SEPE appointment (cita previa): how do I book it as a foreigner?

According to SEPE, the appointment for the benefits office is booked online on the SEPE electronic office or by phone (91 926 79 70, which the official page marks as a 24-hour service). SEPE's pages do not provide a separate appointment for foreigners. The appointment page could not be opened automatically on 17.10.2026, so check there whether it asks you to identify yourself before booking.

Does the SEPE appointment let me register as a job seeker?

No. The SEPE appointment is for its benefits office, that is, for unemployment benefit. Registration as a job seeker is done at the employment service of your region (LABORA, SOC, SAE u otro según tu comunidad); only in Ceuta and Melilla does SEPE handle it, according to its FAQ page.

Can I book the SEPE appointment by phone?

Yes. SEPE gives 91 926 79 70 for the benefits appointment and marks it as a 24-hour service. The 060 line answers questions on benefits and certificates, costs whatever your operator charges and its hours are published separately. The page warns that numbers starting 800 or 807 are not SEPE's.

What documents do I bring to the SEPE appointment with a NIE or TIE?

If you are not from the EU, the original of your TIE, which must have a photo, and your passport; a bank document with your account and the application form. For unemployment benefit they also ask for the family book or birth certificate if you have dependent children, and the employer's certificate if the company did not send it. EU citizens: passport or ID document and the registration certificate showing the NIE.

Do I need an appointment to apply for unemployment benefit?

Only if you want to file the application in person. Without one you can file it on the electronic office with a digital certificate, DNIe or Cl@ve, at any public registry or by administrative post. The deadline is 15 working days from your last day worked, and it is for filing the application, not for booking the appointment.

SEPE appointment (cita previa): how to book it

In short: the SEPE appointment (cita previa) is the booking for filing or handling an unemployment benefit in person at the SEPE benefits office. You book it on the SEPE electronic office or by phone. It does not register you as a job seeker: that is done at the employment service of your region (in Ceuta and Melilla, at SEPE). With a TIE you bring the original with a photo and your passport. Without an appointment you can apply for the benefit online, at a public registry or by administrative post.

In person or by representative? Mixed. The appointment is for going to the office, but the application can also be filed online. SEPE accepts someone else filing for you if they show a document proving the representation and their identity is checked. SEPE also says that applying for a benefit is a personal obligation; for job seeker registration, SEPE says you must go to the employment office of your region (some regions offer it online, see the registration card).

What this appointment is for and what it is not

Yes: filing the unemployment benefit application in person, checking in person whether it was approved or denied, or withdrawing an application. These are examples from SEPE's FAQ; it also asks for an appointment for other in-person steps on your benefit, such as reporting a change of address or bank account.
No: registering as a job seeker, renewing your job seeker registration or asking for courses. That is handled by the employment service of your region (LABORA in the Comunitat Valenciana, SOC in Catalonia, SAE in Andalusia, the Community of Madrid employment service or another one, depending on your region). See how to register as a job seeker as a foreigner. In Ceuta and Melilla SEPE does the registration.
Nor is it the immigration appointment (fingerprints, TIE, NIE). That is a different one: immigration cita previa.

Requirements

For the benefit to be granted you must meet its conditions (days contributed, legal residence, job seeker registration). We do not repeat them here: they are in unemployment benefit for foreigners.
The SEPE pages we could read set no other requirement for the appointment than wanting to file or handle your application at the benefits office that matches your home address.

Where: how to book the SEPE appointment

Online: SEPE appointment page, on the electronic office. On 17.10.2026 that page returned a 503 error and we could not read it: we cannot confirm what data it asks for or whether it requires Cl@ve. The SEPE pages we did open do not say Cl@ve is needed to book; what asks for Cl@ve, a digital certificate or a DNIe is filing the application online, not the appointment. Check the page before you start and, if you cannot get in, use the phone.
By phone: the SEPE telephone service page gives 91 926 79 70 for the benefits appointment and marks it «Servicio 24 horas». It does not explain the steps of the call. The 060 line answers questions on benefits and certificates, costs whatever your operator charges and its hours are published separately. SEPE warns that numbers starting 800 or 807 are not its own.
Your office: find the benefits office for your address in the SEPE office network, by postcode or province.
No appointment, no phone: the SEPE enquiry form only answers general questions on benefits. It does not handle specific situations or the status of your file, and it does not replace the appointment.

Documents

If you are not from the EU: the original TIE with a photo, and your passport. SEPE accepts it only if it has a photo. How to get them: NIE and TIE.
EU citizens: the original passport or ID document of their country and the EU citizen registration certificate showing the NIE (or the permanent residence certificate showing the NIE). Family members of EU citizens: their valid family residence card.
For the unemployment application, according to the SEPE page on the contributory benefit: the official application form (it includes the activity agreement), a bank document with the number of an account you hold, the family book or birth certificate of dependent children (with an official translation if foreign) and the employer's certificate for the last 6 months if the company did not send it to SEPE. The page itself points to another link with more detail: the list may not be complete for your case.
If someone goes for you: their identification and a document proving the representation.
To register as a job seeker (not at this appointment): according to SEPE, an identity document and, if you are a foreigner, your residence and/or work permit; the Social Security card only if you have worked in Spain before, and your qualifications.

Deadlines

The deadline to apply for unemployment benefit is 15 working days from your last day worked. That deadline is for filing the application, not for booking the appointment: if there is no slot soon, applying online stops the days running. Applying late means losing the days of delay.
The SEPE page does not say how many days you wait for an appointment or how long it takes to be given.

Cost

The SEPE pages we reviewed mention no cost for the online appointment. The 060 line does cost whatever your operator charges; for 91 926 79 70 the page says nothing.

Steps

Decide whether you need an appointment: only to file or handle the benefit in person. If you have Cl@ve, a digital certificate or a DNIe, the application can also be filed online without one.
Find your benefits office in the SEPE office network.
Book on the SEPE electronic office or call the benefits appointment number.
Prepare the original TIE with a photo and your passport, plus the other documents for your application.
If you cannot get an appointment in time, watch the 15 working day deadline and file the application another way.
To register as a job seeker, do not use this appointment: go to the employment service of your region.

Official source: SEPE, benefits appointment and SEPE FAQ. If you lack electronic access, see Cl@ve and the electronic certificate. The terms NIE and TIE are in the glossary.

Informational only; check the official source and a professional for your specific case.

General information, not individual legal advice. Check the official source and consult a professional for your case.

SEPE appointment (cita previa): how to book it as a foreigner