Plain English: pre-booked appointment
Definition
Each body runs its own appointment route: Extranjería and Policía Nacional use national appointment systems, ayuntamientos run municipal routes, and AEAT has its own Asistencia y Cita service. The appointment category matters as much as the office: the wrong category can send you to the wrong counter even if the booking is real.
- Start from the exact public body's official page; OEX and Police appointment routes are not interchangeable.
- Match the appointment category to the actual document, favourable decision, or procedure needed.
- Check who is allowed or required to book; some routes are handled by an employer or authorised representative.
Example: after a favourable residence decision that requires a TIE, book the Police card step rather than an OEX initial-authorisation filing.
Where this appears
Cita previa can appear in Spanish forms, appointment screens, official letters, PDF instructions, receipts, or portal status messages. This term usually signals an official message, deadline, or status change. The public page explains the general meaning; a real notice still needs the surrounding text, date, and issuing office.
Use the term as a clue, not the whole answer. A public definition can explain the usual meaning, but a personal document may change the deadline, office route, evidence required, or risk of ignoring the message.
What to check next
Match the office
Check whether the term belongs to AEAT, Seguridad Social, Policía Nacional, Extranjería, city hall, DGT, health services, a bank, or another provider.
Find the source of truth
Use the official source, related guide, or related glossary terms before paying a fee, booking a cita, submitting a form, or responding to a notice.
Keep personal decisions inside Ask Guiri
If this term appears in your own PDF, screenshot, letter, rejection, fine, or deadline, the surrounding text matters. That case-specific reading should happen inside Ask Guiri.