🛂 Asylum (International Protection)

International protection for people who cannot safely return to their country of origin. We book your first registration appointment and renewals — the case is decided by the Spanish government, not by us.

We are not a law firm and we do not decide, represent or influence the outcome of your asylum case — we only book the official appointment.

The asylum procedure in Spain, from start to finish

International protection in Spain is governed by Law 12/2009. The process has two stages that are constantly confused: first you express your intention to apply, and only later do you formalise the application in an interview. The wait between the two is where everything gets stuck — the formalisation appointment.

1. Expressing your intention to apply

You can express your intention to seek international protection at designated police facilities, at border posts, at detention centres and at the Asylum and Refugee Office. You do not need your full file at that point: you are registered and given an appointment for formalisation. From then on you are protected against removal while the procedure remains open.

2. The formalisation interview

At formalisation your statement is taken: who you are, what you are fleeing, what happened to you, why you cannot return. It is the heart of the file. Two things worth knowing before you go in:

• You are entitled to an interpreter and to legal assistance. If you do not understand a question, ask for it again — what is recorded there is what will be assessed later.
• The account must be specific and consistent: approximate dates, places, who threatened you, whether you went to the police in your country and what happened. Contradictions with what you said at the start are the most common reason for refusal.
• Bring whatever you have, even if it is little: police reports, medical records, screenshots of threats, membership documents, news from your area. Lack of documentary evidence does not invalidate the claim, but evidence helps.

3. The provisional document and the red card

At formalisation you receive proof that your application is under way. The document certifying you are an applicant for international protection — the tarjeta roja — is issued afterwards and renewed while the file stays open. It is not a TIE card, which is why it often carries no support number and online forms reject it.

Admission to processing is a separate step: for applications made inside Spain, if no inadmissibility decision is issued within one month, the application is deemed admitted and moves on to the substantive assessment.

4. Working while you wait

An asylum application authorises you to work six months after formalisation, provided the application has been admitted for processing and is still pending. The red card itself states this once the right exists. This is the most asked and most misunderstood point: it is not from day one, and it does not depend on an employer.

5. The decision

The general legal deadline is six months, extendable; in practice files take considerably longer and the red card is renewed several times before an answer arrives. The possible outcomes:

• Refugee status: long-term residence and work, an identity document and a travel document for refugees.
• Subsidiary protection: for people who fall outside the refugee definition but face a real risk of serious harm on return.
• Humanitarian grounds: a residence authorisation on exceptional grounds, without protection status.
• Refusal: it can be appealed. The usual route is judicial review before the National Court, with short deadlines — get a lawyer before the decision arrives, not after.

Dublin: when another country is responsible

If your fingerprints were already registered in another EU State, Spain may start a transfer procedure under the Dublin Regulation. It does not mean your claim is simply closed: there are deadlines, notifications and room to make submissions. If you receive such a notice, seek legal advice immediately.

Mistakes that cost you the file

• Missing the formalisation appointment without justifying it.
• Moving house without reporting it — notices go to the address on file and deadlines run regardless.
• Letting the red card expire because the renewal was not requested in time.
• Telling one version at the interview and a different one on appeal.
• Paying anyone who promises «guaranteed asylum». No one can guarantee the outcome of a file.

What we do and what we do not

We get you the appointment — either to express your intention or to formalise — by monitoring the official system continuously and messaging you on WhatsApp the moment a suitable slot appears. We are not lawyers and we do not prepare your statement or your appeal: specialised firms and organisations do that, many of them free of charge. Availability depends on the administration, so we never promise specific dates.

Confirmations from appointments we have obtained

Real documents from appointments we booked, with the holder’s details covered. The procedure, date, time and office are the ones printed on the confirmation. Availability depends on the administration: we do not promise specific dates.

“I had a very good experience with my appointment. The service was excellent, professional, and very helpful. Everything was handled smoothly and efficiently. I would definitely recommend their service.”