How To Get a Regreso in Alicante (Updated 2026)

Theoretically, let’s say that my Spain digital nomad visa renewal process went perfectly smoothly. My Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero (TIE), also known as my Spanish resident ID, expired about a week ago. Unfortunately, you can’t apply for a new one until after your old one is officially expired. So, continuing with our little fantasy, let’s say I had the appointment either this week or last week to renew it. 

Then, it takes 2+ weeks for them to print your new card. Which wouldn’t be a problem if we weren’t leaving for the U.S. on Monday next week. Because even in this perfect scenario, there’s no way that I could have my new TIE before we leave for our trip. And now that Europe has implemented the new electronic Entry/Exit System, we always use a special Spanish resident line in the airport by showing our TIE cards to the immigration police when entering or exiting Spain.

So… how will we be able to return to Spain after our trip without our new TIE cards?

The answer is a special little piece of paper called a Regreso.

Thanks to my time living in Madrid from 2018-2020, I had a bit of experience when it came to applying for Regresos. One experience was so memorable that it cracked the list of 5 times living in Spain has made me cry.

So I was super excited to go through the process again! Especially since, unlike in this fairytale world, my digital nomad visa is not yet renewed (that’s a story for another day). Oh, and because it’s now like 100x harder to snag a Regreso appointment in today’s day and age than it was in 2019. 

But against all odds, we did it. Some tears were shed, but in the comfort of my own home rather than in the extranjería (foreigners office).

Why Is It So Hard To Get a Regreso in Alicante?

The province of Alicante has the highest percentage of foreigners in the whole country, with nearly a third (31.27%) of all residents being from outside of Spain. And unfortunately, there are only so many appointments available for any type of bureaucratic process you may need to complete. The competition is stiff.

Plus, apparently, people or bots somehow buy up all the appointment slots when they are released, and I’ve heard that if you know the right people, you can pay for them. But this definitely should not be how it works. It’s so frustrating when you’re trying to get legal or stay legal in Spain, but for so many reasons outside your control, it’s so difficult to get the appointment you need.

Three Options for Getting a Regreso in Alicante

1. Book Your Cita Previa Online: Difficult, but Not Impossible

99% of the time, if you try to use the regular method (Sede Electrónica) to book your Regreso appointment, you’re going to get this infuriating screen.

I’ve read so many “expert” accounts of when they supposedly release the appointments. Besides just hitting refresh every few minutes and trying again, there doesn’t seem to be much you can do to predict when they’re going to drop the next batch. Plus, they can block your account if you try too many times, which is pretty messed up!

So here’s what we did to obtain our appointments: we paid for a service called CitaPing.

I really hated the idea of paying for this. It’s so unfortunate that the system is so broken that this is the best option, but that’s the reality.

CitaPing is a service that instantly alerts you via email and/or Telegram app when an appointment for your chosen procedure and chosen office(s) becomes available. You still have to go through the process of booking it youself, as fast as you can, but it at least tells you when an appointment shows up — and it sends you a screenshot from the Sede Electrónica as proof of availability.

We paid for a month on September 2nd, which cost €29.90. And over the course of the month, we got 294 emails alerting us of Regreso appointments becoming available in Alicante and Altea (our backup option)!

Here were the trends we noticed for Regreso appointments in Alicante:

• Appointments were usually released between Tuesday and Thursday for the following week.
• Appointments were usually released starting after 1:30 p.m. Spanish time.
• Appointment times seemed to either be 9, 9:15, 9:30, or 9:45 a.m.

We knew we needed our appointment for this week in Alicante, so last week on Wednesday and Thursday, we started really paying attention to our emails. And while we probably could have gotten away with buying only a week or two of CitaPing, we wanted the whole month to be able to watch for any trends.

After you’ve paid for CitaPing, it will also show you recent trends, though these can be overweighted based on outlying situations, i.e. a bunch of people canceling their appointments on a Sunday, making it look like appointments often become available on Sundays.

Overall, I was happy with the CitaPing service and I’d use it again in the future if I really had to! (By the way, this is not at all sponsored by CitaPing)

2. “Emergency” Walk-in: Personally Untested but Used by others

Extranjerías have a bad reputation. Probably, it’s partially deserved and partially undeserved. The joke in Spain is that anytime you have to do a bureaucratic task, you’re going to be missing some paper. The other joke is that your ability to get anything done depends completely on the whim of the person you’re dealing with on any given day. Now, add in being non-native Spanish speakers and being confused about how certain processes work, and everything becomes even more stressful.

So I shouldn’t have expected anything less when I searched up the nearest extranjería on Google Maps and noticed that it had a solid 2.6 stars. But as I searched the reviews for “Regreso,” I found an interesting review, posted five months ago, along with a photo of the document they mentioned:

Translated into English: “I needed a return authorization for an upcoming trip, and there was no way to get an appointment. I went in person, and obviously, they didn’t see me, but the police officer very kindly explained that, without an appointment, I could submit the documents at the Registry (Subdelegation, Plaza Montañeta, 6) and pick them up at the Immigration Office in 3 business days… They will give you a document that explains everything clearly.”

I was able to find the reviewer on Facebook to ask a couple more questions, and he told me that if you go with this method, the Plaza Montañeta office opens at 8:30 a.m., so try to be there as early as possible. You’ll also have to provide printed proof of your imminent travel plans. Keep in mind that you’ll have to go pick up your Regreso at the extranjería at Calle Ebanisteria 4, after 1:30 p.m. or so, but it could take three business days for your Regreso to be ready! So this is only an option if you have about a week or so before your trip and you can wait a few days for the Regreso.

3. REDSara Request: A Newer Option, Outcome Unclear

I have never tried this, and I’m not 100% sure if it works, but if the other steps above aren’t options for you for whatever reason, this might be your best bet.

Spain is honestly pretty good about doing things digitally. Which is why it makes absolutely no sense to me that the process to get a Regreso is so chaotic. However, certain provinces — like Valencia, for example — allow you to apply for your Regresos online. (In fact, I think it might be mandatory?)

From what I could tell, this was not the case in Alicante. Until I read yet another Google review of the extranjería:

Translated to English: “1 month for an appointment. Return permit can be done online 🤨 Redsara. From Villajoyosa south, it’s handled by the Altea Immigration Office 🤯. Good and respectful people, but the bureaucracy and the system are a nightmare 🕳️“

And this reviewer had uploaded yet another paper they were handed in the office when they arrived in Alicante after a long commute from Villajoyosa, an hour away. (I found it online because theirs was a little hard to read):

Here is the link in the image above: https://reg.redsara.es/en/ 

From what I can tell, this whole process can take about two weeks from the time you submit, to the time your Regreso is ready — and it must be picked up in person. I have not read any accounts of anyone actually doing this, so try it at your own risk!

As a Reminder: What To Bring To Your Regreso Appointment in Alicante

Do you want to show up to your Regreso appointment and be sure they’re not going to tell you “you’re missing a paper”? Here’s your checklist on exactly what to bring:

• Printed proof of appointment (if you have it) — they won’t let you in the door without it!
• Completed Regreso application form EX-13 (two copies)
• Paid Tasa Modelo 790 Codigo 052 (all three pages)
• Justificante/proof of visa/residency renewal
• Original residency permit
• Copy of all pages of your passport, all on separate pages
• Copy of your TIE
• Original passport
• Original TIE
• Proof of upcoming travel: printed flight tickets

They might not ask for all of these things, but it’s best to have all of them just in case!

Do You Need Tasa Modelo 790/012 or 790/052 for a Regreso in Alicante?

Most things you’ll read online about applying for Regresos in Spain will tell you that you need Tasa Modelo 790 Codigo 012. However, in Alicante specifically, it is confirmed that you need Tasa Modelo 790/052. The price is the same, but the difference is whether your application is being processed at a police station (which uses 012) or the extranjería (which uses 052). They will turn you away if you bring the wrong one, so be prepared!

From the Sede Electrónica when you initiate the Regreso appointment process in Alicante:

 

Wow, it’s been a long time since I wrote a deep dive into Spanish bureaucratic processes — this used to be a regular occurrence when I lived in Madrid. But things change so fast, and can be so different between autonomous communities and provinces, that it’s hard to keep up.

I hope you find this helpful — let me know if you have any questions about getting a Regreso in Alicante and I’ll do my best to answer!

Even when it makes you want to scream or cry, stay strong. Ánimo! ❤️‍🩹

-Cathy

Note: All information above is accurate to the best of my knowledge as of October 1, 2026. Procedures can change at any time.

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