Spanish ID numbers and the right order
You will know what each Spanish ID number and card is, which ones you need, and in what order to get them.
NIE, NIF, DNI, TIE, padrón, the Social Security number and the health card: newcomers to Spain meet all of these quickly, and it is easy to mix them up. This topic is the map. It explains what each ID number and card is, which ones you need, the order to get them in, how long and how much each…
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The Spanish ID numbers you will meet and what each is for
A guide to the identifiers you will meet in Spain: who issues each one, what it unlocks and which office to go to. It is for anyone arriving in Spain, whether from the EU or outside it.
Foreigner number (NIE) or residence card (TIE): which goes on which form?
Explains the difference between your NIE (a number) and your TIE (a card), what the DNI and NIF are, and which one to quote on Spanish forms. For newcomers who are not Spanish citizens.
The right order for your NIE, address registration and digital ID
A practical order for getting your NIE, registering your address and setting up digital ID in Spain. It separates what the law requires from what offices and banks usually ask for, so no step blocks another. For new arrivals.
How long each identity step really takes in Spain
Shows how long each identity step takes in Spain, from your NIE and padrón to Cl@ve and your TIE card. It explains that the appointment is the real wait and how that wait differs by province.
What your identity numbers and registrations cost, including paid help
Shows which steps on the way to your NIE, TIE card and local registration are free, which carry a small state fee, and what a gestor typically adds. For newcomers deciding whether to do it themselves or pay for help.
Where Spanish counters will ask for your foreigner number (NIE)
A guide to the everyday situations where Spanish offices and companies ask for your NIE: which ones the law requires it for, which are just company policy, and when a passport will not be accepted. For newcomers planning their first months.
Which ID to carry every day in Spain
Explains which identity document to keep on you in Spain, in what format, and when police or other authorities can ask to see it. For tourists, visitors and foreigners living in Spain.
Arriving as a Spanish citizen who has never lived in Spain
If you are a Spanish citizen, or a dual national, arriving in Spain for the first time, you use the DNI route and not the NIE route. This page gives the order for getting your first DNI and your registrations.
About this topic
If you are a Spanish citizen who has never lived in Spain, you use the DNI route: see Arriving as a Spanish citizen who has never lived in Spain. The full procedures are in their own topics: getting an NIE, the residence card (TIE) and registering as an EU citizen.
Key rules
- NIE state fee: €9.84 in 2026, paid on form 790 code 012.
- TIE card fee: €16.40 in 2026, paid on form 790 code 012. Non-EU residents, including non-EU family of EU citizens, need the card.
Spanish ID numbers and the right order: the whole process, step by step
If you are a non-EU resident
- Get your visa or residence authorisation. Your NIE comes with it: see NIE or TIE.
- Register on the padrón as soon as you have a lease or other proof of address. A passport is enough in many town halls: see the right order.
- Apply for your TIE card within one month of entering Spain, or of the notification that your authorisation was approved if you applied from inside Spain: see NIE or TIE.
- Get your Social Security number: see getting your Social Security number.
- Open a bank account (where counters ask for your NIE), register for Cl@ve and request your health card (getting your health card). The health card needs your padrón certificate and Social Security number.
If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen
- Register on the padrón.
- Get your EU registration certificate within 3 months of arriving; it includes your NIE. The procedure is in registering as an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen.
- Then follow steps 4 and 5 above.
If you only need an NIE (a property purchase or other dealings without residence)
Book the NIE appointment first, at a Spanish consulate before you move or in Spain: see getting an NIE. Waits are in how long each step takes.
Documents you may need
- Passport — the right order
- NIE certificate, or the EU registration certificate or TIE, which include your NIE — NIE or TIE, the ID numbers you will meet
- TIE residence card, for non-EU residents — NIE or TIE
- Padrón certificate and proof of address (lease, deed or owner's authorisation) — the right order
- Social Security number from the TGSS and tarjeta sanitaria from your regional health service — the ID numbers you will meet
- Paid form 790 code 012 with the bank or online payment stamp — what it costs
- Proof of address, proof of income and proof of where your money comes from, where a bank or landlord asks — where counters ask for your NIE
- Spanish birth certificate and proof of Spanish nationality, for the DNI — arriving as a Spanish citizen
- The original of your passport or residence document, on you each day — which ID to carry
Explore places
Where you live changes the details. See how Spanish regions and cities compare on rent, jobs, weather, safety and healthcare.
What to read next
More in Identity numbers and local registration
Registering your address (empadronamiento)
You will be able to register your address with your town hall even when your housing is informal, temporary or unusual.
Keeping your address registration current
You will keep your registration valid and get the right certificate when an office asks for it.
Digital ID (Cl@ve) and certificates
You will know which digital ID you need, how to get it and how to keep it working.
Also in Moving, documents, and setup
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