Quick answer
Necesito pedir cita previa.
I need to book an appointment. La cita previa is the appointment you must arrange online before turning up at almost any public office.
The words
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el papeleo | the paperwork |
| el trámite | the procedure |
| la cita previa | the appointment |
| el DNI | the national ID card |
| el NIE | the foreigner ID number |
| el pasaporte | the passport |
| el certificado | the certificate |
| el formulario | the form |
| el sello | the stamp |
| la ventanilla | the counter |
| el funcionario | the civil servant |
| el padrón | the local register |
| la firma | the signature |
| rellenar | to fill in |
| solicitar | to apply for |
The phrases you will actually say
Worth knowing
Two acronyms do most of the work. El NIE, the número de identidad de extranjero, is the identification number a foreigner is given and keeps for life; la TIE, the tarjeta de identidad de extranjero, is the physical residence card issued to non-EU residents, which carries that number. EU citizens who register normally receive a certificate rather than a TIE card. Spaniards carry el DNI, and its number is asked for constantly, on contracts, at the bank and at the counter. Nothing happens without la cita previa: appointments at immigration offices, the town hall and the tax office are booked online, slots at busy offices disappear quickly, and arriving without one usually means being turned away. Bring originals plus photocopies of everything, and expect la ventanilla to send you to another one. Registering your address at the town hall, el empadronamiento, is the certificate other procedures keep demanding.
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