--- title: Get a NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) in Spain country: spain service: "numero-identidad-extranjero" category: identification difficulty: moderate estimated_time: "Varies — no published Comisaría General de Extranjería y Fronteras service-level commitment found" cost_range: Set by Ministerial Order; paid via tasa modelo 790 código 012 last_verified: 2026-05-10 canonical: https://publicservices.guide/spain/numero-identidad-extranjero/ status: current confidence: low tags: - identification - nie - "first-week" - "policia-nacional" - extranjeria sources: - https://www.policia.es/_es/extranjeria_extranjeros.php - https://www.policia.es/_es/extranjeria_portada.php - https://www.policia.es/_es/extranjeria_comunitarios.php - https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2024-24099 - https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2011-7703 - https://icp.administracionelectronica.gob.es/icpplus/index.html --- # Get a NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) in Spain **Country:** 🇪🇸 Spain **Last verified:** 2026-05-10 **Estimated time:** Varies — no published Comisaría General de Extranjería y Fronteras service-level commitment found **Cost:** Set by Ministerial Order; paid via tasa modelo 790 código 012 ## Required documents - **Valid passport with photocopies of every page** *(Pasaporte completo en vigor)* - Required: Original plus a full set of photocopies - _Note:_ Bring the original to the appointment; the intake desk keeps copies on file. - **NIE application form (EX-15)** *(Modelo EX-15 — Solicitud de Número de Identidad de Extranjero (NIE) y Certificados)* - Where to get: Download the current version from the Sede Electrónica del Cuerpo Nacional de Policía - Required: Original, signed - _Note:_ Use the version published by the Sede Electrónica on the day you apply — older copies floating around the internet may be out of date. - **Proof of fee payment** *(Justificante del abono de la tasa modelo 790, código 012)* - Where to get: Generate the modelo 790 código 012 form via the Sede Electrónica del Cuerpo Nacional de Policía; pay at any collaborating bank or by online banking; bring the stamped receipt - Required: Original receipt - _Note:_ Confirm you are paying código 012 (Reconocimientos, autorizaciones y concursos). The wrong código is the most common reason a fee fails to credit. - **Justification of your reasons for applying** *(Acreditación de los motivos)* - Required: Documents that evidence the economic, professional, or social reason you state on the EX-15 - _Note:_ Examples seen in practice include a signed property purchase contract, a notarised escritura de compra, an employment offer, a freelance services agreement, or proof of a Spanish inheritance. The Policía Nacional does not publish a closed list — the evidence is whatever credibly proves the reason you wrote on the form. ## Steps ### 1. Choose the right NIE acquisition path - Consular route: you are outside Spain and need the NIE before arriving (typical for property buyers, investors, or pre-residence freelancers). Apply at the Spanish consulate with jurisdiction over your country of residence. - In-Spain route: you are already in Spain on a short-stay basis and need a NIE for an economic, professional, or social reason. Apply at an Oficina de Extranjería or Comisaría de Policía Nacional. - Automatic-assignment route (de oficio): you are starting a residence, work, study, family-reunification, or asylum procedure. Do not file a separate NIE application — the Dirección General de la Policía will assign the number as part of that procedure. > **Tip:** If you also need the physical residence card after your residence permit is granted, see the Spain Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero (TIE) guide. Slug: tarjeta-identidad-extranjero. ### 2. Book your appointment (cita previa) *(Cita previa)* - Consular route: book through the Spanish consulate's own appointment system. Each Oficina Consular runs its own booking page and publishes its own document checklist. - In-Spain route: book through icp.administracionelectronica.gob.es — the Cita Previa Cuerpo Nacional de Policía portal. Select your province and the NIE-related procedure (Asignación de NIE). _Links:_ - [Cita Previa Cuerpo Nacional de Policía](https://icp.administracionelectronica.gob.es/icpplus/index.html) ### 3. Prepare your application file - Download the EX-15 form from the Sede Electrónica del Cuerpo Nacional de Policía and complete it in Spanish. - Generate the modelo 790 código 012 fee form on the same Sede Electrónica. - Pay the tasa at any collaborating bank or by online banking; keep the stamped receipt. - Gather the supporting evidence for the reason you stated on the EX-15 — contract, escritura, employer letter, or equivalent. - Translate any non-Spanish supporting document through a traductor jurado, and apostille or legalise it where the consulate or Comisaría requires. > **Tip:** The wrong modelo 790 código is the single most common cause of fee-credit failures. Double-check that you generated código 012 and not a similar-looking code such as 062. ### 4. Submit your application in person - Consular route: present the file at the Spanish Oficina Consular. The consulate forwards the application to the Comisaría General de Extranjería y Fronteras in Madrid. - In-Spain route: present the file at the Oficina de Extranjería or Comisaría de Policía where you booked the appointment. - Bring originals of the passport, EX-15, fee receipt, and the supporting evidence. Carry photocopies of every passport page. _Useful phrases:_ - "Vengo a solicitar la asignación de NIE." — I am here to apply for assignment of a NIE. — use when On arrival at the consular or Comisaría intake counter ### 5. Collect the NIE assignment certificate - Consular route: the consulate notifies you when the certificate arrives back from the Comisaría General de Extranjería y Fronteras. You collect it at the consulate. - In-Spain route: the Comisaría or Oficina de Extranjería typically issues the certificate the same day or after a short notice; the intake desk tells you when to return. - If you applied at a Spanish consulate abroad, expect to receive your NIE as a single A4 paper sheet — no card, no plastic, no photo. The page lists your NIE number (a letter X, Y, or Z, then seven digits, then a final letter), your name, and your nationality. Spanish banks and notaries routinely photocopy this sheet and may ask for an updated copy if it is more than three months old, even though the NIE itself never expires. > **Tip:** Photograph and scan the certificate the moment you receive it. It is a single A4 sheet, easy to lose, and you will reach for it again every time you sign a Spanish lease, open an account, or register with the Hacienda. ## FAQ ### What is the difference between a NIE and a TIE? The NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) is a number — a letter, seven digits, and a letter, assigned to you for life. The TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero) is a physical plastic card issued only after a residence authorisation longer than six months is granted. The TIE displays the NIE alongside your photo, fingerprints, and a validity period that matches the underlying residence authorisation. A foreigner can hold a NIE without a TIE — for example, a non-resident property buyer. A TIE-holder always also has a NIE, printed on the card. See the Spain Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero (TIE) guide for the card procedure. ### I am buying a property in Spain but not moving here. Do I still need a NIE? Yes. Property purchase by a foreigner is one of the canonical economic-interest reasons that triggers NIE assignment, and a Spanish notary will not formalise the deed without the buyer's NIE. You can apply through the Spanish consulate that has jurisdiction over your country of residence, or in person at a Comisaría or Oficina de Extranjería during a visit to Spain. ### I have a Spanish visa. Do I need to apply for a NIE separately? No. When you initiate any non-visa authorisation procedure — residence, work, study, family reunification, or asylum — the Dirección General de la Policía assigns the NIE de oficio (automatically). The number appears on your resolution and on the eventual TIE. ### Does my NIE expire? Do I need to renew it? The NIE itself is permanent, único y exclusivo — a sequential personal identifier that does not expire. Spanish banks and notaries, however, often refuse a NIE certificate that is more than three months old when used for a new account opening or deed signing. That is a third-party requirement, not a NIE rule. You can request a fresh copy of the certificate at any Comisaría or Oficina de Extranjería. ### Can someone else apply on my behalf? Spanish administrative practice generally allows a notarised poder. Whether a particular Oficina Consular or Comisaría accepts representation for a NIE assignment varies — confirm with the specific intake point before you arrange a poder. ### I am a member of a familia numerosa. Is there a fee discount? No. The Policía Nacional FAQ states there is no exemption from the NIE assignment fee on familia numerosa grounds. ### I paid the fee with the wrong modelo 790 código. How do I get a refund? Request the refund at the Unidad de Documentación where you filed the original application. Then generate a new modelo 790 código 012 and pay again before re-submitting. ### Where do I book the in-Spain Comisaría appointment? Through icp.administracionelectronica.gob.es — the Cita Previa Cuerpo Nacional de Policía portal. Select your province and the NIE-related procedure. ## Sources - [Cuerpo Nacional de Policía (Ministerio del Interior)](https://www.policia.es/_es/extranjeria_extranjeros.php) — accessed 2026-05-10 — _T1_ — The NIE is the personal identifier of the foreigner, único y exclusivo, de carácter secuencial, and must appear on every document issued or processed for that person, except visas. Three eligibility categories: foreigners who initiate a non-visa authorisation procedure to remain in Spain; foreigners against whom an administrative file has been opened under immigration regulations; and foreigners who relate to Spain por sus intereses económicos, profesionales o sociales, who must request the number themselves and must not be in Spain in irregular situation. Where the foreigner is outside Spanish territory at the time of the request, application is made to the Comisaría General de Extranjería y Fronteras through the Spanish Oficinas Consulares. - [Cuerpo Nacional de Policía (Ministerio del Interior)](https://www.policia.es/_es/extranjeria_portada.php) — accessed 2026-05-10 — _T1_ — The Policía Nacional FAQ confirms the fee is paid through tasa modelo 790 código 012 (Reconocimientos, autorizaciones y concursos), authorised by articles 44 to 49 of Ley Orgánica 4/2000 and set by Ministerial Order. There is no familia numerosa exemption from this fee. Refunds for fees paid in error are requested at the Unidad de Documentación where the original application was filed. Cita previa for in-Spain procedures is booked through icp.administracionelectronica.gob.es. - [Cuerpo Nacional de Policía (Ministerio del Interior)](https://www.policia.es/_es/extranjeria_comunitarios.php) — accessed 2026-05-10 — _T1_ — EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens receive their NIE through the Certificado de registro de ciudadano de la Unión procedure under Real Decreto 240/2007. Non-EU family members of EU citizens follow the Tarjeta de residencia de familiar de ciudadano de la Unión route, also under RD 240/2007, with a five-year validity. In both routes, the NIE is assigned as part of the registration; no separate NIE-only application is needed. - [Boletín Oficial del Estado (Agencia Estatal)](https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2024-24099) — accessed 2026-05-10 — _T1_ — Real Decreto 1155/2024 of 19 November is the current Reglamento of Ley Orgánica 4/2000 and has been in force since 20 May 2025. The previous Real Decreto 557/2011 was repealed with effect from 20 May 2025 by the sole repealing provision of RD 1155/2024. - [Boletín Oficial del Estado (Agencia Estatal)](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2011-7703) — accessed 2026-05-10 — _T1_ — The BOE consolidated record of Real Decreto 557/2011 carries the derogation notice confirming that RD 557/2011 was derogada, con efectos de 20 de mayo de 2025, por la disposición derogatoria única del Real Decreto 1155/2024. - [Cuerpo Nacional de Policía — Cita Previa Extranjería](https://icp.administracionelectronica.gob.es/icpplus/index.html) — accessed 2026-05-10 — _T1_ — Cita Previa Cuerpo Nacional de Policía is the official appointment portal for in-Spain immigration procedures, including Asignación de NIE. Province and procedure are selected at the start of the booking flow. --- Verification pending — see the canonical page for the latest trust state. Canonical: https://publicservices.guide/spain/numero-identidad-extranjero/