Not sure if this is generally known, as it wasn't to me, but it is apparently possible to apply to renew your WA TIE before it expires, as long as you have already been resident for more than 5 years. That is, if you changed a green card for your TIE. If you are in a position to do this, it might help to avoid the rush everyone seems to be expecting in January and February. I only know that this seems to be true in Alicante province.

I have to renew mine in February . I am in Malaga area and they wont renew here until its expired, my wife renewed hers in August no issues. I am starting to check for appointments to assess when they may become available.

Yes it was advertised that anyone who had the TIE with previous residency could apply up to I think 60 days before the card ran out.
Our neighbours around the corner applied for theirs in August as they had been here for seven years.
They still had to wait a couple of months for an appointment, and one of them has theirs finally next week.

We on the other hand got residency on 17th Nov 2020 (no previous residency) but the solicitor we use got us appointments before the card ran out and we have done the renewal already.
Benidorm is supposed to be hard to get appointments but we didnt care and went to Alicante

There are supposedly lots of open slots in Alicante (the foreigners office, near where the market is on thursdays) as we went last monday and it was half empty.
There were ten desks and not all had people at them, when we left there were just a couple of people in the queue outside.
Ten minutes max for the fingerprints, confirm we had not moved and for them to scan (the old way) our passports. You would think they would have the same scanner the airports have that read the chip???
Was told four weeks to collect the TIE.

I will say that when you do your renewal, check the bit of paper they give you carefully before you leave.
Two of the others in the room when we were there only got five years and they were asking why.

..

Im going to leave ours for the full four weeks unless the website has the lote number.
Might even leave it till after Christmas; we dont plan on travelling and the expired card still works (our neighbour has been in and out of the country two or three times since hers expired and not a word)

As to the five year, I dont know the couple of people who complained were on their own, our solicitor, who accompanied us, told us to check the paperwork as it had happened to one of their clients (it seemed that they knew he had been out of the country for a year and a half and decided to renew him for five years.)

They may have just ticked the initial box which is first on the list and has TIE in the description rather than Residencia Permanente

Alicante TIE renewal last month cards ready two weeks after fingerprint appointment. You can check Lote number online.

Is the renewal much easier than getting the initial TIE issued?

The only difficulty is in getting an appointment, but its the luck of the draw. As we know a couple who did it themselves and got appointments the first time they went online.
It was in Alcoy, but maybe there are fewer people there after renewals.

The actual process is much easier, and at the appointment they ask few if any questions and it takes less than 10 minutes.

There seems to be some confusion as to which form to fill out and thats the only reason I left it all to the solicitor we used for the original application.

The difficulty as you say is getting an appointment, I have just started checking appointments Malaga area to see how far in the future they are posting them so I know when to start looking to renew late February, so far there are none available showing. The form filling and renewal process is very straight forward, my wife renewed hers in September there were no issues at all , attended appointment handed over her completed forms fingerprints take and told come back in 4 weeks to collect the new card, they told her she didn't need to make appointment to collect just come back in 4 weeks it will be here.. I just need to keep checking for appointments hopefully I will drop on one and all will be fine?

Appointment was no more difficult than the initial TIE and previous renewal all done in about 10 minutes. The collection after two weeks checking Lote number online, took more than an hour in the queue as no appointment needed for collection but in the queue with everyone else collecting with two people on the desks with cases full of new cards.

Getting appointment was straightforward using digital certificate. Friends of ours had a gestor trying to get appointment but with our help they had one in days whereas they had been waiting weeks. Paperwork easy to complete yourself.

This is Alicante province and went to Alicante office (easy parking on non market day) rather than Benidorm closer but no appointments or Elche appointments but further away.

Is the renewal simply a formality or do you have to go through the entire process of showing medical insurance documentation, sufficient funds in the bank account, fresh empadronamiento certificate, etc.?

You don't have to show medical cover or income etc just the required forms and proof of payment plus in date empadrommiento , they do retake fingerprintsm

Plain vanilla TIE renewal or NLV renewal leading up to TIE? I have no idea what Withdrawal Agreement requirements are for TIE.

Two very different things. TIE (Withdrawal Agreement) is a straightforward renewal after 5 years. NLV has to be renewed after one year, with double the financial requirement. If you fail to meet the requirements, you are out!

Sid