UPDATED AUGUST 20, 2019

Just another tedious thing you need to do when you are living in Spain and plan to go in and out of the country- you need to apply for an authorization to RETURN to Spain if you plan to leave when you don’t have a visa.  What I mean is…if you plan to travel during the summer, after your current TIE (your foriegn identity card) has expired and before you are given a new one in October, you need this special paper (the regreso) that allows you to re-enter the Spain.  It tells the authorities: this person doesn’t currently have a valid TIE (visa) to be in Spain, but they have applied for a new one and are allowed to re-enter Spain.  You also need a regreso if you plan to travel or go home for Christmas, but you haven’t yet gotten your TIE card (as in, you have done all of the fingerprint stuff, but ou haven’t gone to pick up your physical TIE yet).  It sounds like a lot of work, but it’s not to bad.  As a matter of fact, I just got back from the appointment with said Regreso and it was relatively painless.  I recommend you make sure you have a lot of time AND patience and if at all possible, go on the day you have an appointment because the people without an appointment were waiting for OVER TWO HOURS.  Save yourself.  They no longer allow you to go without an appointment, so DO NOT WAIT to make an appointment!  If there is nothing available before your flight out, keep checking back religiously!  It’s a good idea to make yourself an appointment in early October/ November and another again in June- just in case!  You can cancel later and you SHOULD cancel if you don’t need it.  There is definitely someone who does.

How to Get a Regreso in Madrid 2019:

1 // Make an appointment to get the regreso

You will need an appointment and for whatever reason, the appointments always seem to be available, like, tomorrow, or for after you plan to travel (as in, I am going to Italy on June 27, returning July 9…after my TIE expires, and the next available appointment is June 29).  Don´t worry, just choose the next available appointment, get the confirmation, and print that page.  **Note: When you go to your appointment, you will want to bring this confirmation page along with printed copies of your plane tickets to show that it would be impossible to go to that appointment.  THIS IS NO LONGER TRUE!  They will not see you without an appointment!  Be sure to plan ahead EARLY and make an appointment, even if you’re not sure if you will need it.  You can always cancel it.  I have heard, however, that you can go earlier in the day than your appointment, but only on the same day.  I have not tried myself.  If there are no appointments available, keep checking back often!

• Make your appointment HERE.  Choose Madrid–> Aceptar and choose “Policia- autorización de regreso“–> Aceptar.  Then scroll down and click ‘entrar’. Fill out the fields.  Note: you can make one appointment with your NIE and then continue checking back for other appointments with your passport number.  Once you make an appointment with your NIE, it won’t allow you to search for other appointments with the same document.  Fill in the info and then enter and then click solicitar cita and then siguiente  and then your phone number and email twice (use an email that you have access to!).  Then siguiente and choose a date.  Then a confirmation page will pop up.  SCREENSHOT THIS PAGE IN CASE YOUR CONFIRMATION EMAIL NEVER COMES, but it should!  You will need to show that at your appointment.

2 // Collect your documents

• Original passport
• Color copy of your passport (all pages, to be safe)
• Original TIE
• Color copy of your TIE (BOTH SIDES OF IT)
• Filled in copy of EX-13 (click here to get the form) Fill out all of section 1 (estado civil means single (S), married (C), widow (V), divorced (D).  CP means postal code). Leave section 2 blank.  Fill out section 3. Under section 4, ask at your appointment.  Under 4.2, write a reason for needing the regreso (ex: voy de vacaciones 2 semanas y he solicitado renovacion de TIE).  
• Original STAMPED EX-00, which you used to reapply for your TIE.  It should have been stamped when you registered your documents. (Edited: at my TIE appointment, they did not stamp the EX-00.  Instead they gave me a “receipt”.).  If you don’t know what this document is, click here to see post on how to renew your TIE.
• Copy of your STAMPED EX-00.
• Bank draft 790/ Code 012.  HERE is a link for where you can fill in your information, choose “autorización de regreso” and then generate a PDF to print (it should be for 10.50€ as of August 2019).  After printing, take it to any bank to pay the tax (in cash) and make sure they stamp the paper.  You want to take the stamped page with you to your appointment.
• Copy of your appointment confirmation.  If you do get an appointment for a day you can’t go, KEEP CHECKING BACK because sometimes appointments open.
• Printed copy of your flight tickets or the confirmation e-mail from the airline – this is your “proof” of why you need the regreso, although no one has ever looked at this for me. 
• Copy of your empadronamiento, if you have it.
• Extra 10 and 20 cent coins, incase you need to make copies there- they will NOT give you change!  Take your own.

3 // Go to your appointment on the day (and time) you chose 

• Check and double check you have all of your documents.  Bring extra copies
• Go with a whole lot of patience because it can take awhile.  Bring a book or something to do.
• Bring some extra 10 and 20 cent coins in case you need to make a copy of something.  They have machines there.
• NOTE:  You USED to be able to go get a regreso two days before your intended flight, even if you didn’t have an appointment, but apparently this is something you can no longer do.  You may be able to go earlier in the day for your appointment, but only on the SAME DAY as your appointment.

4 // Don´t go waving your regreso around at the airport

• The regreso is just a precautionary measure, as you will most likely NOT be asked for it at the airport (depending on where you are traveling from).  With that being said, if they DO ask for it, they will stamp it, making your (normally 3 month valid) regreso INVALID.  So you will need to get another if you plan to travel outside of Spain again.  Do you really want to do this entire process again?!
• Summary:  Unless specifically asked for the regreso, don´t show it at the airport!!!