LEGALTICA GUIDE

How to get an NIE number in Spain, in Spain or from abroad

The NIE (número de identidad de extranjero) is the personal identification number Spain gives every foreigner who has dealings there: you need it to buy a home, accept an inheritance, pay tax, sign many contracts or start a business. If you are not applying for residence, you request it with form EX-15 and fee form 790 code 012 (€9.84 in 2026), at a police station in Spain or through the Spanish consulate where you live; the police must decide within five days, while consulates usually take about two weeks and send the number by email.

The rest of Legaltica is in Spanish.

Legaltica editorial team Reviewed 24 October 2026 · 9 min read

12 FIRMS

7 OFFICIAL SOURCES

THE GUIDE · FULL READ

NIE, TIE and EU certificate: not the same thing

01 NIEa number, unique and for life. It is printed on every document Spain issues to you. On its own it does not give you any right to live or work in Spain, and an NIE obtained through a consulate does not prove residence.

02 TIE (tarjeta de identidad de extranjero)the physical residence card that non-EU nationals with a permit of more than six months must apply for within one month of arriving or of the permit being granted. It shows your NIE. First card €16.08.

03 EU registration certificatewhat EU, EEA and Swiss citizens get when they register as residents within three months of arriving (€12). It also shows the NIE.

04 If you are applying for a visa or residence permit, you do not request the NIE separately: the police assign it automatically as part of that process.

Which route fits you

01 You are buying or selling a property, inheriting, opening a company or a bank account, but not moving to Spain request the NIE on its own with form EX-15.

02 You are an EU citizen moving to Spain for more than three months do not request the NIE on its own; register as an EU resident and the NIE comes with the certificate.

03 You are a non-EU national moving to Spain with a visa the NIE is assigned with your permit, and you then apply for the TIE.

04 You already had an NIE years ago it is the same number for life; you may only need a certificate showing it.

05 You cannot travel a representative with a notarised power of attorney can file it at many consulates, or a lawyer can handle it in Spain.

Lawyers in Spain who speak English

Tell a firm what you need the NIE for, in English: they receive your message and your phone number, and you see theirs straight away. It’s free and you’re not committing to anything. Languages are taken from each firm’s profile. Firms marked “Registered with Legaltica” manage their own profile.

Registered with Legaltica

CITY
Barcelona
LANGUAGES
ES · CA · EN · IT · RU · OTHER · ARMENIO

Abogada Elmira Parikyan - Boutique legal

5.0 · 12 Google Speaks English

Elmira Parikyan es abogada colegiada en el Ilustre Colegio de la Abogacía de Barcelona y directora de KPLEX Boutique Legal, un despacho ubicado en el distrito de Gràcia concebido para ofrecer una atención jurídica de la más alta exigencia, caracterizada por el rigor técnico, la visión estratégica y un trato estrictamente a medida. Su práctica profesional se centra en el …
Registered with Legaltica

CITY
Alicante
LANGUAGES
CA · EN · ES · FR · PT

Hurtado & Bárez Abogados

5.0 · 125 Google Speaks English

Hurtado & Bárez Abogados es un despacho de Alicante con más de 25 años de experiencia, que ofrece asesoramiento integral y personalizado para cada cliente. Se caracteriza por un seguimiento cercano y una solución a medida para cada procedimiento, defendiendo los intereses de sus clientes. El despacho se presenta como líder en Alicante y cuenta con especialistas en diversas ramas …
Registered with Legaltica

CITY
Sevilla
LANGUAGES
EN · ES

M&C Abogados y Consultores

5.0 · 1 Google Speaks English

M&C Abogados y Consultores es un despacho boutique jurídico ubicado en Sevilla. Se caracteriza por situar al cliente en el centro de su trabajo, con un equipo que asume un número limitado de casos para garantizar la máxima calidad, proximidad y éxito. Se autodefine como una “boutique jurídica”, enfocada en ofrecer un servicio cercano y exclusivo, con premisas de transparencia, …

Who can request it, and the requirements

Foreigners who have economic, professional or social interests in Spain can request the NIE. The Regulation sets two conditions: you must not be in Spain irregularly, and you must state the reason why you need the number. In practice the reason must be documented: a reservation or deposit contract, a notary’s appointment, a death certificate for an inheritance, a job offer, a letter from a bank or an internship agreement. A request «just in case» is refused.

Documents checklist

Form EX-15 (application for NIE and certificates), completed and signed. Fill it in online and print it; it must state the reason for the request.
Passport valid and in force, original and copy of the photo page (EU citizens can use their national identity card, front and back).
The document proving why you need the NIE.
Proof of payment of the fee: form 790 code 012, €9.84 (consulates may have their own payment arrangements).
At a consulate, proof that you live in its district, such as a local residence registration, driving licence or health card.
If someone files for you: their identity document and a power of attorney that expressly authorises them to request your NIE.
For a minor: birth certificate or family book and the parent’s passport.

How to apply in Spain

Book an appointment (cita previa) on the government’s online appointment system for the police or the immigration office of the province, choosing the NIE and certificates procedure. In big cities slots can take weeks: check early in the morning, when new slots are released.
Fill in form EX-15.
Pay the fee with form 790, code 012, at a bank or online. You do not need an account at that bank.
Go to the appointment in person with your passport (original and copy), form EX-15, the paid fee form and the document that explains your reason.
The police must decide within five days of registering the application. If you receive no answer in that time, the application is treated as refused. In many offices the certificate is handed over on the day or within a few days.

How to apply from abroad

If you are outside Spain, you request the NIE through the Spanish consulate that covers where you live, which forwards it to the police in Spain. Consulates such as Paris and Amsterdam work by appointment, accept a representative with a power of attorney, say the NIE is normally issued within about two weeks and send it by email. Some consulates only handle NIE requests for people who will stay in Spain for less than three months; if you are moving there, you register in Spain instead.

The Regulation says the NIE is requested «personally»; consulates accept that the applicant or a duly authorised representative appears in person. There is no fully online application.

Costs and time

€9.84 NIE assignmentin 2026 (form 790, code 012, fee 5.12 of the fee order).

€7.31 Certificate of residence or non-residence, or other certificates at your request: €7.31.

five days Legal deadline in Spainwith silence meaning refusal.

two weeks Usual consular delayabout two weeks, which the consulate cannot shorten.

· Lawyer or gestor fees, if you use one, come on top.

Worked example: a British buyer who signs a reservation contract on 1 March and has a notary appointment on 15 April should book the consulate in London in the first week of March: two weeks for the NIE, plus time to open a bank account and order the funds, leaves little margin.

Certificates of residence and non-residence

The same form EX-15 and procedure are used to request a certificate of residence or of non-residence, which banks, notaries and tax offices sometimes ask for, for example to apply the non-resident rules when you sell a property. A certificate issued at your request costs €7.31. Some notaries ask for a recent certificate showing your NIE, so keep the original and ask in advance what date they accept.

Common problems and how to avoid them

No appointments for weeks in big cities: book early, or apply through a consulate if you are abroad.
The reason is not documented: without evidence of why you need the number, the application can be refused.
Confusing the NIE with residence: having an NIE does not let you stay beyond the 90-day visitor limit or work.
Paying the wrong fee form: the NIE uses form 790 code 012, not code 052 (which is for residence permits).
A representative without a power of attorney that expressly covers the NIE request.
Leaving it to the last week before the notary: the deed cannot be signed without it.

If your NIE request is refused

A refusal, express or by silence after five days, can be challenged with a request for reconsideration (recurso de reposición) within one month, or before the contentious-administrative courts within two months. In most cases it is faster to file a new, properly documented request. Errors in your name, date of birth or nationality in the police records are corrected by request, with your passport as evidence; fix them before you sign at a notary, because the deed and the land registry will copy them.

When a lawyer is useful

You can get an NIE without a lawyer. A lawyer is useful when the NIE is one piece of something bigger, or when time is short. The firms listed say they speak English.

A property purchase is close and you cannot travel: a lawyer can obtain the NIE and sign for you with a notarised power of attorney.

An inheritance with assets in Spain: every heir needs an NIE, and the six-month deadline for Spanish inheritance tax is running.

You are setting up a company, or becoming a director or shareholder.

Your NIE request was refused, or your details are wrong in the police records.

You are actually moving to Spain: the NIE alone is not enough and you need the right residence route.

Talk to a lawyer who speaks English

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Lawyers in Spain who speak English