Keeping your personal data consistent

It is for anyone thinking about, planning or carrying out a move to Spain. Matching details means fewer rejected applications, fewer bank blocks and fewer refused certificates. If a record is already wrong, you will know whom to contact to fix it.

Start with "Keeping your name identical on every Spanish record". It shows how to match your name across your passport, NIE, address registration, bank and contracts, including accents and hyphens. Most other problems in this topic begin there.

Once you have done that, pick the article that fits your situation: one surname or several given names, a name change or new passport, two nationalities, birth or gender marker mismatches, address, phone and email, correcting a mistake, or limiting who gets copies of your ID.

Key rules

• Padrón renewal: Non-EU foreigners without permanent residence authorisation must renew their padrón registration every two years.
• Official notices: An electronic notification you do not open within 10 calendar days is treated as rejected and still counts as delivered.
• Name spelling: Write your name exactly as it appears in your passport, with all given names in the same order, on every form and record.
• New passport: Your NIE number never changes, but you must report a new or renewed passport to the foreigners' office of your province soon after it is issued and before the old one expires.
• Middle names: Never leave out a given name, even if an office would accept it.
• Given names: All first and middle names go together in the Nombre box, in passport order.

Documents you may need

Identity and residence

• Your passport
• Your NIE certificate
• Your TIE
• ID to change your Social Security contact details in person at a CAISS office — Keeping address, phone and email the same across Spanish systems
• ID or NIE to buy a Spanish prepaid or contract SIM — Keeping address, phone and email the same across Spanish systems

Translations and legal papers

• A sworn translation — Keeping your name identical on every Spanish record, Who to contact to correct a mistake in your identity records
• Sworn translation of that civil document by a traductor jurado — Updating your records after a name change or new passport

Other documents

• EX-17 form — Updating your records after a name change or new passport, Fixing birth date, birthplace and gender marker mismatches
• A written request describing the error — Who to contact to correct a mistake in your identity records
• Your birth certificate — Fixing birth date, birthplace and gender marker mismatches, Who to contact to correct a mistake in your identity records
• A certificate from the Registro Civil if you were born in Spain — Who to contact to correct a mistake in your identity records

Keeping your personal data consistent: questions that cross several articles

Which document decides how my name is spelled on my NIE?

Your passport. The NIE record follows the passport you showed when you applied, so write your name exactly as it appears there, with all given names in the same order. See "Keeping your name identical on every Spanish record" for matching it elsewhere.

Does my NIE change when I get a new passport?

No, the number stays the same. But you must report the new passport to the foreigners' office of your province soon after it is issued and before the old one expires. Read "Updating your records after a name change or new passport" for the steps.

I changed my name. Where do I report it first?

Start with the foreigners' office or national police, to update your NIE record and your TIE or registration certificate. Other bodies check against it, so doing it first matters most. Then update your padrón, Seguridad Social, tax, Cl@ve, driving licence and banks. "Updating your records after a name change or new passport" gives the order.

What proof of a name change will Spanish offices accept?

Usually a new passport showing the new name, plus the official document recording the change, such as a marriage certificate, divorce decree or court order. See Who to contact to correct a mistake in your identity records.

I have two passports. Can I switch which one my NIE is linked to?

Yes. Ask the foreigners' office to update the record to the other passport, with the valid passport and your NIE document or TIE. The NIE number stays the same, but a switch between EU and non-EU nationality can change your residence document. Read "Which passport to register under if you hold two nationalities" before choosing.

My birth date or birthplace is wrong on my NIE. What do I do?

Ask for a correction, by appointment, at the foreigners' office that issued your NIE or TIE. See Fixing birth date, birthplace and gender marker mismatches.