Research stay in Spain (EX-00 stay authorisation and TIE)

What you need to have to hand

1. Convenio de acogida signed by the Spanish entity (dates, project, whether there is funding).
2. Passport with sufficient validity (all pages scanned clearly).
3. Cl@ve or digital certificate to submit via Mercurio.
4. Health insurance without copayments valid in Spain for the whole stay.
5. Proof of financial means (scholarship, funding letter or your bank statements).

Documentation

• EX-00 completed (prepared inside the online sede).
• Passport complete.
• Convenio/letter from the centre detailing the research and duration.
• Health insurance without copayments.
• Proof of means: bank statements or funding letter.
• Criminal record and medical certificate if your stay exceeds 6 months (legalised/apostilled and sworn translation if not in Spanish).
• Proof of payment of fee 790-052 (authorisation of stay for studies/research).
• For the TIE: 2 photos 32x26 mm, fee 790-012 paid (~16€), passport, resolution and, in many comisarías, empadronamiento.

Step by step

1. Confirm your case: you’ll research at an entity in Spain and it fits a temporary stay (not a long-term residence).
2. Submit online via Mercurio: https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/mercurio/
   • Log in with Cl@ve or certificate.
   • Upload the PDFs (watch file size and names) and generate/pay the 790-052.
3. Answer requirements on https://carpetaciudadana.gob.es if they ask for missing items. Don’t leave it to the last day.
4. Resolution: if you’re abroad, request the stay visa at your Consulate with the resolution. If you’re already in Spain on a legal stay, skip to the next point.
5. TIE appointment: book a fingerprints appointment at https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/icpplustie/
   • Select your province and “TOMA DE HUELLAS (Expedición de TIE)”.
   • Take 790-012 proof paid, photos, passport, resolution and empadronamiento if requested.
6. Fingerprints and collection: they take fingerprints and give you a receipt. The TIE takes 3–5 weeks; collect it at the same police station.

Time-savers

• Scan everything clearly (B/W if the file is huge, but readable) and name files clearly: pasaporte.pdf, convenio.pdf, etc.
• If your stay >6 months, sort criminal records and medical certificate with apostille and translation well in advance. These cause the biggest delays.
• TIE appointments usually drop early. Try at 08:00 with a clean browser and persistence.
• If the centre funds you (scholarship/contract), get a signed funding letter. It avoids fights over means.
• Keep everything in your Carpeta Ciudadana: notifications, fee receipts and confirmations.

Common mistakes that will mess things up

1. Insurance with copayments or a cheap “travel” policy: they’ll reject it.
2. Mixing regimes: applying EX-00 when you need residence for researchers (EX-11/UGE). Ask your centre first.
3. Not applying for the TIE within 30 days: fines and delays. Police don’t forgive deadlines.
4. Documents without apostille or translation (if >6 months): predictable denial.
5. Not paying the 790-052 or paying the wrong epígrafe: your file gets stuck.
6. Uploading huge or unreadable files to Mercurio: guaranteed request for correction and lost weeks.