NIE and TIE in Spain: what each one is, who needs them and how to apply

The NIE (número de identidad de extranjero, foreigner identity number) is a personal, unique and exclusive number that the Dirección General de la Policía assigns to foreigners. It appears on every document issued to you in Spain ¹. You need it for almost any dealing with the administration: taxes, buying a home, an inheritance, a contract.

The TIE (tarjeta de identidad de extranjero, foreigner identity card) is the physical document that identifies you and proves your legal situation in Spain ¹. Your NIE is printed on it. It is personal and non-transferable and has the same validity as the permit that supports it: if your permit expires, the card loses validity ¹.

In short: the NIE is the number and the TIE is the resident card. You can have an NIE without a TIE, for example if you buy a flat in Spain without living here. The reverse does not happen, because every TIE carries an NIE.

If you move to Spain with a national visa (study, non-lucrative residence, work, remote work, family reunification), the immigration regulation provides that the Police assign you the NIE automatically when your procedure starts, without you applying for it separately ¹. What you do have to do is apply for the TIE.

The TIE is mandatory for every foreign person with a visa or a permit to stay in Spain for more than six months. You must apply for it in person within one month from your entry into Spain or from when the permit is granted or takes effect ¹. Meanwhile, your visa proves your situation from the moment you enter until you get the card ¹. Failing to meet the TIE obligations can bring penalties under Organic Law 4/2000 ¹.

If your stay does not exceed 180 days, the visa is valid for the whole stay and you do not need a TIE ⁶.

If you only have economic, professional or social interests in Spain (buying a home, opening a company, collecting an inheritance) and will not reside, you apply for the NIE alone. There are two requirements: not being in Spain in an irregular situation and explaining the reasons for the application ¹.

From outside Spain, the NIE is requested through Spain's consular offices abroad, which process it with the Comisaría General de Extranjería y Fronteras ¹. Each consulate has its own appointment system. At the Consulate General of Spain in Bogotá, for example, the applicant or their representative must appear in person, you must prove that you reside in its district, and the NIE is issued in an average of two weeks and sent by email ⁷. That same consulate warns that the NIE is not valid for residing and does not prove residence in Spain ⁷.

In Spain, you apply in person at an Oficina de Extranjería or a Comisaría de Policía, by appointment ⁵.

In Spain you need form EX-15 (application for NIE and certificates) and proof of payment of fee form 790 code 012 ². On the fee form you choose the option for assigning an NIE at the request of the person concerned, which costs €9.84 ⁴. The fee is paid at banks and savings banks, with no need to hold an account there ².

At the Bogotá consulate you also submit the EX-15, but you do not need form 790: you pay the consular fee with the PSE button, which since 1 October 2026 is 35,400 Colombian pesos ⁷. Other consulates have their own fee and way of paying.

The administration has a maximum of five days from when your application enters the register to decide; if it does not reply within that period, the application is deemed refused ¹. In practice, consulates state longer times, so ask at yours.

The TIE is requested once you enter Spain ³. It is processed at the Oficina de Extranjería or Comisaría de Policía of the province where your permit was processed ⁶.

You need form EX-17 (application for a foreigner identity card) and proof of payment of fee 790 code 012 ³, this time ticking the item for issuing the card. The TIE that documents the first grant of a temporary residence or stay permit costs €16.08, and one for a renewal €19.30 ⁴. Check it when you generate the form, because the amount changes with the type of card.

The appointment is booked online and can take several weeks to come up ⁶. That is why it pays to look for it as soon as you arrive: the one-month deadline is to apply for the card, and you meet it with the application submitted ¹.

When your card expires, you renew the permit or you lose the right that supported it, you must hand it in at the police station of your place of residence ¹.

The rules on the NIE and the TIE are now in Royal Decree 1155/2024, the new immigration regulation, which replaced Royal Decree 557/2011 ¹. The Police procedure pages already refer to this rule ³. If you find guides that talk about the 2011 regulation, check that the information is still current.