What you need
The core document list is short. What catches people out is the detail, which form, in which language, paid where, and what counts as proof.
Requirements vary by office. Provinces and consulates apply the rules slightly differently, and they change. Treat this as the reliable core, or start an application and we'll confirm the exact list for you.
Every application needs these four
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Your passport, and a photocopyThe original plus a copy of the photo page. Some offices want every stamped page. If you live somewhere you aren't a national of, take proof of your status there too.
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Form EX-15, completed in SpanishOnly the Spanish form is accepted. English versions are translation aids. Details must match your passport exactly, and it's often signed in front of the official rather than in advance.
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Proof of why you need an NIEA deposit contract, a bank letter, an employment contract, company paperwork or a letter from your notary will normally do. Turning up without it is the most common reason applications fail.
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Modelo 790 código 012, paidGenerate it, select the NIE assignment option, then pay it at a Spanish bank, or at the consulate if you're abroad. Take the stamped proof with you. The amount changes with the option you pick.
The fee form catches people out
The government fee is small, around €10, but the form is not obvious. Pick the wrong option and the office sends you away.
We generate it with the right option already selected, and tell you where to pay it: a Spanish bank if you apply in Spain, the consulate if you apply from abroad.
Extras, depending on your route
Applying in Spain
- A cita previa: a pre-booked appointment at a police station with a foreigners department
- Some offices ask for a passport-sized colour photo; take one anyway
- Originals and photocopies of everything, not just the originals
Applying at a consulate
- An appointment with the consulate that covers where you live, often requested by email
- The fee paid in local currency at the consulate rather than at a Spanish bank
- Two copies of the form in some consulates, unsigned until you're in front of the official
- Note: a consulate NIE certificate is not valid for work, residence or study
Applying through a representative
- A power of attorney authorising them to submit the application
- Signed in front of a notary, at a Spanish consulate or a local notary
- If signed outside Spain before a local notary, an Apostille is normally required
- A sworn Spanish translation is often required as well
- Your representative's identification and a copy of it
Applying for a child
- The child's passport and a copy
- Birth certificate, or guardianship documents
- The parent or guardian's identification, plus a copy
- The form completed and signed by the parent or guardian
Costs the cheap quotes leave out. If your route needs a power of attorney, budget separately for the notary, the Apostille and a sworn translation. They aren't optional and they aren't in anyone's headline price — including ours.
What you actually receive
Not a card, not a photo ID: a paper certificate with your number on it. The number is permanent and never needs renewing. The certificate is the bit that some banks and notaries like to see recently issued.
Get the list for your situation
The checklist above covers everyone. The one at the end of our application form covers you, built from your answers.