Living in Spain
NIE vs TIE in Spain: what each one is and how to get it
The NIE is your foreigner number, the TIE is the card for non-EU residents, and EU citizens get a green certificate instead. Which one you need (digital nomad visa holders included), the EX-15, EX-17 and EX-18 forms, the 790-012 fee, booking steps and what to bring.
By EzyHop teamPublished Last updated 12 min read
The NIE is your foreigner identity number in Spain. It's a number, not a document. The TIE is the photo card that non-EU residents get when they're allowed to stay longer than six months, and it carries that same number. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens never get a TIE. They register instead and receive a certificate, usually called the green certificate, with their NIE printed on it.
Which one you end up with depends on your passport and how you got permission to stay. The rules below are as of October 2026 and come from the Policía Nacional's immigration procedures pages, the immigration regulation (Real Decreto 1155/2024) and the official forms. The booking tips come from guides that Spanish universities give their international students.
Number, paper, card: what each one is
The NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero). Under article 205 of the regulation it is personal and unique to you, and it goes on every document Spain issues you (visas are the one exception the article makes). If you apply for permission to stay, or get a visa for more than 90 days, the police assign it automatically. If you only have economic, professional or social ties to Spain, you ask for it yourself and say why.
The NIE certificate. When you request the number on its own, you get a paper document showing it. People often call it the "white NIE." It proves you have a number. It doesn't prove you live in Spain.
The green certificate (Certificado de Registro de Ciudadano de la Unión). EU, EEA and Swiss citizens staying more than three months must register in person within three months of arriving. According to the Policía Nacional, the certificate is issued on the spot and shows your name, nationality, address, NIE and registration date. A photo isn't on that list, so carry your passport or national ID card with it.
The TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero). Article 209 says anyone given a visa or permit to stay more than six months has the right and the duty to get one. It identifies you, proves your legal status, and is valid for as long as the permit behind it. Renew the permit and you get a new card with the same NIE.
Which one you need, by situation
| Your situation | What you end up with | Form | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-EU, long-stay visa for 180 days or less | Nothing extra. The visa covers the whole stay | None | None |
| Non-EU, arriving on a long-stay visa for more than six months (study, non-lucrative, family, most work visas) | TIE | EX-17 | Apply in person within one month of entering Spain |
| Non-EU, arriving on the digital nomad (remote-work) visa from a consulate | Nothing extra while the visa is valid. The visa is your residence document | None | See the note below |
| Non-EU, permit granted from inside Spain | TIE | EX-17 | Within one month of the grant, or of the permit taking effect (for some work permits, your Social Security registration) |
| Non-EU, permit renewed | New TIE | EX-17 | Within one month of the renewal being granted |
| EU, EEA or Swiss citizen staying more than three months | Green registration certificate | EX-18 | Within three months of entering Spain |
| Anyone who only needs a number for something in Spain, such as buying a flat, without moving here | NIE certificate | EX-15 | No deadline. You can apply from abroad through a Spanish consulate |
The first two rows come from the Spanish embassy in Ottawa, which also explains why the one-month deadline matters: for stays over 180 days, the visa in your passport is usually valid for only 90 days of stay. The card is what keeps you legal after that. The UAB guide tells students to copy their NIE from the visa when they book.
The digital nomad note. The remote-work visa belongs to the international mobility section of Ley 14/2013, which lists international teleworkers in article 61. Article 75.4 says the residence visas in that section are valid for one year (or less, if the permit is shorter) and let you live in Spain without applying for a TIE. Within the 60 days before that visa expires, article 74 quater lets you apply from Spain for the remote-worker residence permit, which article 74 quinquies sets at up to three years. That permit goes through the large companies unit (UGE), and once it's granted for more than six months, article 76.2 says you apply for the TIE. In practice: no fingerprint appointment in year one, and one after your first in-country permit.
British residents covered by the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement get their own type of TIE. On the Policía fees page it shares a line with the EU registration certificate.
The forms, and what each is for
- EX-15 (official PDF): asks for a NIE, a residence certificate or a non-resident certificate. In section 4 you tick the document and the reason: economic, professional, social or other.
- EX-17 (official PDF): the TIE application. You tick first card, renewal, or duplicate. The form says it can only be handed in person to the Policía Nacional, never online or through a public registry.
- EX-18 (official PDF): EU registration. You tick your basis for living here: employee, self-employed, not working with enough money and health insurance, or student with enough money and health insurance. You use the same form later to update your address.
- Tasa 790, código 012 (fill it in here): the fee form for all of the above. Fill it in online, print it and pay at a bank counter. The Policía says you don't need an account at that bank. The UPC and UVic guides both tell students to choose cash payment (pago en efectivo) on the form before printing it.
Each procedure has its own line on the 790-012, with the amounts on the Policía fees page. As of October 2026, the lines for a first TIE, a renewed TIE, the EU certificate and a NIE on request each cost less than twenty euros. Tick the line that matches your appointment.
All three EX forms say the same thing at the bottom: fill them in capitals with a black pen (or typed), and bring the original plus a copy.
Booking the appointment, screen by screen
Every one of these steps needs an appointment (cita previa) on the official booking portal. Menu wording changes a little from province to province. This is the usual sequence, based on the guides from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), the Universidad de Navarra and the Universitat de Vic (UVic):
- Province. Pick the province where you live and press Aceptar.
Office and procedure. Choose Cualquier oficina to see every slot in the province. Then, under the police procedures (Trámites Cuerpo Nacional de Policía), pick yours:
- First TIE or renewal: POLICÍA - TOMA DE HUELLAS (EXPEDICIÓN DE TARJETA)...
- Picking up a finished card: POLICÍA - RECOGIDA DE TARJETA DE IDENTIDAD DE EXTRANJERO (TIE)
- EU certificate: POLICÍA - CERTIFICADOS UE, which some provinces list under a Certificados y Asignación NIE heading
- NIE certificate only: the NIE assignment option in that same group
- Requirements page. Scroll down and press Entrar. Choose Presentación sin Cl@ve unless you already have Cl@ve or a Spanish digital certificate.
- Your details. Enter your document number (your NIE if you have one) and your full name exactly as it appears on your passport.
- Check, then Solicitar Cita. If the page says there are no appointments, that only means right now. The UPC guide tells students to keep trying several times a day at different hours, and the UVic guide suggests Monday mornings around 5:00.
- Office and contact details. Pick an office from the list. Bookings for the pickup must go to the office printed on your receipt. The UAB guide then asks for a Spanish mobile number for the SMS code. Type your email twice.
- Date and time. Pick a day, solve the CAPTCHA and choose a time. The Navarra guide warns you have five minutes, so have everything ready before you start.
- Confirm. Enter the SMS code and tick both boxes (agreeing with the details shown, and asking for an email copy). Save the confirmation as a PDF. It has a booking number, and you bring it to the appointment.
Book only through the official portal. Don't buy a slot from anyone offering to sell you one.
What to bring to the fingerprint appointment
For a TIE, the Policía's page for a first or renewed card lists only the EX-17 and the paid 790-012. Its long-term residence card page adds a valid passport and a recent color photo, ID size, on a white background. University guides ask for more, so take all of this:
- EX-17, original and copy, signed
- Passport, plus copies of the photo page, the visa and the entry stamp
- Your approval letter (resolución) if your permit was granted or renewed in Spain
- Your old TIE, if this is a renewal
- 790-012, paid, on the correct line
- Photos (the UPC guide asks for three; the Navarra renewal guide lists one as optional)
- Padrón certificate from your town hall. The UPC guide says that if you don't have it yet, the police take the address on your EX-17
- Appointment confirmation
The Navarra guide also says to arrive 30 minutes early.
For the green EU certificate, the Policía asks for the EX-18, the paid 790-012, your passport or national ID, and proof of your basis for living here: a work contract, your self-employment registration, or bank statements plus health insurance. The UVic guide adds a padrón certificate, two ID photos and the printed appointment confirmation.
For a NIE certificate, bring the EX-15, the paid 790-012 and your passport. The EX-15 asks why you need the number, so bring a document that shows it, such as a reservation contract for a flat.
Collecting the card, and what proves your status meanwhile
At the fingerprint appointment you get a receipt, the resguardo. Don't lose it. You need it to collect the card, and it tells you which office to go back to. The Navarra guide says to book the pickup (RECOGIDA DE TARJETA) a month after the fingerprints; the UPC guide says the card is ready after about 40 days. Bring your passport and the resguardo, plus your old TIE if this is a renewal.
While you wait, these documents prove your status:
- Your visa, from the day you enter until you get the TIE (article 208).
- Your approval letter. Article 206 lists it among the documents that prove your situation. In November 2020 the Migration Ministry said a resolution has full effect with public bodies and third parties without waiting for the card, and asked immigration offices to print that on every resolution.
- A return authorization, if you have to travel during a renewal. The Policía issues an autorización de regreso (form EX-13) to people whose permit is being renewed. It lets you leave Spain and come back within 90 days.
If you're between a fresh in-country permit and your first card, and you want to leave Spain, ask your immigration office first. The UPC guide tells students to wait for the card before traveling.
Common snags and how to avoid them
| Snag | How to avoid it |
|---|---|
| Name order | EX forms split 1er Apellido, 2º Apellido and Nombre. Copy your surnames and given names exactly as your passport splits them, and use the same spelling on the booking, the EX form and the 790-012. |
| Wrong fee line | First TIE and renewal are different lines on the 790-012. Read the line's description, not only the amount. |
| Expired or nearly expired passport | The long-term card page asks for a valid passport. For the EU certificate, the Policía accepts an expired one only with a copy of it and proof you've applied to renew it. Renew first if you can. |
| Wrong province | The Ottawa embassy says to apply in the province where your permit was processed; the UPC guide says the card depends on the province where you live. If those differ for you (say you applied with a Madrid address and now rent in Valencia), ask the immigration office before you book. |
| Mismatched addresses | Use the same Spanish address on the EX form, the 790-012 and your padrón. EU registrants who move update their address with the EX-18. |
| Wrong procedure booked | Fingerprinting (toma de huellas) and pickup (recogida) are separate appointments. Booking one doesn't get you the other. |
| The one-month clock | Slots can be weeks out, as the Ottawa embassy warns. The UPC guide tells students that booking within the month is what counts, even if the appointment falls later. That's a university's reading, so book in your first days and keep the confirmation PDF as proof. |
Staying connected while the paperwork moves
Almost all of this runs through your phone: the booking portal, the confirmation email, the SMS code, the map to an office in a town you don't know yet. Until you have a Spanish contract, an EzyHop eSIM for Spain from $3.99 gives you mobile data as soon as you land. You get it on screen and by email right after you pay, and you install it with a QR code or a one-tap link (iPhone, Android). Each plan says when its days start counting, so check that before you install it at home. Check your phone on the compatibility page first.
It's data only, so it won't give you a Spanish number. Keep your home SIM on for calls and bank codes. Because the UAB guide asks for a Spanish mobile number for the booking SMS, plan for a Spanish line for that step if the portal won't take your foreign one.
From form to card in four steps
- Find your row in the first table, and print the right EX form and the 790-012.
- On arrival day, or the day your approval lands, book the appointment. Slots are the slow part.
- Before the appointment date, get your padrón at the town hall and pay the fee at a bank.
- At the appointment, keep the resguardo, then book the pickup about a month out.
For questions about the eSIM itself, including sharing data with a laptop, see the help FAQ.
Sources
- Policía Nacional: Asignación de NIE a instancia de interesado, checked 28 October 2026
- Policía Nacional: Certificado de Registro de Ciudadano de la Unión Europea, checked 28 October 2026
- Policía Nacional: Tarjeta inicial o renovación residencia o residencia y trabajo, checked 28 October 2026
- Policía Nacional: Tarjeta residencia de larga duración, checked 28 October 2026
- Policía Nacional: Certificado de no residente, checked 28 October 2026
- Policía Nacional: Tasas de Extranjería, checked 28 October 2026
- Policía Nacional: Trámites de Extranjería, checked 28 October 2026
- Policía Nacional: Tasa modelo 790 código 012, checked 28 October 2026
- BOE: Real Decreto 1155/2024, Reglamento de la Ley Orgánica 4/2000 (consolidated text), checked 28 October 2026
- BOE: Ley 14/2013, de apoyo a los emprendedores y su internacionalización (consolidated text), checked 28 October 2026
- Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones: Formulario EX-15, checked 28 October 2026
- Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones: Formulario EX-17, checked 28 October 2026
- Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones: Formulario EX-18, checked 28 October 2026
- Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones: Las resoluciones expedidas por las Oficinas de Extranjería especificarán sus plenos efectos, checked 28 October 2026
- Embajada de España en Ottawa: Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero (TIE), checked 28 October 2026
- Administración electrónica: Cita previa extranjería (booking portal), checked 28 October 2026
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona: Instrucciones para solicitar cita previa para la TIE, checked 28 October 2026
- Universidad de Navarra: TIE renewal, requesting the fingerprint appointment 2026-2027, checked 28 October 2026
- Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya: Obtención primera tarjeta de estudiante no comunitario, checked 28 October 2026
- Universitat de Vic: NIE, Número de Identidad de Extranjeros, checked 28 October 2026
Frequently asked questions
- Can I get a NIE before I move to Spain?
- Yes. If you're outside Spain you request it through a Spanish consulate with the EX-15, and you have to explain why you need it. The Policía Nacional says the request should be resolved within five days of being filed.
- Do I need a TIE on the digital nomad visa?
- Not while the visa from the consulate is valid. Ley 14/2013 (article 75.4) says visas in its international mobility section, which includes remote work, let you live in Spain without a TIE. When you renew from inside Spain, the remote-worker residence permit runs up to three years, and once it is granted for more than six months you apply for the TIE.
- Does my NIE change when I renew or replace my TIE?
- No. The NIE is a personal, unique number that goes on every document Spain issues you except visas, so a renewed or replacement card carries the same number.
- What do I do if I lose my TIE?
- Apply for a new card with the EX-17, ticking the duplicate option for loss, theft, damage or a change of details. Under article 209 of the regulation it isn't treated as a renewal, and the new card is valid for the time the old one had left.
- How long is a non-resident certificate valid?
- Three months from the date it's issued, according to the Policía Nacional. You request it with the same EX-15 form used for the NIE.
- Does the green EU registration certificate expire?
- The Policía Nacional's page gives it no expiry date. After five years of continuous legal residence you can ask for a certificate of permanent residence.
- Do I need a TIE if my long-stay visa is for 180 days or less?
- No. The Spanish embassy in Ottawa says that when the stay is 180 days or less, the visa is valid for the whole stay and you don't need a TIE. Above 180 days, the visa usually covers only 90 days of stay, so you apply for the TIE within a month of entering Spain.
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