How to Apply for Asylum in Spain Step by Step: First Interview for International Protection (2026)

You just arrived in Spain and need protection: where to start

If you have fled your country because of persecution, war, violence, or threats against your life, you have the right to apply for international protection (asylum) in Spain. It does not matter how you entered the country or whether you have documents. Spanish and European law protect you.

This guide is written for you: for families who have just arrived, who do not know the system, who are afraid and do not know who to turn to. Let us go through it step by step, calmly.

Step 1 — Express your will to seek asylum

The first thing you must do is express your will to apply for international protection. This can be done at several places:

• Office of Asylum and Refuge (OAR) in Madrid — this is the main location.
• Police stations with immigration services, in any province.
• Border posts: airports, seaports, land crossings (Ceuta, Melilla).
• Immigration Detention Centers (CIE): if you are detained, you can apply right there.

When you express your will, you will receive a document called "Declaration of intention to request international protection". This paper already protects you from deportation and contains the date of your formal interview.

Step 2 — In Madrid specifically: where to go

If you are in Madrid, the main location is the Office of Asylum and Refuge (OAR):

• Address: Calle Pradillo, 40 — 28002 Madrid (Chamartin District)
• Metro: Alfonso XIII (Line 4)
• Appointment phones: 913 22 01 89 / 913 22 01 90 (Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 19:00)
• General phone: 060

You can also go to the Provincial Immigration and Border Brigade in Madrid or to any National Police station with immigration services.

Step 3 — What documents to bring

For your appointment at the OAR or police station, try to bring the following:

• Passport or identity document from your country (if you have one — if you do not, that is fine, you can still apply).
• 2 passport-size photographs with white background.
• Any documents supporting your story: medical reports, police reports, threat letters, news articles, photographs, birth or marriage certificates.
• If you are traveling with minor children, their identity documents and proof of family relationship.

If you have no documents at all, do not worry. Lack of documentation does not prevent you from applying for asylum. The officer will record your oral statement.

Step 4 — The first interview: what to expect

The formal interview is the most important moment in the process. Here is what you should know:

• It is individual and confidential. Nothing you say will be communicated to the authorities of your country of origin.
• It is conducted by a police officer specialized in international protection.
• You will be asked about your personal and family details, your journey (how you arrived in Spain), and most importantly, the specific reasons why you need protection.
• You have the right to a free lawyer to assist you throughout the interview.
• You have the right to a free interpreter in your language. Request this when scheduling your appointment.
• If you are a woman who has suffered gender-based or sexual violence, you can request to be attended by a female officer.

Step 5 — After the interview: the red card

After the formal interview, you will receive the so-called "resguardo" or "white sheet", which includes your NIE (Foreigner Identity Number). This document:

• Allows you to stay legally in Spain while your case is being reviewed.
• Is valid for 9 months, renewable.
• Within the first month, you will receive a response on whether your application is admitted for processing.

When you renew this document (usually at 6 months), you will receive the red card (tarjeta roja) — the document that officially identifies you as an international protection applicant. With the first renewal of the red card:

• You can work legally, both as an employee and self-employed.
• You have access to the public healthcare system (free medical care).
• You can access the reception system: housing, food, financial aid, and social support.

The maximum deadline for the Government to resolve your application is 6 months from admission for processing, although in practice it may take longer.

Step 6 — Organizations that help you for free

You are not alone. These organizations offer completely free legal, social, and reception assistance:

CEAR — Spanish Commission for Refugee Aid

• Madrid: Avda. General Peron, 32, 2nd floor right
• Phone: 91 598 05 35
• Hours: Monday to Thursday, 9:00 to 14:00
• Web: www.cear.es

UNHCR Spain — UN Refugee Agency

• Madrid: C/ Cedaceros, 11, 1st A — 28014 Madrid
• Phone: 91 369 06 70 / 91 077 21 50 (Mon-Fri, 10:00-12:00)
• Free line: 900 900 532 (Mon-Fri, 8:30-21:00)
• Web: help.unhcr.org/spain

Red Cross — Refugee program

• Madrid: C/ Valdecanillas, 112 — 28037 Madrid
• Phone: 91 532 55 55
• Web: www.cruzroja.es

ACCEM

• Madrid: C/ Ma Soledad Torres Acosta, 1, 1st — 28004 Madrid
• Phone: 91 532 74 78
• 24h emergencies: 637 274 256
• Web: www.accem.es

Red Acoge

• Madrid: C/ Cea Bermudez, 43, 3rd B — 28003 Madrid
• Phone: 91 563 37 79
• Web: redacoge.org

Step 7 — Asylum and the 2026 extraordinary regularization

If you applied for international protection before January 1, 2026 and have been in Spain for some time, you may also benefit from the 2026 extraordinary regularization. Both procedures are compatible.

Check our detailed guide: 2026 Regularization for asylum seekers and international protection applicants.

If you have just arrived in Spain, the regularization probably does not apply to you yet, but your asylum application continues on its normal course.

Also, if you are traveling with minor children, you will need to process their documentation separately. We explain how in: How to submit immigration paperwork for minor children.

Official sources and legal basis

• Law 12/2009, of October 30, regulating the right to asylum and subsidiary protection.
• Ministry of the Interior — Office of Asylum and Refuge
• UNHCR Spain — Help portal for refugees
• CEAR — Guides and resources for asylum seekers