Immigration appointments: how the black market works in Madrid

Getting an appointment for immigration procedures in Madrid is almost mission impossible. And as always happens, where there is need, someone sets up a stall. On Wallapop and Milanuncios you find ads from people selling appointments for police stations, the DGT or immigration offices. The price: up to 400 euros for a simple slot. Plain and simple.

The trick is simple –and twisted. They use bots to scan the official websites just when appointments are released, usually at 3:30 PM, and snap them up in seconds. Then they resell them. The ads disappear within hours, but reappear with another profile. All to avoid being caught by the platforms.

Let me give you an example: you need to exchange your foreign driver's license to work. You try again and again, but you always get the same message: "full schedule". A colleague tells you to shell out 100 euros and they'll make room for you. That's what happened to Cristian, a Peruvian who has been in Madrid for two years and needs the license to work as a truck driver. "I'm so desperate I don't know if I'll end up paying," he says.

The DGT confirms it: in 2023, 248,050 exchanges were processed, 55% more than the previous year. Demand grows, but appointments don't. Meanwhile, some people are cashing in. There are serious managers who charge between 10 and 25 euros for consular procedures, but they report that others ask between 200 and 400 euros for asylum or fingerprints.

If you find yourself in this situation, don't pay. Appointments are free. Log in right at opening time, use multiple devices, or ask for help from a social organization. But if you still can't get one and need guidance, there are channels where you can ask without obligation.

If you have difficulties with your appointment or procedure, write to us on Telegram: https://t.me/cita_extranjeria