Imagine spending two months glued to your phone trying to get an appointment at the Immigration Office. Well, that’s exactly what happened to Valeria. Her red card—the document proving that her asylum application is pending—was set to expire on September 6, 2024. She never managed to get one. Until one day, at a call center where she was sending money to Colombia, they offered her a way out: they could get her an appointment. For 50 euros, in cash. She paid it. And it worked.
Valeria is not an isolated case. In recent years, the National Police have dismantled several schemes that used computer programs to hoard Immigration Office appointments and resell them. Prices reached as high as 200 euros. In May 2023, 69 people were arrested for flooding the system with a bot. In September 2024, two more in Valencia. Later, another network of 21 people was arrested across several provinces. During the raids, authorities found false documentation and a large amount of cash.
Elena Muñoz, legal director at CEAR, puts it plainly: “The root of this black market is the shortage of appointments. Where there are enough, it doesn’t exist.” For example, in provinces with lower demand or within the temporary protection system for Ukrainians, this illegal business has not been observed. The demand for asylum has skyrocketed: in 2025, 144,396 applications were filed, 67% more than the previous year. But access to the first appointment remains a bottleneck.
In June 2023, the Spanish Commission for Refugee Aid filed a complaint with the European Commission regarding the failure to meet deadlines for registering asylum applications. European directives require that a person seeking international protection be granted an appointment within a maximum of three to six days. In Spain, that promise clashes with the reality of overloaded websites and systems that become overwhelmed.
What can you do if you find yourself in this situation? The Ministry of the Interior assures that the police are working to improve the system and that in provinces with the highest demand, alternative channels are being made available: phone, email, or in-person assistance. But they don’t always work. The safest bet is to turn to organizations like CEAR or free legal services. Paying an intermediary is illegal, and you also risk being scammed: some people charge for an appointment that doesn’t exist. So now you know: don’t trust them and stick to legal channels.
If you’re having trouble with your appointment or paperwork, message us on Telegram: https://t.me/cita_extranjeria
Need an appointment?
We book Immigration, DGT, Civil Registry and Digital Certificate appointments across Spain.
Request Service