What is an NIE
The NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) is a foreigner’s personal identification number in Spain. Under the Regulation of Organic Law 4/2000 (Royal Decree 1155/2024, art. 205) it is personal, unique and sequential: one person has one number, and it does not change when your status changes. It must appear on every document issued to you or processed for you.
The number is an identifier (art. 205.2), not a permission to live or work in Spain. The right to stay comes from a separate document: a visa, an authorisation or a registration, covered below.
NIE vs TIE
| NIE | TIE | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A number (the foreigner’s identifier) | A card (tarjeta de identidad de extranjero): under the Regulation, the document that identifies the foreigner and proves their lawful situation in Spain |
| Who gets it | Anyone with a procedure started for a document allowing them to stay, anyone with an administrative file under immigration rules, and anyone linked to Spain by economic, professional, social or other interests | Anyone issued a visa or an authorisation to stay in Spain for more than six months |
| How you get it | Assigned automatically or on request | You must apply in person within one month |
| Validity | The number stays with you | Same as the authorisation it was issued for |
How to apply for the card and book fingerprints is covered separately: the EX-17 (TIE) page and fingerprint appointment. This page is only about the number.
Who gets an NIE automatically and who has to ask
Art. 205.3 separates two groups.
- Automatically (de oficio). The Dirección General de la Policía assigns the number to people with a procedure started for a document allowing them to stay, or with an immigration file. For visas, this applies only to those that let you stay more than 90 calendar days in any 180-day period without a separate long-stay or residence authorisation.
- On request. If you are linked to Spain through economic, professional or social interests, the number is not assigned automatically: you have to ask for it. Two conditions apply: you are not in Spain irregularly, and you state your reasons for requesting it.
How and where to apply
Under art. 205.4 the application is filed as follows:
- If you are in Spain: in person with the Dirección General de la Policía, directly or through an Oficina de Extranjería or a police station.
- If you are abroad: through a Spanish consulate, which sends it to the Comisaría General de Extranjería y Fronteras.
- The same rules apply to requests for resident and non-resident certificates (art. 205.5).
If you are an EU or EEA citizen
EU and EEA citizens fall under Royal Decree 240/2007. If you stay longer than three months, you must apply in person to be entered in the Registro Central de Extranjeros within three months of arriving. Your NIE appears on the certificado de registro (art. 7.5).
What it costs
The annex to Orden PJC/617/2025 lists item 5.12 “Asignación de Número de Identidad de Extranjero (NIE) a instancia del interesado”: €9.84. Under art. 1.2 of that Order, amounts are increased at the start of each year by the annual budget laws, so check the current figure on the official form before paying.