What to expect when you apply for your NIE in Spain

Key rules

• Form: Apply with form EX-15, which is free to download.
• Fee: Pay with modelo 790 código 012 before the appointment and keep the stamped receipt.
• Office: The right office, Extranjería or a police station, depends on your province.
• Waiting: The wait for the appointment is often longer than the wait for the certificate.

The short version

Applying in Spain follows a fixed pattern. You fill in a standard form, pay a small fee at a bank, and go to the competent office on an appointment. You then collect your certificate, often on the same day. The steps and the document list are in the sections below the text. This page explains how the stages fit together.

The form and the fee

You apply with form EX-15. It is free to download from the official immigration or Policía Nacional pages. You can also get it at an Extranjería office or a police station. Fill it in with your details and the reason you need the NIE.

You pay the fee separately with modelo 790 código 012. Fill it in online, print it and pay at a participating bank. Some banks let you pay online. The fee is about €10-12 and is adjusted periodically, so check the current tariff when you fill in the form. Keep the stamped receipt. You must bring it to the appointment.

Which office to go to

In Spain, applications go to the provincial Oficina de Extranjería or to a police station that handles foreigners' documents. Which one applies depends on your province. Police stations often take NIE requests from non-residents, while Extranjería handles residence cases. Check your province's page before you book. The FAQ below answers the common question about which to choose.

The appointment

Book your cita previa at the right office for your province. The wait for an appointment is often the longest part of the process, so book early. Take your passport, the form, the fee receipt, proof of your reason and copies. The documents list below gives the details. If the office asks, you give your fingerprints there.

How long it takes and how you collect it

Once a complete application is accepted, your certificate is usually issued the same day or within a few days. At most it takes about three weeks, depending on the office.

The NIE is a paper certificate, a printed A4 sheet with a stamp and your number. If your office does not issue it the same day, you collect it in person later. Ask at the appointment how collection works. Some offices let an authorised representative collect it, and may ask for a signed authorisation and copies of both IDs.

If your passport is expired or you do not have one, read the "what if" section below before you book.

Applying for an NIE in Spain, step by step

• Decide and document the reason you need the NIE: Before you start

• Fill in form EX-15: Before you book your appointment

• Fill in and print modelo 790 código 012, then pay the fee at a bank and get the stamped receipt: Before the appointment

• Book an appointment (cita previa) at the office that handles NIEs in your province: As soon as your form is ready, since appointments can be scarce

• Go to the appointment with your passport, form, fee receipt, proof of your reason and copies: On the day of your appointment

• Give your fingerprints if the office asks, and submit the application: At the appointment

• If you are turned away, fix what was missing (justification, fee receipt, copies, valid passport) and return or rebook: If the office refuses to accept your application

• If you get a formal refusal, you can challenge it, but reapplying with a better document is usually quicker: After a formal refusal

• Once you have the NIE, register your address at the town hall, then get your TIE card if you are a resident, then digital ID: After you collect your NIE; some town halls let you register before with a passport

Documents to bring for an NIE application

• Your original valid passport or ID, plus a photocopy

• Completed form EX-15, in two copies

• Receipt for the fee paid with modelo 790 código 012, stamped by the bank, in two copies (the office keeps one and stamps the other for you)

• The original proof of your reason for needing the NIE (economic, professional or social), plus a copy

• Extras some offices ask for, such as an empadronamiento certificate or translations; check your province's office page

• Your appointment confirmation, if your office uses cita previa; some provinces also accept a representative, so check before sending one

Checklist

• Fill in modelo 790 código 012 online on the Policía Nacional site and print it.

• Check the current fee, about €10-12, before you pay.

• Pay at a participating bank, or online if your bank offers it, and keep the stamped receipt.

• Bring the stamped receipt to your appointment at the competent office.

• Ask the office whether your NIE is issued the same day or collected later.

• If you collect later, ask what the office needs, such as a signed authorisation and copies of both IDs if someone collects for you.

What if your passport is expired or you have no passport?

You need a valid passport for an NIE application. Offices normally refuse an expired one. Alternatives exist, but only in limited cases.

If your passport has expired

Renew it first through your country's consulate, then apply for the NIE. This is the safest route, because an expired passport is usually turned away at the appointment.

Some offices have accepted an expired passport together with proof that your renewal is under way. That is not a general rule. Ask the specific office whether it will accept this before you book an appointment, so you do not lose the slot.

If you have no passport

Spanish law accepts other identity documents in some situations. Which one works depends on your status and on the office.

• EU/EEA citizens: a national identity card.
• Refugees and asylum seekers: the red card (tarjeta roja) or the document for international protection. In protection cases, the asylum office also assigns the NIE.
• Stateless persons: the stateless-status document issued in Spain, or a travel document for stateless persons.
• Other people who cannot get a passport: documents issued by the Spanish authorities may be accepted.

Applications go through the Policía Nacional or the Oficina de Extranjería. If none of these fits you, get a new passport before you apply.

Frequently asked questions

Do I go to Extranjería or to a police station?

It depends on your province. In many provinces the police station takes NIE requests from non-residents, while Extranjería handles residence cases. If you are abroad, you can also apply at a Spanish consulate.

Why does getting an NIE take longer than the rules suggest?

The wait for an appointment is often the longest part. Once your complete application is accepted, the certificate usually comes the same day or within a few days, at most about three weeks depending on the office. Consulates can take a few weeks.

Can someone else pick up my NIE?

Yes, at offices that do not issue it the same day, an authorised representative can collect it.