Getting your NIE

It is for anyone thinking about, planning or carrying out a move to Spain. By the end, you will know whether you need an NIE, which route suits you and how to handle the paperwork.

Start with "Do you need an NIE, and when?" It helps you decide whether to apply and when, based on what you plan to do in Spain. The other articles take you through each route and situation from there.

Key rules

• NIE fee: The state fee for an NIE application is about €10–12 and is adjusted periodically, so check the current official tariff.
• Processing time: Once a complete NIE application is accepted at a Spanish office, your certificate is usually issued the same day or within a few days, at most about three weeks depending on the office.
• Validity: Your NIE is permanent and does not expire or change, even if you leave Spain or change your status.
• Application form: You apply with form EX-15 and pay the fee with modelo 790 código 012, then bring the stamped receipt to the appointment.
• Tourism: Visiting as a tourist does not need an NIE.
• Reason: You must state one reason on the form and attach a document that proves it.

Getting your NIE: the whole process, step by step

Getting your NIE, from first step to last

• Work out whether you need an NIE and which reason you will give (read: Do you need an NIE, and when?): Before the first act that requires it, such as buying property, signing a job contract or opening a bank account

• Check whether your visa, residence approval or EU registration already gives you the number (read: Is the number on your visa or approval letter your NIE? and Getting an NIE as an EU or EEA citizen): Before you book anything, because a separate NIE may be unnecessary

• Choose where to apply: a Spanish consulate before you move, or in Spain after arrival (read: Getting an NIE before you move, from a consulate or in Spain): Before you arrive if you can, since you can apply from abroad

• Book your appointment early (read: What to expect when you apply for your NIE in Spain): As soon as you have your reason and documents, because appointments are scarce in many provinces and the wait is often the longer part

• Fill in form EX-15 and pay the fee with modelo 790 código 012 (the fee is about €10-12), then keep the stamped receipt: Before your appointment

• Attend the appointment with your documents and proof of your reason: On the appointment date

• Collect your NIE certificate in Spain: Once a complete application is accepted, usually the same day or within a few days, at most about three weeks depending on the office

• If you applied through a consulate, wait for the certificate: Anywhere from a few days to several weeks depending on the consulate, plus any wait for an appointment

• Keep your number for life and get a fresh certificate if a bank or notary asks for a recent one (read: You already have an NIE: what to reuse on a new move): Your NIE is permanent; some banks and notaries ask for a certificate issued in the last three months or so

Documents you may need

Identity and residence

• A copy of your passport
• The original proof of your reason for needing the NIE
• A copy of your representative's ID — Getting your NIE through a lawyer, gestor or relative
• Residence approval resolution — Is the number on your visa or approval letter your NIE?

Payments and receipts

• The stamped receipt for the fee — Getting your NIE through a lawyer, gestor or relative, Your NIE certificate is lost, old or illegible
• Receipt for the fee paid with modelo 790 código 012 — What to expect when you apply for your NIE in Spain
• Application receipt — Is the number on your visa or approval letter your NIE?

Other documents

• Form EX-15
• Registration certificate
• A signed authorisation or power of attorney — Getting your NIE through a lawyer, gestor or relative, Getting an NIE for your children and dependants
• Students — Which reason to give for your NIE, from study to property

Each article lists the other documents it asks for, where you need them.

Getting your NIE: questions that cross several articles

Do I need an NIE just to visit or be a tourist?

No. Tourism alone does not need one. You need it when you take part in things like buying property, working, opening a bank account or signing a rental. Read "Do you need an NIE, and when?" and "Which reason to give for your NIE, from study to property".

Which office do I go to, and can I apply from abroad?

In Spain you apply at the province's Oficina de Extranjería or at a designated police station; the split depends on the province. From abroad, many Spanish consulates take applications, each with its own procedure. Read "What to expect when you apply for your NIE in Spain" and "Getting an NIE before you move, from a consulate or in Spain".

Can someone else apply for me?

Yes, if you cannot be in Spain you can use authorised representation. Read "Getting your NIE through a lawyer, gestor or relative" for how to do it safely.

Will my visa or EU registration already give me an NIE?

Often yes. Long-term visa holders and EU citizens who register as residents usually get the number through that process, so a separate request may be unnecessary. Read "Is the number on your visa or approval letter your NIE?" and "Getting an NIE as an EU or EEA citizen".