# First meeting with Extranjería: Any tips?



## director1 (Dec 28, 2013)

Hi,

So in a few weeks' time I will have my first cita ever with the extranjeria. It will take place in Bilbao. I will be applying for my tarjeta de residencia, and hopefully I will be armed with every single document and piece of paper I need so they can't possibly say "No, come back in three weeks when you have a photocopy of some measly form".

This is going to sound *really* lame now, but does anyone have any advice for how to make things run as smoothly as possible at the extranjeria? I'm going to be going on my own (wife will be out of town) and so will be doing all the Spanish speaking on my own. Anything I should definitely make sure to do – I don't know, like, always use the Usted forms, or don't wear jeans, or always smile, or… something. 

Perhaps I've watched that parody video about Spanish bureaucracy (youtube dot com slash watch?v=2wtbQUaC9mE) too many times, but I am starting to freak out a bit about my upcoming cita and I definitely want to come out of it a victor just like the woman in that video.

Cheers in advance for any advice/suggestions/codes of conduct,
D


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

director1 said:


> Hi,
> 
> So in a few weeks' time I will have my first cita ever with the extranjeria. It will take place in Bilbao. I will be applying for my tarjeta de residencia, and hopefully I will be armed with every single document and piece of paper I need so they can't possibly say "No, come back in three weeks when you have a photocopy of some measly form".
> 
> ...


Don't freak out.
Be nice. 
Smile if at all possible 
Realise that if things go wrong it _might_ be because you've misunderstood something and not necessarily that the person behind the desk is a jerk. 
If the person behind the desk is a jerk, well there's really not a lot you can do, but better to just chalk it up to experience IMHO 

I got married in Bilbao registry office and went to hand papers in many a time. There's a story there that I'll tell you - but better after you've been to your impending appointment with Spanish bureaucracy!


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## Allie-P (Feb 11, 2013)

Prior to your appointment, be sure to photocopy each & every document - at least 4 times !!

In my past experience, they don't do it for you.....


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

First step - as you walk up to the person who is interviewing you, extend your right hand and say "Hola, Buenos Días" it gets everything off to a much better start. If he or she declines to shake hands (if a she , she might prefer kiss/kiss but don't push your luck by initiating it) let it pass and be prepared for a rough ride. If the handshake is accepted, you are part-way there and the interviewer is more likely to be helpful.


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## director1 (Dec 28, 2013)

Brilliant advice all of you, that is excellent received wisdom, thank you!!!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

one of my students, a NZ citizen, married to a British citizen living in Spain, had her appointment in Alicante this morning

in & out within minutes with her residency approved - not an interview as such, just a case of handing in the correct paperwork

& she's only been here 3 months & having lessons for a few weeks, so her Spanish is seriously basic - & she didn't have an interpreter or any other kind of help with her 

it should be much more straightforward for you,director1, since you're married to a Spanish citizen, - you aren't supposed to have to prove income or anything else - just that you are married


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## director1 (Dec 28, 2013)

Very positive report indeed –*thanks chica!


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## Brangus (May 1, 2010)

Allie-P said:


> Prior to your appointment, be sure to photocopy each & every document - at least 4 times !!
> 
> In my past experience, they don't do it for you.....


Also, if they ask for photocopies of your passport, make copies of the blank pages, too.

Even if someone at _extranjería_ tells you it's not necessary, do it anyway.


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## director1 (Dec 28, 2013)

DONE, cheers. Bringing two full copies of a 54-page US passport. Pretty much every page in it is blank!


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## Brangus (May 1, 2010)

director1 said:


> Hi,
> Anything I should definitely make sure to do – I don't know, like, always use the Usted forms, or don't wear jeans, or always smile, or… something.


I think they just want the correct paperwork and payment. After accepting your documents, they will give you a piece of paper to take to any bank. You scurry off to pay the processing fee, and then scurry back to _extranjería _with the receipt.


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## director1 (Dec 28, 2013)

Do you think that it is worth printing off the piece of paper (the model 790, codigo 052 i think) and paying the fee before i go into the rita so that i can get it all over with as quickly and painlessly as possible?

they let you do it online now: sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es / tasasPDF / prepareTasa?idProvincia=08&idModelo=790&idTasa=052


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## Brangus (May 1, 2010)

director1 said:


> Do you think that it is worth printing off the piece of paper (the model 790, codigo 052 i think) and paying the fee before i go into the rita so that i can get it all over with as quickly and painlessly as possible?
> 
> they let you do it online now: sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es / tasasPDF / prepareTasa?idProvincia=08&idModelo=790&idTasa=052


I didn't know that was available. A possible downside could be that you mistakenly pay an incorrect amount. Or it could turn out that your paperwork is incomplete and they can't process your application until you turn in another document. My preference would be to pay after getting the green light from the bureaucrat, in spite of the inconvenience.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Brangus said:


> I didn't know that was available. A possible downside could be that you mistakenly pay an incorrect amount. Or it could turn out that your paperwork is incomplete and they can't process your application until you turn in another document. My preference would be to pay after getting the green light from the bureaucrat, in spite of the inconvenience.


and it really isn't that inconvenient - the bank is never more than a couple of minutes away & they don't make you queue all over again when you get back - you just wait until the same funcionario is available & go straight to the desk


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

xabiachica said:


> and it really isn't that inconvenient - the bank is never more than a couple of minutes away & they don't make you queue all over again when you get back - you just wait until the same funcionario is available & go straight to the desk


Some banks will not allow you to pay with cash after a certain time and that DOES become very inconvenient especially if you live some distance from the Extranjería and you have to go back another day.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

baldilocks said:


> Some banks will not allow you to pay with cash after a certain time and that DOES become very inconvenient especially if you live some distance from the Extranjería and you have to go back another day.


I know that some banks only allow bills to be paid on certain days at certain times - but I'd be surprised if there wasn't some arrangement with extranjerías for the nearest bank to accept these payments, tbh


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## director1 (Dec 28, 2013)

Mmm, these are *really* good points. I wonder if it's worth sucking up the €10.40 ahead of time just in case I get turned away by the banks in the afternoon… Will have a think about this. Thanks guys!

Best,
D


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

In the many times that I have gotten my residencia I have never gone to the bank to pay and then gone back to extranjeria to turn in the receipt all on the same day. I can't remember the order that they wanted things done the last time I renewed, but I know that it wasn't a decision on my part not to turn in the receipt the same day. Maybe they told me to turn it in when they called me back to fingerprint me? It's always a minimum of 3 trips to extranjeria for non-EU nationals at any rate - once to turn in paperwork, once for fingerprinting, and once to pick up the card. 

I think the OP needs to chill a bit. You can only do your homework to a certain point, and then you just need to go with the flow and adjust as needed. Go to your meeting, and hear what they have to say. Accept the fact beforehand that you'll probably need to go back again with some missing paper - and if you don't, hurrah!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

kalohi said:


> In the many times that I have gotten my residencia I have never gone to the bank to pay and then gone back to extranjeria to turn in the receipt all on the same day. I can't remember the order that they wanted things done the last time I renewed, but I know that it wasn't a decision on my part not to turn in the receipt the same day. Maybe they told me to turn it in when they called me back to fingerprint me? It's always a minimum of 3 trips to extranjeria for non-EU nationals at any rate - once to turn in paperwork, once for fingerprinting, and once to pick up the card.
> 
> *I think the OP needs to chill a bit. You can only do your homework to a certain point, and then you just need to go with the flow and adjust as needed. *Go to your meeting, and hear what they have to say*. *Accept the fact beforehand that you'll probably need to go back again with some missing paper - and if you don't, hurrah!


exactly what I was thinking - if he's getting his _calzoncillos _so_ torcidos _over this - he's never going to cope with living here


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## director1 (Dec 28, 2013)

Yes yes, I know. Trust me –*I do have patience, plenty of it. The problem is that I'm trying to fit in my visit to the extranjeria next week in between two 6-week research trips for work in the Arctic, and so I only have about 18 hours during which I can hand everything in to them. Otherwise I'll have to wait until mid-Jan to do it all. So I'm really counting on having all the paperwork in order the first time –*hence my erring on the side of hypercautious...


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## Brangus (May 1, 2010)

director1 said:


> I'm trying to fit in my visit to the extranjeria next week in between two 6-week research trips for work in the Arctic,


Cool! :smow:


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