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Immigration routing guide

Which Spanish immigration office handles your procedure?

The nearest office may be the wrong office. Start with the exact procedure name, then match the responsible authority and its current submission channel.

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Which authority and channel should you use?

  1. Identify the exact procedure before choosing an office

    Use the Ministry's official information-sheet finder. A generic label such as NIE, TIE, residence or extranjería is not enough to select an authority, appointment, form or fee. The sheet for the exact procedure should be your starting point for who may file, the competent body and the permitted filing channel.

    https://www.inclusion.gob.es/web/migraciones/hojas-informativas →

  2. If the procedure names an Oficina de Extranjería

    Use the official OEX directory by autonomous community and province to open the responsible Delegación or Subdelegación page. OEX are provincial administrative units and may have delegated offices, so do not assume there is one building per province or that the nearest counter handles your procedure.

    https://mptmd.gob.es/portal/delegaciones_gobierno/extranjeria/extranjeria_ddgg →

  3. If the procedure names Policía Nacional

    Use the Police office finder and check the procedures listed for the individual location. Police services carry out specified documentation functions, including fingerprints and physical TIE issuance, but the current procedure page, office listing and appointment confirmation decide where you attend.

    An office name alone is not a universal OEX-versus-Police rule.

    https://sede.policia.gob.es/portalCiudadano/_es/dependencias_localizador_accesible.php →

  4. If the route belongs to UGE, a consulate or another authority

    Law 14/2013 authorisations listed by UGE — including international teleworkers, entrepreneurs, highly qualified professionals, researchers, intra-company transferees and audiovisual workers — use UGE's electronic route. Visa applications made abroad follow the responsible Spanish consulate.

    Nationality belongs to Justice, padrón to the municipality, and international protection has its own official procedure; none becomes a generic OEX appointment merely because the applicant is foreign.

    https://www.inclusion.gob.es/es/web/migraciones/informacion-de-contacto →

  5. Use cita previa only when it is enabled

    Official guidance says online booking is available only for procedures and offices enabled in the service. It distinguishes OEX appointments from Police procedures and identifies who must request certain appointments.

    If your procedure or office is not shown, follow its current official instructions; do not invent a workaround or a universal slot-release time.

    https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/pagina/index/directorio/icpplus →

  6. Use Mercurio only for applications it currently lists

    Mercurio supports specified new applications, renewals and document contributions, including EX10. It currently requires a recognised digital certificate or electronic DNI, uses AutoFirma for the final signature and produces a PDF receipt after registration. Check the live list before filing and save the receipt.

    https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/pagina/index/directorio/mercurio2 →

What this page can and cannot decide

This page helps match a procedure to an official authority and directory. It does not decide personal eligibility, the competent province in a disputed case, representation rights, deadlines, appeals or the exact evidence your procedure requires.

Addresses, opening hours, walk-in rules and procedure lists vary by office and can change. Confirm them on the current official office page or appointment confirmation when you act rather than relying on a copied address.

  • Match the exact procedure name before booking or filing.
  • Check the authority and office shown by the current official page or confirmation.
  • Save the appointment confirmation or electronic filing receipt.

Immigration-office routing questions

Are an Oficina de Extranjería and a Policía Nacional immigration office the same thing?
They are related parts of Spain's immigration system, but their user-facing procedures are not interchangeable. OEX integrates provincial administrative work, while Police services carry out specified documentation functions. Follow the authority and location named by the current procedure page or appointment service.
Which office corresponds to me?
Start with the official information sheet, then use the directory for the authority it names. Competence can depend on the procedure and its filing rules, so the nearest office or your province alone is not always enough.
Does every office visit require an appointment?
No universal rule applies. The official booking service covers only enabled procedures and offices, and individual office instructions can differ. Check the current procedure and office page before travelling.
Can I file through Mercurio?
Only if Mercurio's current list includes the application or document action you need. The service currently requires a recognised digital certificate or electronic DNI. UGE applications use a separate electronic route.
Can someone else request the appointment or file for me?
That depends on the procedure. The official information sheet and appointment instructions identify who must request or file and when authorised representation is accepted. Do not assume representation is always optional or always allowed.
Sources

Official sources

This is general information, not legal advice. Guiri is not a lawyer or gestor. Always check the official portal linked above, and consult a professional for your specific case.