NIE/TIE

If you are staying in Spain for more than three months, you are required to apply for a Certificado de registro de ciudadano de la unión, which includes your NIE (Número de Identificación de Extranjero).

 

Depending on your age and the program you’re enrolled in, you are required to provide your NIE within 30 days from the start of classes.

 

In addition, a NIE may be required to open a bank account, sign a contract, buy or rent a motorcycle, travel, etc.

 

The documentation you will have to submit is:

 

– Passport or national identity document + copy

 

– Completed EX-18 application form + copy (ESDI)

 

– Letter of Enrollment (Admission letter is not accepted)

 

– Proof of unlimited medical insurance or EHIC

 

– Proof of financial means

 

– Certificado de empadronamiento (census register)

 

– Payment form: Modelo 790 Código 012

 

You need a scheduled appointment in order to submit these documents to the police station located at Rambla Guipúscoa, 74, in Barcelona, from Monday to Friday, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. You can schedule an appointment here.

 

At the police station, you will also receive an application to pay a fee, which you must pay at a bank. When you return with proof of payment, you will receive a small letter/card containing your NIE number (Identification Number for Foreigners).

When you arrive in Spain, you have one month to apply for a Foreigner Identity Card. This document proves your identity and legal status as a foreigner in Spain for a period longer than six months. To apply, you need a scheduled appointment.

 

The name in Spanish is Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero (TIE).

 

This card includes your name, surname, photograph, the validity period of your residency, and a unique number that belongs only to you (NIE). The TIE is valid for one year from the date of entry and is renewable as long as you remain a student.

 

The documentation you will have to submit is:

 

– Completed EX-17 application form + copy

 

– Passport (with visa and entry stamp) + copy

 

– Three color ID-size photos

 

– ESDI Enrollment Letter (Admission letter is not accepted)

 

– Certificado de empadronamiento (census register)

 

– Payment form: Modelo 790 Código 012

 

You must submit these documents to the police station located at Rambla Guipúscoa, 74, in Barcelona, from Monday to Friday, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

 

It takes approximately one month to receive your physical NIE card or letter (you won’t be allowed to pick it up before then); however, you will receive your NIE number immediately.