Relocating employees to Madrid: local steps for HR teams

Most companies relocating an employee to Madrid do not need a lawyer for a standard move, because the delays are appointments: TIE fingerprints with the Policía Nacional, the padrón with Madrid City Council and TIE collection. A lawyer earns their fee when the Oficina de Extranjería de Madrid refuses a file and you need a recurso de reposición or a court appeal in Madrid.

Relocating an employee to Madrid takes about 10 to 16 weeks from job offer to TIE in hand, as of September 2026. The Madrid part of that time depends on three waits: a padrón appointment, a TIE fingerprint slot and card collection after the lote is published.

TIE fingerprint appointments in Madrid are booked online in the government ICP cita previa system under province "Madrid". Slots can be at any participating Policía Nacional office in the Comunidad de Madrid, including Avenida de los Poblados in Aluche and stations outside the capital. The receipt given at the appointment shows the lote number used for card collection.

To register on the padrón in Madrid, your employee books a cita previa at an Oficina de Atención a la Ciudadanía online, by phone on 010 or by chat. They bring a passport or TIE and a lease of at least six months, a deed or owner authorisation. A padrón certificate can be issued at the end of the appointment.

Usually not. Madrid City Council asks for a rental contract lasting at least six months, and treats tourist contracts and non-habitual residences as exceptions that need extra checks. An employee in a one month furnished flat in Madrid should plan to register once a longer lease is signed, or get written authorisation from the property owner.

An employee in Madrid can get the Tarjeta Sanitaria Individual once they have a TIE, a padrón certificate issued in the last 90 days and proof of Social Security status. They apply at the Comunidad de Madrid centro de salud assigned to their address, or online with a digital certificate. The card is collected in person at that centro de salud.

Employees resident in the Comunidad de Madrid pay the state IRPF scale plus Madrid's regional scale, which for 2026 runs from 8.5% to 20.5%. New Madrid residents who lived outside Spain for five years can also claim a 20% deduction on qualifying investments held for six years. Individual results depend on the employee's situation, so confirm with a tax adviser.

In Madrid, the TIE card is collected at the same police office where the fingerprints were taken, such as Avenida de los Poblados in Aluche. Your employee waits until their lote number appears on the published lists, then books a collection appointment and brings the fingerprint receipt and passport.