I do not have a TIE or it is expired: Can I travel outside of Spain?

Today we touch on a topic that generates a lot of stress: What happens to my travels if my TIE is expired, I am in the process of renewal, modification or extension, or it has been stolen or lost? Here we clear up all your doubts.

Grab paper and pen! 📝

🏆 The Golden Rule: Passport + TIE

Before starting, remember: the TIE is not an identity document by itself. To travel, it must always be accompanied by your original and valid passport.

💡 Traam Advice: If you have dual nationality, always travel with the passport linked to your TIE to avoid problems at border control. 

👀 Be careful! You can also travel with the other one if it's convenient for you; in any case, then, bring both with you!

🧐 The Big Dilemma: "Leaving is easy, coming back is the problem"

Many people think: "If nothing was asked of me when leaving, nothing will happen when I return". Wrong! ❌

🛫 To leave: By land or air, it is rare for you to be prevented from leaving the country, especially within the Schengen Area. If you had a previous authorisation, whether it was a visa or residence, and you did not exceed the allowed stay time, you should be able to leave without an issue.

⚠️ If you were in a irregular situation or exceeded the authorised stay time, upon leaving, the authorities might notice and start a sanctioning procedure, which could end in a ban on entering the entire Schengen Area. In these cases, returning would not be possible.

🛬 To enter: Here is where the twists come. Whether you are returning to Spain from a country within the Schengen Area or from outside the Schengen Area, Spanish authorities can, and usually do, require a valid title (TIE in force or a visa). If you do not have it, they may deny you entry.

🗺️ Survival Guide: Where to leave and where to enter?

To know if you are going to have problems, first divide the world into two: inside the Schengen Area and outside of it.

🇪🇸 Trips Within Spain (e.g. Madrid, Seville, Balearic Islands..) 

Whether by air, land or sea, you can travel through Spanish territory with your original passport, expired TIE, if you have it, and the receipt for the renewal/modification/extension of the authorisation in process.

Here, the justification that your TIE or authorisation is in process is valid! ✅

🇪🇺 Trips Within the Schengen Area (e.g. Spain ↔️ France, Italy, Germany...)

In the Schengen Area, free movement applies, but that does not mean “without papers”. 

🛫 By Air (plane)

When leaving Spain: The airline will ask you for identification. If your passport is valid, they usually let you pass, even if they see the expired TIE. In general, they do not give problems for you to leave.

When returning to Spain: Here lies the risk. If the airline in Rome or Berlin gets strict and sees your expired TIE, they may deny you boarding. There is no border police, but the airline acts as a filter.

🚗 By Land (car, bus, train…)

To leave and enter, there are no booths or police stopping cars. It is the most "visually safe" method, but if there is a random check on the road and they ask for documentation, you will be in trouble for not having a valid permit to circulate in that country. Also, if you are traveling with a company and not in a private vehicle, they may check your documentation before boarding, acting as border control.

⚠️ Important Consideration ⚠️

Despite the existence of free movement within the Schengen Area, national governments reserve the right to control their borders. Due to political situations, there are countries that conduct checks at their borders (airports, roads, etc...) and if you are not a citizen of the Union, they usually verify that you have a valid authorisation, whether it is a visa or a residence permit.

Not having it valid can cause you problems, so it is better to always travel with your documents in order if you leave Spain, even if it is within Europe.

🌎 Trips Outside the Schengen Area (e.g. Spain ↔️ Colombia, Morocco, USA, United Kingdom, Andorra…)

Here there is a physical border with national police from both countries.

🛫 By Air (plane)

When leaving Spain: You will pass through National Police control. Normally, they will let you leave (no one stops you), but they may warn you that you would not be able to return.

When entering Spain: The control is systematic, so the risk is almost absolute. If you fly from Bogotá or London with the expired TIE and no Return Authorisation, the airline will not let you board the plane. And if you were to land, the police would deny you entry.

🚗 By Land (e.g. Border with Andorra or Gibraltar)

When leaving Spain: You will cross the Spanish booth and enter the other country.

When entering Spain: Upon returning, the Spanish police will ask for your passport and TIE. If it is expired, you will stay at the border. Andorra is the classic example: many foreigners go out for the day and cannot return because they did not know that Andorra is not Schengen.

🥸 The "Trick" of Entering as a Tourist: Genius or Deadly Trap?

Surely you've thought about it or a friend has suggested it: "I'm from a country that doesn’t need a visa to enter Europe (like Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, USA...), so I enter with my passport as if I were a tourist and that's it". It seems like the perfect plan to avoid asking for the Return Authorisation, right? But be careful, because it is a double-edged sword and it can turn out to be very costly.

Here we explain why trying to bypass the system is a terrible idea:

🧮 The Math Doesn’t Add Up (The 90/180 rule)

To enter as a tourist, you cannot have been in the Schengen Area for more than 90 days in the last 180 days.

The problem: If you live in Spain, you’ve already been here! Even if your residence is expired or in process, you have physically occupied the territory. When trying to enter as a tourist, the police can see that you have exceeded the maximum time allowed for short stays. Technically, you have no tourist days available.

🤥 Lying at the Border Has Consequences

If you try to enter as a tourist, the border agent will require you to meet the requirements of a tourist:

• Return ticket (back to your country) within 90 days.

• Hotel reservations or invitation letter.

• Travel medical insurance and economic resources.

If you say you’re coming as a tourist but you actually reside here, you are committing a false declaration upon entry. If the agent checks the system and sees that you have an open immigration file or an expired card, they will discover the lie.

Outcome: Immediate denial of entry.

🛂 The "Stamp" That Stains Your Record

Let’s assume you manage to enter and are stamped as a tourist in your passport.

The future risk: You have created a legal inconsistency. You have a status of "residence in process" and, at the same time, entered as a "tourist". This disrupts the continuity of your legal residence. When you go to get your fingerprints for your new TIE or apply for nationality in the future, that tourist stamp could be interpreted as a renunciation of your residence or that you were in an irregular situation, complicating future procedures (especially for Spanish nationality).

✈️ The Airline Will Ask for a Return Ticket

Even if the police don’t stop you, the airline in the country of origin will ask you to prove that you can enter Spain.

• If you travel as a resident: They will ask for a valid TIE or Return Authorisation.

• If you travel as a tourist: They will necessarily ask for a return ticket to your country of origin. If you only have a one-way ticket (because you live in Spain), they will not let you board.

🛑 A Bad Idea

Don’t take the risk. The border computer systems are becoming increasingly interconnected. Trying to pass as a tourist while being a resident is a "grey area" that often ends in black. What’s safe, legal, and calm is to process your Return Authorisation.

🛡️ The Solution: The Return Authorisation

⚠️ Attention! Even if you are in the renewal process, the receipt or "proof" of application does not work for crossing borders.

This paper only shows that you are residing regularly in Spain. For a police officer or an airline to let you pass, you need the Return Authorisation.

When Can You Request It? 🤔

You can request it in any of these cases:

1. Renewal or Extension: You are in the process of renewing your residence or study permit.

2. Modification: You are changing from one type of permit to another (e.g. from Student to Work).

3. Theft, loss or damage: You have requested a duplicate and are waiting for the new card.

⚠️ Essential requirement

To obtain it, your request for renewal or duplicate must appear as "in process" or "favourable". The application receipt (the famous "white sheet") alone does not work for travel.

📝 Check-List for Requesting the Return Authorisation

If you decide to apply for it, prepare this folder:

• Complete valid passport.

• Signed EX-13 model.

• Fee 790 code 012 paid (10.72€; price subject to change, verify at the official office).

Additionally, depending on the case: 

Case A: You are renewing your residence 🔄

• Expired TIE.

• Justification of renewal application (the white paper).

Case B: It is your first card or it has been lost/stolen 🚨

• Favourable resolution (if it is initial) or original report and copy (if it is stolen) or explanatory writing from the foreigner about the loss (if it is a loss).

• Proof that the card is in process (fingerprint receipt).

• Documentation of necessity: In these specific cases, you must demonstrate that your travel is urgent or due to an exceptional situation.

⚠️ If you have requested your first residence and still do not have the favourable resolution, you cannot request a Return Authorisation. You will have to wait for your residence to be approved.

Get an Appointment: Step by Step!

Getting an appointment is usually the most difficult step. Here’s how to do it:

1. Enter the Electronic Headquarters: Go to the official website of Public Administrations.

2. Select your province: Choose where you are registered.

3. Procedure: Look in the dropdown of "Policía Nacional" for the option: POLICIA-AUTORIZACIÓN DE REGRESO.

4. The scheduling trick: The times when more appointments are released are at 8:00, 12:00 or 15:00h, try then. If you do not get it, you can read our blog entry on how to get a Foreigners appointment without dying in the attempt. 

5. Advance notice: Don’t leave it until the last minute. Try to request it at least 15 or 20 days before your trip, as availability drops quickly.

🚩 Important Notes That Will Save Your Trip

• Validity: It usually lasts 90 days. Use it only for a round trip.

• Direct flights: Watch out for stopovers! The Return Authorisation is only valid for crossing the Spanish border. If your flight has a layover in any Schengen country, they may deny you boarding or entry, as this document is not valid in the rest of Europe.

🚨 What Happens if Your TIE Is Stolen While Outside Spain?

If you are on holiday and lose your documentation abroad: 

1. File a report immediately to the local police.

2. Go to the nearest Spanish Consulate.

3. You will need to apply for a visa on an urgent basis to be able to return to Spain, as you cannot request a Return Authorisation from abroad.