX) and, when the Spanish authority requires it, at the Consulate General of Spain in Havana. | Consulate General of Spain in Havana | Cuba's criminal record certification is issued by the Ministry of Justice and legalised by MINREX; it is the slowest document in a Cuban file, so it is requested first. |
| Ecuador | Ecuador apostilles online at the Cancillería, with no appointment, and the apostille arrives by email. An Ecuadorian degree must be registered with SENESCYT before it is apostilled. | Consulates General of Spain in Quito and Guayaquil | Ecuador's criminal record certificate is issued online and free by the Ministry of the Interior, valid for 90 days, and apostilled online by the Cancillería. |
| Chile | Chile's apostille is decentralised: the Civil Registry apostilles its certificates online, higher-education degrees are legalised and apostilled at Ayuda Mineduc and all other documents at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. | Consulate General of Spain in Santiago de Chile | Chile's certificate of criminal record for private purposes is issued by the Civil Registry with ClaveÚnica and apostilled online in the same request. |
Common to all eight countries
- Nationals of Ibero-American countries can apply for Spanish citizenship after 2 years of legal residence (article 22 of the Spanish Civil Code), instead of the general 10 years.
- Criminal record and civil certificates are usually required to be less than 3 months old when filed, and every document not in Spanish needs a sworn translation (traducción jurada) in addition to the apostille or legalisation.
Consular pages at exteriores.gob.es and the Hague Conference status table, checked 4 October 2026.
Residence and work permit renewal: What you have to prove.
Filing inside the legal window
The application is accepted from two months before the card expires and, as a general rule, up to three months after. This is the requirement that sinks most renewals, because it has nothing to do with merit and everything to do with the calendar. Past that margin the case changes in nature and is worth studying before you pay for anything.
Requirement 1 of 6Work activity or means during the permit
What matters is what happened over the life of your permit: contract and payslips if you are employed, tax registration and self-employed contributions if you work for yourself. Gaps in contributions do not automatically block a renewal, but they do have to be explained with documents — and that is prepared before filing, not when the correction request lands.
Requirement 2 of 6Clearance from the tax office and Social Security
Evidenced with clearance certificates from both. They are free and obtained online, but they expire, so they are requested once the rest of the file is on track. An outstanding debt does not always prevent renewal, but it is far better found on day one than at the filing desk.
Requirement 3 of 6Padrón registration and, with children, school enrolment
The historical padrón certificate shows where you lived during the previous permit. If minors live in your care, their school enrolment certificate is added too: a child of compulsory school age not enrolled is a genuine problem in a renewal, not a formality.
Requirement 4 of 6No criminal record arising since the last permit
What is assessed is whether anything appeared during the life of your previous permit. Unlike an initial application, this does not start from scratch: the administration compares your situation with the one on record when the card was granted.
Requirement 5 of 6Coming from an arraigo: meeting the target permit
Moving from arraigo to residence and work is not automatic: it is a modification with its own requirements, those of the permit you are moving into (information sheet 55). That is why the case is studied before it is opened, and why assuming an arraigo simply rolls over is a costly mistake.
Requirement 6 of 6Does your case fit?
Tick what applies to you. Nothing is sent and we ask for no personal data: the result is only for you.
This is guidance, not a decision: approval depends on the administration and on the complete file.
Residence and work permit renewal: the documents you need.
This is the checklist. If one is missing, the file is not submitted — and that is precisely what keeps it from being returned.
Solicitante· 6
Trabajador por cuenta ajena (si procede)· 3
Trabajador por cuenta propia (si procede)· 3
Official source: information sheet 13, Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration; for the arraigo modification, information sheet 55. inclusion.gob.es
Residence and work permit renewal: Who prepares and who files your case.
Two teams, one file. Booka prepares and checks your documents; Booka Legal (our in-house legal team, supported by external lawyers) reviews the case and files it as your representative.
- Booka prepares
- We ask for your documents, tell you what is missing or will not be accepted, and build the file in your online case file. 100 % online.
- Booka Legal files
- Booka Legal reviews the complete file and files it as your representative on the Mercurio platform of the Public Administrations e-office, with its digital certificate. You need no certificate or Cl@ve.
- If there is a request or a refusal
- Booka Legal can answer a request for more documents or appeal a refusal. The appeal is included in the price. No firm can guarantee the outcome: the administration decides.
- Price
- A fixed fee of €250, published on this page. Official government fees are paid separately to the administration.
- Follow-up
- Notices from the Immigration Office arrive through DEHú (also visible in Carpeta Ciudadana) and you see them in your case file.
€250, and you know it before you commit.
Document review, case preparation, filing and follow-up until the decision.
Fee 790-052, heading 2.2.3: €16.40 for the worker, and fee 790-062, heading 3.2.2: €81.54 for the employer (Order PJC/617/2025, in force as of September 2026).
on signing, to open your case and start reviewing your documents.
when we file your application with the administration.
No interest, no surcharge: it is the same price, split. You request it from your case file and someone from the team confirms it within 24 working hours.
There is no paid consultation to find out the price, and no custom quote. This is the price, and it is published.
Almost nobody publishes the price.
Of the digital immigration firms we reviewed in September 2026, only one publishes a price and lets you hire online. The rest ask you to call, or to pay for a consultation before telling you what the procedure costs.
Fixed price, published before you commit. Official fees are separate in both cases.
Residence and work permit renewal: Booka, a gestoría, a lawyer or on your own
The same application can go four ways. What changes is the price, whether you have to go in person and who checks the file before it reaches the administration.
Booka
- Price
- €250 in fees
- Online?
- Yes, end to end, without travelling to file
- Who reviews the file
- Booka's team, then Booka Legal, before filing
- Official fee included
- No, paid apart (16,40 €)
Traditional gestoría
- Price
- Variable quote, depends on the firm
- Online?
- Depends on the firm; often requires an in-person appointment
- Who reviews the file
- The gestor handling the case
- Official fee included
- Depends on the quote
Immigration lawyer
- Price
- Variable quote, depends on the firm
- Online?
- Depends on the firm; often requires an in-person appointment
- Who reviews the file
- The lawyer
- Official fee included
- Depends on the quote
On your own
- Price
- Only the official fee: 16,40 €
- Online?
- Depends on the procedure: online portal or in person
- Who reviews the file
- Nobody: you check it yourself
- Official fee included
- You pay it directly
Fully online, and you always know where it stands.
No office to visit, no phone calls and no waiting for someone to tell you where your case is: you can see it yourself, whenever you want.
From wherever you are
You open your case and upload documents from your phone, with no office visits. This procedure is filed from within Spain, and the rest of the process happens from home.
Stage by stage, nothing missed
You see which stage your case is in, which document is missing and which one is already reviewed. Every change is logged with its date, so you never depend on a callback to know how it is going.
Your questions, with the people handling your case
You ask from inside your own case file and the immigration team handling it answers — not a WhatsApp number that can stop replying. Every action is written down, with a name on it.
Nothing is filed half-done
The file is not submitted until it is complete: that is what keeps it from being returned, and what saves the most months. Once filed, the official receipt appears inside your account.
- Professionals on Booka
- 107,000+
- App rating
- 4.8 / 5
- Support
- 24/7
Under the current regulation, the renewed card is valid for 4 years.
Residence and work permit renewal: 5 stages, and you see which one you are in.
Document collection
You upload your documents to the portal. We tell you what is missing and what will not be accepted before any clock starts.
Stage 1 of 5Internal review
The team reviews the complete file before filing. This is the step that prevents it from being returned.
Stage 2 of 5Official fees
Government fees are paid directly to the administration, with the receipt stored in your case file.
Stage 3 of 5Filing
Booka Legal, as your representative, files the application on the Mercurio platform of the Public Administrations e-office, with a digital certificate. You need no certificate or Cl@ve. You see the date and the receipt in your case file.
Stage 4 of 5Decision
The Immigration Office decides and notifies through DEHú (also visible in Carpeta Ciudadana). The next steps towards the TIE card are explained in your case file.
Stage 5 of 5Residence and work permit renewal: How long it really takes.
| Step | How long |
|---|---|
| Legal filing window | Two months before expiry to three months afterAs a general rule. This deadline governs everything else. |
| Gathering the documents | 2 to 4 weeksSet by the padrón certificate and the clearance certificates. |
| Review and case preparation | A few daysThe file is not submitted until it is complete. |
| Filing | Subject to appointment availabilityWith the registration receipt visible in your case file. |
| Decision by the administration | Legal period of 3 monthsThat is the legal period, not a forecast: each immigration office moves at its own pace. |
| TIE card (fingerprints and card) | After a favourable decisionAppointment and the 790-012 fee separately, with the renewal already granted. |
The administration's timelines are nobody else's to promise, and pretending otherwise would be a lie. What is in our hands is everything before: filing inside the window with a complete file, which is where most of the months are lost.
Residence and work permit renewal: What gets files returned — and how we stop it.
Letting the 60-days-before / 90-days-after window pass
What it costs you
Outside that margin a renewal stops being a renewal and the case has to be studied under another route, with different requirements and a different cost. It is the most expensive mistake and the easiest to avoid: look at the date on your TIE today.
Clearance certificates already expired at filing
What it costs you
They have short validity. Requesting them on day one and filing two months later means requesting them again, and meanwhile nothing is submitted. They go last, once the rest is assembled.
Not evidencing school enrolment for children in your care
What it costs you
If you live with children of compulsory school age and it is not evidenced, a correction request lands and stalls the file for months.
Assuming an arraigo renews like an ordinary residence permit
What it costs you
It is a modification, not an extension: the target permit's requirements must be evidenced. Filing it as a simple renewal invites a refusal with the window already spent.
Changing job or work regime just before filing without updating the file
What it costs you
If the contract and employment history submitted no longer match your real situation, the documents do not add up and a correction request follows. Changing jobs does not prevent renewal; filing an out-of-date file does.
Submitting an incomplete passport
What it costs you
The whole passport is required, not just the photo page. It is the silliest correction request in the file and still one of the most common.
Residence and work permit renewal: the questions we get most.
Where can I renew my residence and work permit in Spain?
Online, on the Mercurio platform of the Public Administrations e-office, with a digital certificate or Cl@ve, choosing your province; notices arrive through DEHú. Without a digital certificate, a representative can file it: a lawyer or a gestoría, at a price quoted by each firm, or Booka for a €250 service fee; Booka Legal, our legal team, reviews and files the case. Government fees are paid separately.
When should I start renewing my Spanish residence permit?
As early as your window allows: filing opens two months before expiry and, as a general rule, runs until three months after. Starting early leaves room for the slow documents — the historical padrón, the tax and Social Security certificates.
What if my card has already expired?
As a general rule you can still file up to three months after expiry. Beyond that the case changes: tell us before hiring and we will say whether this route is still open.
Can I keep working while the renewal is decided?
Filing the renewal in time keeps your situation covered while it is processed. The safest position is always a complete file submitted within the window — which is exactly what the service exists for.
How long is the renewed card valid?
Under the current regulation, renewal grants a 4-year card — the most welcome change of the new framework, because it cuts how often you go through this again.
Is renewing after an arraigo different from an ordinary renewal?
Yes: it is a modification with its own requirements. You move from arraigo into a residence and work permit by meeting the target permit's conditions (information sheet 55). It is not automatic, which is why the case is studied before it is opened.
I lost my job. Can I still renew?
It is not an automatic no. The whole life of your permit is weighed — accumulated contributions, unemployment benefit, your own means, or a new contract — and all of it is evidenced with documents. What does not work is filing without explaining the gap.
Do I have to leave Spain or go to a consulate?
No. This is a fully domestic procedure: filed from within Spain, with no consulate involved. At the end there is an in-person fingerprint appointment for the TIE card, once the renewal is granted.
Does the same file work if I changed employer?
Yes, as long as the documents reflect your real situation at filing: current contract, latest payslips and an up-to-date employment history report. Changing jobs is not the problem; filing with old paperwork is.
What happens if they ask me for more documents?
The administration opens a correction period and you must answer inside it with exactly what was asked. You see it in your case file and we prepare the reply; what cannot be recovered is the time it adds to the procedure, which is why the file does not leave until it is complete.
How many documents does the renewal need?
Six core documents from you — form EX-03, full passport, TIE card, historical padrón certificate and the two clearance certificates — plus the block that matches how you work: contract, payslips and employment history if employed, or tax registration and self-employed contributions if you work for yourself.
Can I pay in two instalments?
Yes, with no interest or surcharge: the total is identical either way. The first half opens your case and starts the document review; the second is paid when we file your application — if we have not filed, you do not pay it. You request it from your case file and someone from the team confirms it within 24 working hours.
Are official government fees included?
No: Booka's fee covers review, preparation, filing and follow-up. Government fees are paid directly to the administration, and we tell you which ones apply and when inside your case file.
How do I know this is not a scam?
Three things you can check: the price is published before you pay, payment is online with an invoice, and the second half is only charged once your application has been filed, with the official registry receipt visible in your case file. No informal intermediary gives you those three proofs.
Residence and work permit renewal as a doctor or nurse: your degree too.
The permit is one thing; practising is another. A foreign doctor, nurse or dentist also needs the degree recognised (homologación) and professional registration. Bookahospi, Booka's healthcare vertical, handles the recognition before the Ministry and wrote a step-by-step guide to this procedure for healthcare professionals.
The renewal grants a 4-year card, so paperwork stops being the next thing on your list for a while. With legal residence accumulating, two routes open up: bringing your family over, or — if you are a national of an Ibero-American country with 2 years of legal residence — starting the citizenship file.
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Booka's fees cover the professional handling of your application only and do not include official government fees, which are paid separately to the relevant authority. Approval of any permit rests solely with the competent administration and depends on the applicant meeting all legal requirements. The information on this page is for guidance only, may change as regulations evolve, and does not constitute individual legal advice.