How to renew your residence and work permit as a foreign doctor or nurse in Spain (2026)

When do I have to renew my residence and work permit?

The renewal window runs from 60 calendar days before your permit's expiry date until 90 calendar days after it. Filing within that window automatically extends the validity of the previous permit until the Immigration Office decides, so you keep working legally at the hospital with the receipt of your application.

The initial employee residence and work permit lasts 1 year (according to the summaries of RD 1155/2024 published by ECIJA and CCOO, consulted in October 2026). That means the first renewal comes quickly: if you entered Spain in September, you can file the following July. Bookahospi opens the renewal alert 90 days before expiry to gather your employment record, payslips and contract without rushing.

If you miss the 90 days after expiry, it is no longer a renewal: the permit has lapsed and the route goes through other figures, such as the second-chance arraigo provided by RD 1155/2024 for those who held a permit in the last 2 years. It is a scenario to avoid, because it means a new file, a 38.28 € arraigo fee and negative silence.

Renewal requirements: months of contributions, contract and criminal record

The core of the renewal is proven work activity: the Immigration Office checks that you have worked and paid contributions during the permit's validity. According to cohenyaguirre.es (2026 renewal guide) and abogadadeextranjeria.es (renewal FAQ, 2025), the rule applied is having been registered with Social Security for at least 9 months per year of the permit, or 6 months if you show a new contract in force; the criterion is adjusted when there are family dependants. The exact figure is set by the Office when it decides.

• Employment record (vida laboral) showing the months registered with Social Security during the expiring permit.
• Contract in force with the hospital or clinic, or a new contract if you changed employer.
• Recent payslips and, if there were periods without work, proof of active job search or of the new hire.
• Valid passport and the expiring TIE.
• No criminal record in Spain; no absences from Spain that break the continuity of residence.
• If you reunified family: the renewal of their permits is filed on the same calendar.
• Up-to-date registration with the professional college of your province: immigration does not ask for it, but the hospital does to maintain the contract that supports the renewal.

Which fees are paid on renewal? Fees 052 and 012

Renewal involves two fees payable by you: fee 790-052 for renewing the temporary residence permit and fee 790-012 for renewing the TIE. These are amounts from Order PJC/617/2025, in force since 16 June 2025 and unchanged in the consolidated text as of 7 September 2026. According to legalfournier.com (guide to form 790 code 062, 2025), the employer separately pays the 81.54 € fee 790-062 for renewing the work authorisation; it can never be passed on to you.

Steps to renew residence and work: who does each one and when

This is the full route of a renewal with Bookahospi and Booka, with the person responsible and the timing of each step. The only step that depends on you is signing the representation authorisation and keeping your contract in force.

1. 1

   Expiry alert and employment record review (Bookahospi; 90 days before expiry)

   We download your employment record and check the months registered against the 9-months-per-year rule or 6 months with a new contract. If there are gaps, we document them before the window opens.

2. 2

   Hospital documents (your employer; 2 weeks)

   Contract in force or new contract, latest payslips and, where applicable, a company certificate. The hospital pays fee 062 for renewing the work authorisation.

3. 3

   Payment of fee 052 and online filing (Booka; within the window of 60 days before / 90 days after)

   Booka pays the 16.40 € fee 790-052 and files the renewal application with the Immigration Office of your province. We send you the stamped receipt: from that moment your permit is extended.

4. 4

   You work with the receipt (you and the hospital; while the decision is pending)

   An application filed on time extends the previous permit. You remain registered with Social Security and paid as usual; the receipt proves your status to the hospital.

5. 5

   Requests and decision (Immigration Office; legal deadline 3 months)

   If the Office requests documents, Bookahospi provides them on time. A favourable decision grants 4 years. Approval depends on the Immigration Office's decision; in overloaded offices the deadline may be exceeded.

6. 6

   Positive silence and certificate of presumed act (Booka; from day 91 without a decision)

   If 3 months pass without an express decision, the renewal is deemed granted by positive silence. Booka requests the certificate of presumed act so you can process the TIE without waiting.

7. 7

   Fingerprints and new TIE (you + National Police; appointment within 1 month of notification)

   With the decision or the certificate of presumed act, you book a police appointment, pay the 19.30 € fee 790-012 and give your fingerprints. Booka manages the appointment and prepares the form.

8. 8

   Collecting the card and updating the hospital (you; depending on the Police production time)

   You collect the 4-year TIE and give a copy to the hospital's HR department. Bookahospi schedules the next alert: long-term residence after 5 years of legal residence.

What if the Immigration Office does not decide within 3 months? Positive silence

In renewals administrative silence is positive: if 3 months pass from the application's entry in the competent body's registry without an express decision, the renewal is deemed granted. It is the most important difference from the initial permit and from arraigo, where silence is negative.

Positive silence does not mean the Police will issue the TIE on its own: you need a document proving the approval. That document is the certificate of presumed act (certificado de acto presunto), requested from the Immigration Office itself once the deadline has passed. According to machelindiaz.com (guide on positive silence, 2025), the Administration is obliged to issue it and, with it, you can book the fingerprint appointment as if you had an express decision. Booka requests it on your behalf the day the 3 months are up.

Can I renew if I change hospital or region?

Yes. What the Immigration Office assesses in a renewal is proven work activity, not staying with the same employer. The employment record adds up the registrations from all hospitals and clinics where you worked during the permit. If you changed employer, you attach the new contract; if you are between contracts, the 6-months-with-a-new-contract rule comes into play.

If you have moved to another province or region, the renewal is filed with the Immigration Office of the province where you now live, and that is where the TIE is later processed. It is advisable to update your municipal registration (padrón) before filing so territorial competence is clear. Once renewed for 4 years, the permit also allows self-employed work, which gives room to combine the hospital with private practice, always with your college registration up to date.

When can I apply for long-term residence, and what comes next?

After 5 years of continuous legal residence in Spain you can apply for long-term residence. It is processed with the 21.87 € fee 790-052 and the 21.87 € long-term TIE, silence is also positive and the card is no longer tied to a specific contract. For a healthcare worker with a 1-year initial permit and a 4-year renewal, long-term residence arrives just as the first renewal ends.

Time spent on a family reunification permit also counts towards long-term residence; time on a stay for studies or specialised healthcare training (MIR) is not residence and does not count towards citizenship. If you did the MIR and then switched to residence and work, your 5-year clock starts with the residence permit.

By country of origin

What changes if you come from Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, Mexico, Peru or Cuba?

Renewal does not go through the consulate or documents from home: it is decided on your contributions and contract in Spain. Your country of origin matters again only if you apply for long-term residence or citizenship, where updated criminal records are required.

• All are Ibero-American countries: Spanish citizenship after 2 years of legal residence (art. 22 of the Civil Code) and exemption from the DELE exam as Spanish speakers.
• Documents must be filed less than 3 months old and with a sworn translation if not in Spanish.

Consular addresses and districts: exteriores.gob.es. Apostille authorities: Hague Conference (hcch.net).