SEPE official fined for attending without appointment: what does it mean for you?

The SEPE—the State Public Employment Service—was not pleased that an employee at its office in Mérida helped out someone who showed up without an appointment. His name is Juan Carlos Nieto, and his “offense” was assisting citizens who arrived without an appointment after he had already helped everyone who did have one. Now he faces a six-month suspension from work and pay or a forced transfer. That’s how things stand.

The case has sparked a rally in support of the civil servant—and brings to light a problem that affects you directly if you’re a foreigner: the rigidity of the appointment system. If you’re applying for your residence permit, your identity card (‘TIE’), or any benefits, you already know that without an appointment, they won’t let you in. But what if you need to do something urgent and there aren’t any openings? Well, that’s the problem.

Nieto himself complains that the system causes gridlock. Plus, this “single district” thing means you sometimes get an appointment at an office dozens of kilometers from your home. For immigrants, this means missing a day of work or not being able to renew a document on time.

For the administration, a civil servant seeing someone without an appointment is a “serious offense.” It doesn’t matter if they’ve already seen everyone with an appointment and are sitting around with nothing to do: they’d rather they do nothing than help out. And as a foreigner, you need to be clear on this: if you show up without an appointment, they’ll most likely tell you to come back another day.

So what can you do if you find yourself in that situation? Well, here’s what:

• First, always try to make an appointment online or by phone.
• If it’s urgent, explain it at the door: sometimes, if the official has a free moment, they might help you, but they know they’re taking a risk.
• And if you see that the system isn’t working, file a complaint or reach out to immigrant support organizations.

Hurry up, don’t get caught.

If you’re having trouble with your appointment or paperwork, message us on Telegram: https://t.me/cita_extranjeria