Who files through Mercurio
Mercurio is used for permits under the so-called international mobility route, managed by the Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit. They include permits for highly qualified professionals, intra-company transfers, investors and entrepreneurs, as well as their family members.
If your permit is an arraigo, an ordinary family reunification or a common employee residence permit, your file does not go through Mercurio: it goes through the general immigration system.
How it differs from the general system
| General system | Mercurio | |
|---|---|---|
| Who decides | Provincial Immigration Offices | Large Companies and Strategic Groups Unit |
| Filing | In person with an appointment, or online | Online, with a certificate |
| Status check | Open service with the file number | Inside the platform itself |
| Typical profile | Arraigo, reunification, employees | Highly qualified, intra-company transfers, investors |
Why people end up searching for this
Two reasons. First: someone filed through the international mobility route and then cannot find their file in the general check, because it is not there. Second: a company hires a foreign professional and discovers halfway through that the case fits Law 14/2013 and that the procedure is different, with its own deadlines and requirements.
Choosing the right route from the start saves months. If you are unsure which is yours, it is exactly the kind of thing worth checking before filing anything.
What each status means
Mercurio's messages are terse and easy to misread. What usually appears and what it means:
- In progress or under review: the file is assigned and being reviewed. No action is needed from you.
- Request or pending correction: documents are missing and a deadline is running. It is the only status that demands an immediate reaction, because ignoring it ends in the file being closed as withdrawn.
- Decided, favourable: it is granted. From then on the visa deadlines start, where applicable, and the month to apply for the foreigner identity card.
- Decided, unfavourable: it is refused, and the deadline to appeal counts from notification, not from when you see it in the search.
- No data: this normally means the file has not yet been registered in the system, or that the number or NIE was entered wrongly.
The search is informative: the date that matters legally is that of formal notification, not of the status change on screen.
If your file does not appear
Before writing the number off, three checks that solve most cases. First: that the file really belongs to the international mobility route; if it is an arraigo, an ordinary reunification or a common renewal, it is checked in the general system, not in Mercurio. Second: that the number is copied exactly, with its prefix and no spaces. Third: that a few days have passed since filing, because registration in the system is not immediate.
If it still does not appear after that, the next step is not to keep searching but to check the entry record of the application, which is the document proving the file exists.
Does your permit go through Mercurio?
We prepare and file the application through the correct route and follow it up to the decision.
Frequently asked questions
Can I check my Mercurio file in the general immigration site?
No. Files of the Large Companies Unit are followed inside its own platform, not in the general status service.
Do I need a digital certificate for Mercurio?
Yes, filing is online. A registered gestor can file on your behalf with a professional certificate.
Is it faster than the general system?
International mobility deadlines are usually shorter, but they depend on the file and the unit's workload.
Is it used for arraigo or reunification?
No. Those procedures go through the provincial Immigration Offices, not Mercurio.
Legal basis
- Organic Law 4/2000 on the rights and freedoms of foreign nationals in Spain
- Royal Decree 1155/2024, Regulation implementing Organic Law 4/2000 (consolidated text)
- Royal Decree 316/2026 amending the immigration Regulation
- Law 39/2015 on Common Administrative Procedure, art. 14 on electronic dealings with the administration
- Order PJC/617/2025 setting immigration and foreigners' fees
Official sources
- Status of immigration files
- Electronic office: immigration appointments
- Catalogue of immigration procedures
- Electronic office: Mercurio
Written by Irina Klein. Reviewed by Elena Alonso Volostnova, registered gestora administrativa (ICGA Valencia). Updated on 5 October 2026. This page is general information and does not replace personalised advice on your case.