Mercurio: how to apply for a Spanish residence permit online

Mercurio is the online platform for filing applications with the provincial immigration offices (Oficinas de Extranjería): residence without the right to work, family reunification, employment and self-employment, settlement, long-term residence, renewals and changes of status. The key thing to know before you log in: the digital nomad visa, the highly qualified professional residence permit and the startup visa are not filed through Mercurio. They are examined by a separate ministry unit on its own platform. Below: where to file your application, what you need to log in, how to file step by step and how to track your case afterwards.

Mercurio or UGE: where to file

The confusion arises because both platforms are online and both belong to the state. But they are different ministries, different application forms and different fees: a digital nomad application filled in on Mercurio will go to the wrong authority. How to apply for the digital nomad visa and the highly qualified professional residence permit is covered in separate articles.

What you can file through Mercurio

According to the procedure page on the public administration portal, initial applications on the following forms are accepted online:

• EX-00: stay and its extension;
• EX-01: temporary residence without the right to work (no lucrativa);
• EX-02: family reunification;
• EX-03: residence and employment;
• EX-04: residence for traineeships;
• EX-07: self-employment;
• EX-10: exceptional circumstances, including settlement (arraigo);
• EX-11: long-term residence;
• EX-12: work authorisation;
• EX-19: residence card for a family member of an EU citizen.

Renewals and modifications are also filed through Mercurio: residence with employment and self-employment, no lucrativa, family reunification, the general-regime EU Blue Card, switching from settlement to residence with work, extension of a study stay, long-term residence. The platform also accepts documents for a case already under review. A residence permit with work can be renewed within 60 calendar days before it expires or within 90 days after.

The official procedure page has not been fully updated since the new regulation, so before filing check the form number against the list of forms on the Ministry of Inclusion website.

Who can file

The foreign national. To log in you need a recognised digital certificate installed in your browser, or an electronic DNI. How to get a certificate with an NIE is covered in the guide digital certificate in Spain. Login goes through the Cl@ve system, but the official Mercurio manual requires the certificate to be installed.

A representative. Gestors (gestores administrativos), graduados sociales (labour law advisers) and lawyers log in through separate professional entrances, provided they are registered with their professional association, and sign with a professional certificate. A foreign national can be represented under a notarised power of attorney, an apud acta power of attorney in the electronic register of powers, or through an organisation listed in the register of collaborating organisations created in March 2026. If proof of authority is insufficient, 10 working days are given to correct it. Professional representatives themselves are required to communicate with the administration electronically in their clients’ cases (article 14 of Ley 39/2015).

When online filing is mandatory. Article 197 of the RD 1155/2024 regulation requires individuals to file electronically for, among others:

• renewal of residence without the right to work (no lucrativa);
• an initial application for residence and employment;
• renewal of self-employment;
• extension of a study stay;
• renewal of residence with an exemption from work authorisation.

If such an application is filed in person at the counter, you will be asked to file it online, and the filing date will be the date of the correction, not of your first visit (article 68 of Ley 39/2015). For a renewal this is risky: while you are correcting it, the deadline may pass.

What to prepare before logging in

• A digital certificate in your browser: the same one you will sign with.
• Autofirma: the signing application. When you choose a form, Mercurio checks whether it is installed and warns you if it is not. Download it only from the electronic signature portal.
• Documents as files: pdf, doc, jpg, tif or gif, no larger than 6 MB per file. File names may contain only Latin letters, Spanish accented letters, ñ and ç, digits, spaces, hyphens, underscores, full stops and brackets. Documents issued outside Spain need an apostille and a sworn translation.
• Paid fee 052: attaching the receipt to the application is recommended. Without payment the case does not move, and a receipt brought in separately may delay the review. Amounts and how to pay are in the article on fees 790-012 and 790-052.

How to file an application through Mercurio: step by step

1. Log in. On the Mercurio procedure page open application filing, choose the province and the access type: private individual (“CONTINUAR INDIVIDUAL”), gestor, graduado social or lawyer. Log in through Cl@ve with your certificate. Then choose “CREAR UNA SOLICITUD INICIAL” for a new application or “CONSULTAR SOLICITUD EXISTENTE” to find one already filed.
2. Choose the form. First you select the EX form, then the specific permit type in the “Tipo de autorización” tab.
3. Fill in the application. The fields are spread across tabs: the foreign national’s details, the family member’s details for reunification, the applicant’s details, the address for notifications. The next tab will not open until the required fields are filled in. In the attachments tab you can allow the administration to obtain documents it already holds. The form is completed with the “CONCLUIR” button after you consent to data processing.
4. Choose electronic filing. After saving there are two buttons: “DESCARGAR SOLICITUD” downloads the completed form to file in person, and “PRESENTACIÓN ELECTRÓNICA” files it online.
5. Attach the documents. Each file is assigned a document type from the list; for anything non-standard there is “otros” with a description.
6. Review and sign. The review screen shows everything that will go to the register. The “FIRMAR Y REGISTRAR” button launches Autofirma. You must sign with the same certificate you logged in with, otherwise the signature will fail.
7. Save the registration receipt. The “DESCARGAR RESGUARDO” button gives you the registration receipt (justificante de registro): this is what proves that the application was filed and when. The “DESCARGAR PRESENTACIÓN” button only gives a copy of the form, which does not prove filing.

How to check the status of your application

Whether the office has received the application. In Mercurio, the “Consultar solicitud existente” section finds an application by form number (shown in the top right corner of the screens and the PDF), filing date, nationality and year of birth. There are three possible answers: application not found, found but not yet received by the office, or received, in which case the case number is shown.

What stage the case is at. The immigration case status information service searches by NIE or by the 15-character case number. You can also send an SMS to 651 714 610 with the text “NIE” and the number, or “EXPE” and the case number. The information is for reference only, and the service does not work for EU citizens.

Notifications and requests to correct an application

Decisions and requests arrive electronically: you can see them in “Mis expedientes” and “Mis notificaciones” on the public administration portal, in the single notification mailbox DEHú and in “Carpeta Ciudadana”. Strict deadlines under the Administrative Procedure Act Ley 39/2015 apply:

• 10 calendar days to open a notification. If you do not open it, it is deemed rejected but formally served, and the deadlines under it start running.
• 10 working days to respond to a request to correct the application or provide documents (requerimiento). If you do not respond, the application is deemed withdrawn. When documents are hard to obtain, the deadline can be extended by up to 5 more days.

So after filing, check your notifications at least once a week or turn on email alerts in DEHú.

Processing times and administrative silence

The decision time for applications to immigration offices depends on the procedure: RD 1155/2024 sets it separately for each, usually one to three months. If the deadline passes without a decision, under the regulation’s general rule the application may be deemed refused, but for some procedures silence is positive, for example for renewals of residence and work. Check the article for your specific procedure.

The UGE-CE platform has one rule for all: 20 working days from electronic filing, and if there is no answer, the permit is deemed granted (article 76 of Ley 14/2013).

Common mistakes

• Wrong platform. Digital nomad, highly qualified professional and startup go to UGE-CE, not Mercurio.
• Wrong form or permit type. They are chosen at the very start and determine which procedure the application enters.
• Signed with a different certificate. Only the one you logged in with works.
• Saved the wrong file. Filing is proved by the registration receipt (resguardo), not by a copy of the form.
• Fee not paid or receipt not attached. The case does not move; the payment deadline is 10 working days.
• File larger than 6 MB or with forbidden characters in its name.
• Missed notification. After 10 days it is deemed served, and the response deadline is already running.
• Filed in person what must be filed online. The filing date becomes the date of the correction.

Which route to choose and what to gather for each is covered in the overview all ways to get a Spanish residence permit. If you would rather not file yourself or have no certificate, a gestor in Spain files the application through their professional entrance.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mercurio in Spain?

An online platform for filing applications with the provincial immigration offices: residence without the right to work, family reunification, employment and self-employment, arraigo, long-term residence, renewals and modifications.

Can I apply for the digital nomad visa through Mercurio?

No. The digital nomad visa, the highly qualified professional residence permit and the startup visa are examined by the UGE-CE unit of the Ministry of Inclusion on its own platform, with fee 790-038.

Do I need a digital certificate for Mercurio?

Yes. Login goes through Cl@ve, but the official manual requires a certificate installed in the browser, and the application must be signed in Autofirma with the same certificate.

What file size does Mercurio accept?

No more than 6 MB per file, in pdf, doc, jpg, tif or gif format. File names may contain Latin letters, Spanish letters, digits, spaces, hyphens, underscores, full stops and brackets.

Which document proves filing through Mercurio?

The registration receipt downloaded with the “DESCARGAR RESGUARDO” button. The copy of the form from the “DESCARGAR PRESENTACIÓN” button does not prove filing.

How do I check the status of an application filed through Mercurio?

In Mercurio itself, “Consultar solicitud existente” shows whether the office has received the application. The stage of the case is shown by the immigration case information service by NIE or case number, and also via SMS to 651 714 610.

How much time do I have to respond to a request to correct my application?

10 working days; if documents are hard to obtain, the deadline can be extended by up to 5 more days. If you do not respond, the application is deemed withdrawn.

Who must file through Mercurio online?

Under article 197 of RD 1155/2024, among others: renewals of no lucrativa, initial residence with employment, renewals of self-employment and extensions of a study stay. Gestors, lawyers and graduados sociales are required to file electronically in their clients’ cases under article 14 of Ley 39/2015.

Sources

• Portal de la Administración: Mercurio procedure and user manual.
• Real Decreto 1155/2024, article 197: electronic filing and representation. BOE-A-2024-24099.
• Ley 39/2015, articles 5, 14, 43 and 68: representation, electronic notifications, correction of applications. BOE-A-2015-10565.
• Ley 14/2013, article 76: UGE-CE procedure and deadline. BOE-A-2013-10074.
• Ministry of Inclusion: filing applications under Ley 14/2013.

Checked against official sources on 15 September 2026.