Spanish immigration fees: which form 790 to pay, who pays and when

Almost every immigration procedure carries two fees: one for processing the permit and one for issuing the card. They are paid with form 790 (modelo 790), which has a different code depending on who is paid, and the receipt is part of the file: without the fee, the application is incomplete.

You will find no amounts here: they are set by a ministerial order and updated with the budget, so the valid figure is always the one the official site shows on the day you pay, or the one on your procedure page. What we do explain is which form applies, who pays and how.

The four forms you will hear about

Within each form there are items (epígrafes): one line per type of permit. Ticking the wrong item is one of the most common mistakes and means paying again.

Which fees each procedure carries

Broadly:

• Arraigo (social, sociolaboral, socioformativo, second chance, familiar): 790-052 for the permit and 790-012 for the card.
• Renewal of residence and work: 790-052 for residence, 790-062 for work — borne by the employer — and 790-012 for the card.
• Initial residence and work as an employee: 790-052, plus 790-062 paid by the employer, whose amount depends on the salary, plus the card.
• Family reunification: 790-052, paid by the sponsor, and 790-012 for the relative's card.
• Long-term residence: 790-052 and 790-012.
• Student stay: 790-052 and, if over six months, 790-012.
• Family of Spanish citizens: the permit procedure is free; only the card (790-012) is paid.
• EU family member card: only 790-012.
• NIE and certificates: 790-012.
• Nationality by residence: 790-026.

Who pays

• The applicant, as a general rule.
• The employer, for the employee work authorisation fee. It is not legitimate to pass it on to you.
• The sponsor, in family reunification.

When to pay

The Immigration Regulation (twelfth additional provision of Royal Decree 1155/2024) sets a voluntary payment period of ten days from filing, and the Administration checks payment itself. For electronic filings with an NIE, the rule provides for payment at the time of filing.

In practice, the easiest and safest course is to bring the fee already paid on the day you file and attach the receipt.

The card fee is paid later, once you have the grant and before the fingerprint appointment.

How to pay, step by step

1. Go to the official online office for your form. The 790 is only generated there: each form carries a unique receipt number, so a photocopy or a form filled in elsewhere is not valid.
2. Enter your details exactly as on your passport or NIE.
3. Tick the item for your procedure.
4. Choose how to pay:
   • Online, with a digital certificate or Cl@ve and a charge to a bank account in your name.
   • At a bank: download the form, print it and pay at the counter or at a cash machine that accepts tax payments. The bank stamps or validates the receipt.
5. Keep the receipt. You will submit it with the application or at the card appointment.

In our files we give you a sheet with the exact details to type in and the link to the official site; the fee is always paid to the Administration, never to ResiLegal.

If you make a mistake

• Wrong item or form: usually you must pay the right one and claim a refund of the wrong one, a separate and slow procedure.
• Errors in personal details: if the name or NIE does not match, the office may not accept the payment.
• Late payment: non-payment is a defect in the application and may be the subject of a request; if you do not remedy it, you are deemed to have withdrawn.

Common mistakes

• Paying 790-012 believing it is the permit fee, or vice versa.
• Choosing the "initial" item when the procedure is a renewal.
• Filling in a copy by hand with no receipt number of its own.
• Paying in cash outside the hours the bank reserves for taxes.
• Not keeping the receipt until the file is closed.
• Paying the employer's fee out of your own pocket.

Frequently asked questions

Is the fee refunded if I am refused?

No. The fee pays for processing, not for the outcome. Refunds are only for undue payments, such as a duplicate or the wrong form.

I have no NIE yet. How do I pay?

The forms allow identification by passport when there is no NIE yet. In that case payment is usually made at a bank with the printed form.

Can someone else pay for me?

The form must be in your name as the person liable; who physically makes the payment at the bank is not usually an issue. Online, the account is linked to whoever logs in.

How much does my procedure cost?

The current amount appears on the official site when you select the item, and on each procedure page on our website.

Is there a charge for the appointment?

No. The appointment is free: do not pay anyone to get one.

Your next step

The free test identifies your procedure and with it the exact fees that apply. If you hesitate between two items on the official site, send a screenshot to Resi before paying.