Any foreign citizen who wants to obtain a residence permit or renew their permit must contact the Immigration Office corresponding to their place of residence. But what exactly are Immigration Offices and what are their functions?
Introduction
As established in Article 258 et seq. of the Immigration Regulations, Immigration Offices are the units that comprise the various services of the General State Administration responsible for immigration and foreign affairs at the provincial level, with the objective of ensuring efficiency and coordination in administrative action.
Immigration Offices are located in the provincial capitals and are organizationally dependent on the corresponding Government Delegation or Sub-delegation.
Immigration Offices are governed by Royal Decree 1155/2024 (Immigration Regulations), as well as by their own regulations for creation and operation.
Functions of the Immigration Offices
At the provincial level, Immigration Offices perform the following functions, as provided for in current immigration law and European Union law:
- Receiving the entry declaration. The processing of extensions of stay, foreigner identity cards, residence permits, work permits and exceptions to the obligation to obtain a work permit, return authorizations, as well as their issuance and delivery.
- The receipt of applications for registration certificates and travel documents for departure from Spain, as well as their issuance and delivery.
- The processing of sanctioning procedures for infractions stipulated in immigration law and European Union law. However, returns and sanctioning proceedings that lead to the expulsion of the foreign offender, or to their detention and placement in an Immigration Detention Center, will be carried out by the Immigration and Border Brigades and Units of the Police Stations.
- The processing of any applicable administrative appeals.
- The submission to the competent bodies and authorities of the appropriate proposed resolutions regarding the cases referred to in the preceding paragraphs.
- The assignment and communication of the Foreigner Identification Number by the police services of the Offices themselves.
- The provision of information, receipt, and processing of applications for international protection and applications for stateless status.
- The collection and compilation of all administrative and demographic statistical information on the foreign population and those residing under EU law in the province.
- The monitoring of compliance with the conditions that led to the granting of the authorization.
Functional Organization of Immigration Offices
The Head of the Immigration Office establishes the criteria for carrying out the functions referred to above, which will be exercised under the direction of the respective Director of the Functional Area or Head of the Provincial Labor and Immigration Office, the corresponding Government Delegates and Sub-delegates, and without prejudice to the powers of other bodies regarding the resolution of cases.
Police Services Attached to Immigration Offices
Without prejudice to the powers attributed to the Head of the Immigration Office, the following correspond to the police services attached to it:
- The assignment and communication of the Foreigner’s Identity Number and the issuance of resident and non-resident certificates.
- The issuance and delivery of documentation related to regulations on international protection and stateless persons.
- The issuance and delivery of travel documents or similar documents for departure from Spain, as well as Foreigner’s Identity Cards (fingerprint appointments) and provisional identification documents. The issuance of visa stickers that formalize extensions of short-stay visas.
- The processing of cancellations or withdrawals of short-stay visas.
- The processing of return authorizations.
- The recording in the Central Register of Foreigners of changes and alterations in the status of foreign nationals as provided for in Article 213.
