Ukrainian with temporary protection?
This guide is for citizens of the EU, the UK, the US and other countries. If you are Ukrainian and have temporary protection, your NIE is assigned automatically when the protection is processed. Read our guide NIE in Spain for Ukrainians instead.
What the NIE is, and what it is not
NIE stands for número de identidad de extranjero. Under art. 205 of Real Decreto 1155/2024 it is a personal, unique and exclusive number given to foreigners for identification, and it must appear on every document issued or processed for you, except visas. For tax purposes your NIE is also your tax ID (NIF): art. 20 of Real Decreto 1065/2007 says so directly.
Three things it does not do:
- It does not give you the right to live in Spain. The consulates in London and New York state this on their NIE pages. Residence comes from EU registration or a visa or authorisation.
- It is not an ID card. The NIE is a number printed on a certificate or a card. Carry your passport or national ID card with it.
- It does not make you a tax resident. Under art. 9 of Ley 35/2006 that depends on spending more than 183 days a year in Spain or having the main base of your economic interests here, not on holding the number.
Which document you actually need
The most common mistake is booking the wrong procedure. There are three routes, and the right one depends on your citizenship and on whether you are moving to Spain.
EU, EEA or Swiss citizen moving to Spain
Staying more than 3 months: register in the Registro Central de Extranjeros with form EX-18 within 3 months of entering Spain (art. 7 of Real Decreto 240/2007). The certificado de registro is issued immediately and shows your name, nationality, address, NIE and registration date. You do not file a separate EX-15.
Anyone who only needs the number
Buying property, receiving an inheritance, dealing with the tax office or a Spanish company without moving here: apply for a NIE on request with form EX-15. This is open to EU and non-EU citizens alike, as long as you are not in Spain irregularly and you state why you need it.
Non-EU citizens moving to Spain (UK after Brexit, US, Canada, Australia and others) are on a third route. You enter with a visa or obtain a residence authorisation, for example the digital nomad visa. Art. 205.3 of Real Decreto 1155/2024 says the police assign the NIE automatically to foreigners for whom a procedure to stay in Spain is opened, so you do not apply for it separately. If your visa or authorisation is for more than 6 months, art. 209 requires you to apply in person for the TIE card within 1 month of entering Spain or of the authorisation taking effect. The TIE is form EX-17.
UK citizens after Brexit
The Ministerio de Inclusión states that UK nationals who arrived from 1 January 2021, and anyone not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, fall under the general immigration regime for third-country nationals. If you moved to Spain after Brexit, the EU registration certificate (EX-18) is not your route.
If you were already living in Spain on 31 December 2020, you may be a beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement, which has its own TIE card. The Policía Nacional fee table lists it at €12.00.
Family members of EU citizens
A non-EU spouse or registered partner (or other family member under art. 2 RD 240/2007) of an EU citizen living in Spain does not get the EX-18 certificate. The procedure for them is the residence card for a family member of an EU citizen, form EX-19.
Typical reasons for a standalone NIE
Art. 205 of Real Decreto 1155/2024 covers foreigners who deal with Spain for economic, professional, social or other interests. On the EX-15 form you state your reason, and supporting evidence helps. The cases where the law ties a transaction to your tax ID:
- Buying or inheriting property. Under art. 27 of Real Decreto 1065/2007, every notarial deed that creates, acquires or transfers rights over real estate must include the tax ID of each person who appears. For a foreigner, that tax ID is the NIE.
- Spanish bank accounts. Art. 28 obliges you to give your tax ID to a Spanish bank. An account can be opened without it, but no movements are allowed until you provide it within 15 days. Accounts of people who have proved they are non-residents are exempt from this rule (art. 28.7), although banks may still ask for a NIE. See opening a bank account in Spain.
- Taxes as a non-resident. Owning property or earning income in Spain means dealing with the tax office, and the NIE is your tax ID there. If you do not have a NIE, temporarily or because you are not required to get one, art. 20 (RD 1065/2007) provides for a tax ID starting with M, requested from the tax office.
- Working, investing, signing contracts. Salary paid from Spain, Spanish securities and insurance contracts are also on the art. 27 list.
If you need to prove to a bank or authority that you do not live in Spain, the police also issue a certificado de no residente with the same EX-15 form. It is valid for 3 months from issue.
Applying from abroad at a Spanish consulate
If you are not in Spain, art. 205.4 says you apply through the Spanish consulate, which forwards the request to the Comisaría General de Extranjería y Fronteras. The EU registration certificate (EX-18) is not available this way: you register in person in Spain once you live here.
Each consulate runs the procedure its own way. Two examples, as published on their pages when we checked on 10 October 2026:
- London: appointments by email, EX-15 completed but not signed, original passport and a copy of its data page, proof of the need for a NIE, proof of residence in the consular area, form 790 code 12. Fee £8.65, paid by card at the appointment. The NIE is normally issued within 3 weeks and sent by email. A representative with an apostilled power of attorney can attend instead of you.
- New York: appointment through the consulate's booking system, EX-15 typed and printed, passport and a copy of its data page, proof of residence in NY, NJ, DE, CT or PA. Fee $12 by USPS money order. The NIE is normally issued within 5 weeks and sent by email.
Check the NIE page of the consulate that covers your address before you book. Fees, documents and timing differ, and you must live in its area.
Applying in Spain, step by step
Book a cita previa
Use the Cita previa de extranjería service on sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es, choose your province and the police procedure for NIE assignment or for the EU registration certificate. Procedure names vary between provinces. Save the confirmation.
Pay modelo 790 código 012
Generate the form on sede.policia.gob.es, select the right fee and pay at a bank, savings bank or credit cooperative before the appointment. You do not need an account there.
Prepare the file
Passport or national ID card and a copy, the completed EX-15 or EX-18, the fee receipt and your supporting documents.
Attend in person
Go to the office on your confirmation: an Oficina de Extranjería or a police station.
Collect the certificate
The EU registration certificate is issued immediately. A standalone NIE must be resolved within 5 days of the application being registered. If you get no answer in that time, the application counts as refused, and you can appeal (see below).
Fees
The Policía Nacional fee table lists, among others:
- NIE on request (EX-15): €9.84
- EU registration certificate (EX-18), EU family member residence card, or Withdrawal Agreement TIE: €12.00
- First TIE for a temporary residence or stay authorisation: €16.08
Pay before your appointment. The receipt is on the official document list for both EX-15 and EX-18.
Documents
For a standalone NIE (EX-15), the Policía Nacional lists the EX-15 form and the fee receipt. The regulation requires you to state your reasons, so bring evidence: a reservation contract or notary appointment for a purchase, a letter from the bank, an employment offer, an inheritance document. You also need your passport or, for EU citizens, a national ID card.
For the EU registration certificate (EX-18), you need a valid passport or national ID card (if it has expired, a copy of it and of your renewal application), the EX-18 form, the fee receipt, and proof that you meet one of the residence conditions in art. 7 of Real Decreto 240/2007:
- you work in Spain as an employee or are self-employed;
- you have enough resources for yourself and your family not to become a burden on social assistance, plus health insurance covering all risks in Spain;
- you are enrolled in a recognised educational institution, with health insurance and a declaration of sufficient resources;
- you are a family member accompanying or joining an EU citizen who meets one of the above.
The law does not allow a fixed minimum amount for "sufficient resources": the office must look at your personal situation.
How to find a free appointment
Availability varies a lot between provinces and offices, and we do not publish waiting times we cannot verify. What works:
- check the other offices in your province, not only the one closest to you;
- check at different times of day, since cancelled slots are released back into the system;
- make sure you are booking the police procedure for your case, NIE or EU certificate, and not an immigration office procedure for residence permits.
Our guide how to get a cita previa at extranjería covers the booking system and scams in detail.
Common mistakes
- EU citizens applying for an EX-15 NIE when they are moving to Spain. If you will live here for more than 3 months, register with EX-18: the certificate includes the NIE.
- UK citizens who arrived after 2020 booking the EU certificate. That route is closed to you unless you are covered by the Withdrawal Agreement.
- Treating the NIE as a residence permit. It is a number. Living in Spain needs EU registration, a visa or an authorisation.
- Coming without the paid fee. The receipt for modelo 790 código 012 is part of the file.
- No evidence of the reason. "I might buy a house" without a document is a weak application.
- Booking the wrong procedure in the cita previa system. Read the procedure names in your province carefully.
- Skipping empadronamiento. It is not required for the NIE itself, but you will need it for most things after you move. See empadronamiento in Spain.
If the application is refused, the EU registration page lists two options: a recurso de reposición within 1 month, before the same body, or a contencioso-administrativo appeal within 2 months.
Need help?
Many people handle the NIE themselves. If your case is unusual (an inheritance, a purchase with tight deadlines, a family with mixed nationalities), an immigration lawyer can save time. You can find lawyers and other professionals who work with expats in our directory.
Disclaimer: This guide was checked against official sources on 10 October 2026. Procedures, fees and consular practice change. Check the official pages linked above before you apply, or consult a qualified lawyer.