TIE HoyExtranjería vs Police — who does what
Extranjería decides your case. Police issues the card. Same building, separate offices, separate appointments.
Why was my case approved but I still have no card?
Because approval and card issuance are handled by two different offices.
Extranjería (under the Government Delegation) reviews your file and issues the resolution.
Police (under the Interior Ministry) assigns the NIE, takes fingerprints and manufactures the card.
They often share a building — but they are separate systems with separate appointments.
How do I know which office to contact?
If your issue is about a decision on your status — approval, renewal, modification → Extranjería.
If it involves a number, a certificate, fingerprints or a physical card → Police.
Check your province's official page: if it lists two phone numbers, that confirms two circuits.
What to do
One residence process, three contacts: apply at Extranjería, get NIE and fingerprints at Police, pick up card at Police.
Steps
- Submit application and wait for resolution → Extranjería
- NIE assignment or identity verification → Police (ICP appointment)
- Fingerprints and card pickup → Police (ICP appointment)
Basis
Government Delegations publish separate service lists for Extranjería (authorization decisions under territorial policy) and Police (identity/documentation under Interior). Art. 210 RD 557/2011 assigns TIE issuance to Police.
More questions
Is the split the same in every province?
The roles are the same everywhere. The appointment channels differ.
Murcia and La Rioja route both through the ICP portal. Melilla uses its own form for Extranjería and has seasonal office hours.