What the NIE is
The NIE is the number the Spanish authorities identify you by while you are a foreign national. The police assign it to foreign nationals with economic, professional or social interests in Spain, as long as they are not in an irregular situation and say why they need it Policía Nacional website.
The number alone is not always enough. Some procedures also ask for the registration certificate or the TIE: the town hall of Palma, for example, says that the so-called ‘NIE blanco’ (the paper with the number) is not valid for registering as a resident Palma information sheet.
How to apply
- Fill in form EX-15 (application for NIE and certificates).
- Pay the fee 790, code 012. The current amount is on the police website under ‘Tasas de Extranjería’.
- Submit it at a foreigners’ office (Oficina de Extranjería) or a police station, or at a Spanish consulate if you are abroad.
The website says a decision is due within five days of the application being registered. It does not say whether an appointment is needed for this procedure: check with the office where you plan to submit it.
If you will live here for more than three months
Citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland
You must apply in person for the EU citizen registration certificate (form EX-18) within three months of arriving, at the foreigners’ office of the province where you will live or, if there is none, at the police station. Bring the form, proof of payment of fee 790, code 012, a valid passport or ID card, and documents showing that you meet the requirements of article 7 of Royal Decree 240/2007. The certificate is issued on the spot Policía Nacional website.
British nationals
If you lived in Spain before the end of the transition period (31 December 2020), your residence rights are protected by the Withdrawal Agreement. Spain applies it through a declaratory system; according to the Ministry of Inclusion, exchanging your certificate for the Agreement’s TIE is not compulsory. People who arrived after 2020 generally fall under the general immigration rules, unless they are family members of beneficiaries of the Agreement or of EU nationals Ministry of Inclusion.
Other nationalities
Your residence permit depends on the general immigration rules and your situation (work, study, family). Before you take any steps, it is worth talking to a lawyer with experience in immigration law.
Local registration (empadronamiento)
Everyone who lives in Spain must be entered in the municipal register (padrón) of the town where they usually live Act 7/1985, art. 15. Empadronamiento proves where you live, but not that your residence is legal (art. 18.2). If you are not from the EU or the EEA and do not hold a permanent residence authorisation, the registration must be renewed every two years (art. 16.1).
Each town hall sets its own documents. Palma’s information sheet asks for a valid ID document (passport or TIE; EU citizens can be registered with the NIE and the registration certificate) and proof of the address: a rental contract and proof of payment, or the title deed, a nota simple or the latest IBI receipt. If you are not the holder of the contract or the deed, a signed authorisation from the holder is needed. Always ask your own town hall what it requires.
The health card
IB-Salut, the Balearic health service, issues the individual health card to insured people, their beneficiaries and foreign nationals in a regular situation who meet the residence and documentation conditions. For EU citizens it asks for the NIE and a passport or photo ID, and the registration certificate when you have changed address. The conditions change: check them with IB-Salut before you go.
If you will work or start a business
You will need the NIE, to register your tax details and, if you work for yourself, to register with Social Security. The guide Self-employed or company explains how, and the opening steps are in opening a business or activity. If you spend time in two countries, see tax residence.
Who to go to
- Policía Nacional (foreigners’ office or police station): NIE and registration certificate.
- Your town hall: padrón.
- IB-Salut: health card.
- A lawyer: if your residence situation is complicated.
- A gestoría: if you prefer someone to prepare and file the papers for you.
Professionals in the directory
Categories related to this guide:
LawyersTax and administrative advisersEstate agents
Sources and date checked
Official sources checked on 24 October 2026. Procedures, requirements and amounts change: always check the source before you act.
- Policía Nacional: NIE assignment on request (EX-15)
- Policía Nacional: Registration certificate for Union citizens (EX-18)
- Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones: Brexit: citizens’ rights
- BOE: Act 7/1985 on local government, arts. 15, 16 and 18
- Ajuntament de Palma: Information sheet on registering as a resident in Palma
- IB-Salut: Applying for the health card
General information. It does not replace the advice of a professional.