Updating your records after a name change or new passport

Terms used

• NIE — The NIE is your foreigner identification number in Spain, and it stays the same for life.
• TIE — The TIE is the residence card issued to non-EU foreigners living in Spain.
• Cita previa — A cita previa is an appointment you must book before visiting many Spanish public offices.
• Padrón — The padrón is the register of residents kept by your town hall.
• Traductor jurado — A traductor jurado is a sworn translator whose translations Spanish authorities accept as official.
• Cl@ve — Cl@ve is the government's digital identity system for logging in to public services online.

Key rules

• Order: Update the foreigners' office first, because the other bodies cross-check against it.
• Name change proof: A new name needs a passport showing it plus the civil document that records the change.
• Translations: Foreign civil documents normally need an apostille or legalisation and a sworn translation unless exempt.
• Marriage and divorce: Neither changes a foreigner's surname in Spain; your records follow your passport.

Start with the foreigners' office

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. This is the step that matters most. Other bodies check your details against it.

If you hold a TIE, you update the passport data through the TIE modification procedure. This usually needs a cita previa. If you are an EU citizen, you ask the same office to update your registration certificate instead.

Forms, fees and whether you need an appointment vary by province, and the system is changing. Check the foreigners' office website for your province before you book.

Carry the change down the chain

Once the foreigners' office has updated your record, work through the other bodies in this order:

1. Your padrón record at your town hall.
2. Seguridad Social.
3. The tax agency. It is usually updated automatically from police data. If it is not, file a modelo 030 or 036.
4. Cl@ve. It normally follows once your identity data is updated. If it does not, re-register.
5. The DGT, for your driving licence and vehicle registrations.
6. Banks, utilities, insurers, your employer and your health card service.

No single official order exists, so treat this as the sensible sequence rather than a legal requirement. Take your new passport and your updated TIE or certificate to each one.

If your name changed

Spanish records follow your passport and the law of your nationality. Marriage or divorce does not change a foreigner's surname in Spain. If your name changed under foreign law, for example you took a spouse's name, Spain updates your records only once your passport shows the new name.

Bring the civil document that records the change, such as a marriage certificate, divorce decree, deed poll or court order. A foreign document normally needs an apostille or legalisation. Documents on a multilingual form under an international convention can be exempt. It also needs a sworn translation by a traductor jurado, unless it is in Spanish or on a multilingual form. Each office decides what it requires, so ask before you pay for translations.

If you are acquiring Spanish nationality, the civil registry may treat names differently. Ask the registry that handles your case.

The documents list, checklist and FAQ below cover what to bring and the details.

Documents you need

• New or renewed passport showing your current name, issued by your country's authorities.

• Your old passport, to show the change of number or name.

• Your TIE (residence card), if you hold one. EU citizens bring their registration certificate instead.

• Civil document recording a name change, such as a marriage certificate, divorce decree, deed poll or court or registry order. It needs an apostille or legalisation unless exempt, for example a multilingual certificate under the 1976 Vienna convention.

• Sworn translation of that civil document by a traductor jurado, unless it is in Spanish or on a multilingual form.

• EX-17 form (or the relevant EX form) and the modelo 790 code 012 fee receipt, where they apply in your province.

Checklist

• Book a cita previa with the foreigners' office of your province as soon as your new passport is issued, and before the old one expires.

• Update your passport data on your TIE or registration certificate, taking the old and new passports.

• Update your details with Seguridad Social.

• Check that the tax agency shows your new details, and file a modelo 030 or 036 if it does not.

• Check that Cl@ve works with your new data, and re-register if it does not.

• Once the official records are done, send the new details to every private company you deal with.

Forms, fees and appointments vary by province, so confirm locally before you go.

Frequently asked questions

Does marriage or divorce change my surname in Spain?

No. Under Spanish law, neither marriage nor divorce changes a surname.

What if my name changed abroad, for example after marriage?

Get a new passport with the new name first. Then take it to the foreigners' office with the civil document recording the change, such as a marriage certificate, divorce decree or court order.

Do I need a sworn translation for every document?

Not if the document is in Spanish or on a multilingual form under the 1976 Vienna convention. Otherwise you normally need a sworn translator (traductor jurado).

In what order should I update my records?

Start with the foreigners' office, because other bodies check against it. After that, a sensible order is the padrón, Seguridad Social, the tax agency, Cl@ve, the driving licence and vehicles, then banks, utilities, insurers, employer and health card.