Tasa 790-012 and 790-052 in Spain: how to fill in and pay the fees

Almost every step a foreigner takes in Spain comes with a government fee paid on form 790. The form is the same, but its code changes: 012 for the TIE card, the NIE and other police documents, 052 for a residence permit handled by the immigration office, 062 for a work authorisation, and 038 for permits under the Entrepreneurs Act (Ley 14/2013): the digital nomad visa, the highly qualified professional permit and the startup permit. A wrong code or a wrong section of the form is a common reason for a receipt to be rejected. Below: which code covers what, how much it costs in 2026, how to fill in the form and where to pay.

Which fee code to pay for what

All amounts for 2026 are set by Orden PJC/617/2025 (BOE of 16 June 2025). Spain’s budget has been rolled over into 2026, the order has not changed since, and the amounts on the police form as of 15 September 2026 match it. Figures such as “€102 for an initial residence permit” that appear on agency websites do not match the order.

Fee 790-012: TIE card, NIE and police documents

Fee 012 is paid for documents issued by the National Police. Amounts for 2026:

The amounts come from sections 4 and 5 of the annex to Orden PJC/617/2025. For the TIE of a Spanish citizen’s family member and for the EU citizen certificate, the order sets the same amount Spaniards pay for a DNI.

How to fill in form 012

1. Open the fee 012 page on the police website and click “Rellenar formulario y descargar”.
2. Enter your details: NIF or NIE, or your passport number if you do not have one yet; surname and first name; address in Spain with postcode, municipality and province; phone number optional.
3. Leave the settlement type field as “Principal”. “Complementaria” is only for topping up a receipt you have already paid.
4. Tick the service you need. The amount fills in automatically: check that it matches the table above.
5. Enter the place and date and choose the payment method: cash (“En efectivo”) or direct debit (“Adeudo en cuenta”, which requires an IBAN). Enter the verification code and download the PDF.

Where to pay. The printed form is paid at a bank, savings bank or credit cooperative. According to the police, you do not need an account at that bank. Form 012 cannot be paid online by card.

Receipt. The paid form stamped by the bank is on the list of documents for the appointment: bring it with you for a TIE card, NIE or EU citizen certificate. How the appointment works and what else to bring is covered in the article TIE card in Spain.

Fee 790-052: residence permit

Fee 052 is paid by the foreign national for a residence permit examined by the provincial immigration office under the RD 1155/2024 regulation. Amounts for 2026:

The section number (epígrafe) is given in the Ministry of Inclusion information sheets for each procedure. For example, for no lucrativa it is “Modelo 790 código 052, epígrafe 2.1.1”, and for a renewal it is section 2.2. Choosing the initial section instead of the renewal one is a typical mistake.

After an initial residence permit, fee 012 is paid separately for the TIE card itself: these are different fees paid to different authorities.

How to generate and pay form 052

1. Open the fee 052 page on the public administration e-portal and choose the province where you are applying.
2. Enter the applicant’s details and tick the section you need.
3. Then there are two routes. Online: the “Realizar Pago” button takes you to the Tax Agency payment gateway, and after payment you click “Firmar y Enviar”. This requires a digital certificate, an electronic DNI or Cl@ve. At a bank: click “Obtener Documento”, print all the pages and pay at a collaborating bank (entidad colaboradora).

The application itself is filed with the provincial immigration office electronically through the Mercurio platform — the steps are covered in the article Mercurio: how to apply for a residence permit online.

Payment deadline. The fee becomes due when the application is filed and must be paid within ten working days. For online applications the regulation provides for payment at the time of filing, so it is best to attach the receipt to the application: without payment the case does not move. After payment the bank issues a copy with an NRC number: this is the proof of payment, and it is submitted to the authority within 15 days of the payment date. The deadlines are set by article 2 of Orden PJC/617/2025 and the 12th additional provision of RD 1155/2024.

Fee 790-062: work authorisation

When a foreign national is hired, there are two fees: the worker pays 052 for the residence permit, and the employer pays 062 for the work authorisation. The law prohibits charging the 062 amount to the worker: such a contract clause is null and void (article 46 of the Aliens Act LO 4/2000). The exception is part-time domestic staff: there the worker pays.

Which of the two amounts applies to an initial employee authorisation depends on the contract salary compared with twice the current year’s minimum wage (SMI). Self-employment is authorised without fee 062 for nationals of Latin American countries, the Philippines, Andorra and Equatorial Guinea, Sephardic Jews, children and grandchildren of Spaniards by origin, and foreign nationals born in Spain. How the hiring procedure itself works is covered in the article on the work visa for Spain.

The payment deadline for 062 is the same as for 052: ten working days from filing the application. A foreign national pays for their own self-employment authorisation: the employer rule applies only to hiring.

Fee 790-038: digital nomad, highly qualified professional and startup

Permits under the Entrepreneurs Support Act Ley 14/2013 are examined not by the provincial immigration office but by the UGE-CE unit of the Ministry of Inclusion. They have their own fee, 790-038, and a different procedure:

• Paid before filing. Payment generates an NRC number, and the application cannot be filed without it.
• The form is generated on the Ministry of Inclusion portal, with access by digital certificate, electronic DNI or Cl@ve.
• Payment is possible by Bizum, bank card, direct debit from the certificate holder’s account, or by printing the form and paying at a bank.
• The amount fills in automatically on the form. The BOE only published the 2014 amounts, €70.40 for an initial and €75.60 for a renewed authorisation, and the Ministry does not publish the current 2026 amount separately: check it on the form when you generate it.

The TIE card after approval is paid for separately, on form 012. More on the permits themselves in the guides to the digital nomad visa and the highly qualified professional residence permit.

Return authorisation: also 012

If your residence permit is being renewed or your card has been lost and you need to leave Spain, you apply for a return authorisation (autorización de regreso) on form EX-13. The fee is €10.72 on form 012, under “Autorización de regreso”. The authorisation is valid for up to 90 days, and you can only re-enter through Spanish border crossings. When you need it and how to fill in form EX-13 is covered in the article autorización de regreso.

Is the fee refunded if the application is refused?

The fee is charged for examining the application, not for granting the permit: this is how article 44 of LO 4/2000 defines what the fee is for. The Fees Act (Ley 8/1989, article 12) provides for a refund only if the taxable service did not take place for reasons not attributable to the payer. When an application is refused, it has been examined, so there are no grounds for a refund. The official texts do not say in so many words “not refunded on refusal”; this is a conclusion drawn from the two provisions. However, if you paid the fee twice or by mistake for something you never applied for, you can request it back.

Common mistakes

• Wrong code. The TIE card is paid with 012 to the police, not 052. The digital nomad and highly qualified professional permits use 038, not 052.
• Wrong section. Initial residence permit (2.1, €10.94) instead of renewal (2.2, €16.40); first TIE (€16.08) instead of TIE on renewal (€19.30); arraigo is section 2.3.1, not 2.1.
• The worker pays 062. When hiring, this is the employer’s obligation.
• Missed deadline. 052 and 062: ten working days from filing; 038: before filing.
• No receipt at the appointment. The paid form 012 stamped by the bank is on the document list, and without it the appointment may not go ahead.
• The form was printed but not paid at the bank. Only the copy stamped by the bank or bearing an NRC number is valid.

Fees are the smallest part of the cost of a residence permit. What makes up the full budget and which documents you will need is covered in the overview all ways to get a Spanish residence permit. If you would like a specialist to handle the forms, fees and filing, that is what a gestor in Spain does.

Frequently asked questions

How much is fee 790-012 for a TIE card in 2026?

A first temporary resident card costs €16.08, a card on renewal €19.30, and a long-term resident card €21.87. A card for a family member of a Spanish citizen and an EU citizen certificate cost €12.

How much is fee 790-052?

An initial residence permit, including no lucrativa and family reunification, costs €10.94, a renewal €16.40, arraigo €38.28, and long-term residence €21.87. The amounts are set by Orden PJC/617/2025.

What is the difference between fee 052 and fee 012?

052 is paid to the immigration office for the residence authorisation itself, 012 to the police for documents: the TIE card, NIE, EU citizen certificate. After a residence permit is approved, both are usually paid.

Where do I pay fee 790-012?

At a bank, savings bank or credit cooperative with the printed form, in cash or by direct debit. You do not need an account at that bank. Form 012 has no online card payment.

What is the deadline for paying fee 052?

Within ten working days of filing the application; for online applications it is best to attach the receipt to the application straight away. The receipt with the NRC number is submitted to the authority within 15 days of the payment date.

Who pays the fee for a work authorisation?

For employment, fee 062 is paid by the employer, and the law prohibits charging this amount to the worker. The worker pays only 052 for the residence permit.

Which fee is paid for the digital nomad visa?

790-038 to the Ministry of Inclusion, before applying: the NRC payment number is needed to file. The amount fills in on the form. The TIE card after approval is paid for separately, on form 012.

Is the fee refunded if the application is refused?

As a rule, no: the fee is charged for examining the application, and on refusal the examination has taken place. A refund is possible if the service did not take place for reasons not attributable to the payer, for example after a double payment.

Sources

• Orden PJC/617/2025: immigration fee amounts. BOE-A-2025-12056.
• Ley Orgánica 4/2000, articles 44–49: fees, payers, exemptions. BOE-A-2000-544.
• Real Decreto 1155/2024, 12th additional provision: payment procedure. BOE-A-2024-24099.
• National Police: form 790-012.
• Portal de la Administración: fee 052 and fee 062.
• Ministry of Inclusion: fee 038; Orden ESS/1571/2014: 038 amounts as worded in 2014.

Checked against official sources on 15 September 2026.