Spanish ID numbers and the right orderArticle 7 of 8 · 1 min read
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.
What to carry
Carry your original ID whenever you go out. The document depends on why you are in Spain:
- Tourist or visitor: your passport. EU visitors can use their national ID card instead.
- Resident from outside the EU: your TIE. It is your ID in Spain; carry your passport as well.
- TIE not issued yet: carry the receipt (resguardo) you got at the fingerprint appointment, together with your passport.
- EU citizen living in Spain: your passport or national ID card, with your EU registration certificate.
What format is safe
Carry the original. A photocopy is not formally an identity document. Some officers accept a copy while the original is kept safe, but that is their choice, so do not rely on it. Phone pictures of foreign documents are not reliably accepted either. Spain's digital ID app is for Spanish nationals, so it will not help you.
When authorities can ask for it
Foreigners in Spain must hold their identity or travel documents and their residence or stay documents. You must show them when the authorities ask. Police can also ask anyone to identify themselves when it is needed to prevent or investigate an offence. Spanish citizens have the same duty with their DNI, which is compulsory from age 14.
What happens if you have no ID
Police can take you to a police station to establish who you are. This can last only as long as strictly needed. Not carrying your documents can be a minor offence for a foreigner and can lead to a fine. If your stay in Spain is irregular, that is a serious offence. It can lead to a fine or to expulsion proceedings. Refusing to identify yourself can also bring a fine.
More in Spanish ID numbers and the right order
- The Spanish ID numbers you will meet and what each is for
- Foreigner number (NIE) or residence card (TIE): which goes on which form?
- The right order for your NIE, address registration and digital ID
- How long each identity step really takes in Spain
- What your identity numbers and registrations cost, including paid help
- Where Spanish counters will ask for your foreigner number (NIE)
- Arriving as a Spanish citizen who has never lived in Spain
← Back to Spanish ID numbers and the right order · Find your city
Need certainty before you act?
For important relocation decisions, speak with a qualified human specialist.
Always verify important information with the relevant official authority or a qualified adviser before acting. This website uses large language models together with various public data sources, official government documents and other established sources. Due to the amount of data on this website, some information might be wrong. Information may also be incomplete or outdated.