NIE, TIE and padrón in Spain – how to get your number, your card and your empadronamiento
Last updated 25 September 2026Rules checked every MondayOfficial sourcesSources & methodology →
Your NIE is the number Spain knows you by, the TIE is the card that proves you may live here, and the padrón records where you live. Here is how to get each one, what it costs in 2026, how to book the cita previa and what changes from city to city.
Three things follow you through Spanish paperwork: the NIE (foreigner identity number), the TIE (foreigner identity card) and your entry on the padrón (municipal register). Since 20 May 2025 the NIE and TIE rules sit in the new immigration regulation, Real Decreto 1155/2024, and immigration fees have been set by Orden PJC/617/2025 since 16 June 2025.
What is the NIE – and how is it different from the TIE?
The NIE is a personal, unique number that identifies you as a foreigner and must appear on every document issued to you. The police assign it automatically when you are in an immigration procedure, such as applying for residence. If you only have economic, professional or social dealings with Spain, you request it yourself – and you must not be in Spain irregularly.
The TIE is the physical card that identifies you and proves your legal status, valid for exactly as long as your permit. A NIE alone gives you no right to live in Spain: according to the Spanish Consulate General in London, a NIE obtained there does not entitle you to reside or prove residence.
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens staying over three months get no TIE. They register in the Central Register of Foreigners and receive a certificado de registro (registration certificate) showing their name, nationality, address and NIE.
| NIE on request | TIE | EU registration certificate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who | Anyone with economic, professional or social dealings with Spain | Non-EU nationals with a visa or permit for more than six months | EU, EEA and Swiss citizens staying over three months |
| Form | EX-15 | EX-17 | EX-18 |
| Fee (form 790, code 012) | €9.84 | €16.08 first card; €19.30 renewal; €21.87 long-term residence; €12 family of Spaniards | €12 |
| When | When you need the number | In person within one month of entry or of the permit taking effect | In person within three months of entry |
| Outcome | Decision within five days; silence means refusal | Card valid as long as your permit | Issued immediately |
Source: Policía Nacional and RD 1155/2024, read 23 September 2026.
UK citizens covered by the Withdrawal Agreement apply with form EX-23, and the card costs €12. With under five years' residence it is valid for five years; after five years you can request a permanent card valid for ten.
How do you book a cita previa and apply?
Nearly everything starts with a cita previa (appointment) booked through the government's central online service, Cita previa de extranjería. Police procedures – NIE, TIE, EU certificate – are handled by the Dirección General de la Policía; permit applications at the Oficinas de Extranjería (foreigners' offices) by the Government Delegations and Sub-delegations.
To request a NIE yourself, file form EX-15 with proof of paying fee 790 code 012, in person at a foreigners' office or police station – or at a Spanish consulate if you are abroad. The London consulate normally issues it within three weeks, by e-mail, for £8.65. For the TIE you file EX-17 at the police of your province. The EU certificate needs EX-18, the fee, a valid passport or ID card and proof that you work, study or have enough resources and health insurance.
As a rule you hand in copies and show the originals, and foreign documents need a sworn translation and legalisation or an apostille.
| Office | What for | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Oficina de Extranjería, Madrid – four sites, including Calle Silva 19 | Non-EU permits, family reunification, renewals | 91 272 95 00; Monday–Friday 9:00–14:00 as a rule |
| Oficina de Extranjería, Barcelona – Passeig de Sant Joan 189–193 and Calle Murcia 42 | Non-EU permits and renewals | 935 201 410; Monday–Thursday 9:00–17:30, Friday 9:00–14:00 |
| Policía Nacional documentation units | NIE, TIE and EU certificate | Book through Cita previa de extranjería |
| Punto de Acceso General | Government information, including foreigners' affairs | 060, charged as a one-minute call; +34 902 887 060 from abroad |
Source: the Government Delegation in Madrid, the Government Sub-delegation in Barcelona, Policía Nacional and the Punto de Acceso General, read 23 September 2026.
What is empadronamiento and why does the padrón matter?
Empadronamiento means registering your address on the padrón of the municipality where you usually live – an obligation for everyone living in Spain. If you live in more than one place, register where you spend most of the year; you can be registered in only one municipality. It is free and done at the ayuntamiento (town hall), which asks for identification and proof that you live there, such as a deed or a current rental contract with the latest rent receipt.
The town hall checks your identity details and nothing else: it has no power to check whether your residence is legal. Ideally you identify yourself with a Spanish document showing your NIE, preferably the TIE; without one, your passport number is recorded. The town hall must decide within three months; if it does not, you are treated as registered.
A volante de empadronamiento is informative; only the certificado de empadronamiento formally proves your residence and address. You will need one or the other often: in the Comunidad de Madrid, a padrón document issued within the last 90 days for the health card; in Catalonia, registration in a Catalan municipality for the health card; and padrón records count as proof of continuous stay for arraigo permits.
How do you register on the padrón in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia or Málaga?
| City | How | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Madrid | In person with a compulsory cita previa (book online, by chat, on 010 or on 914 800 010), or online with electronic ID | A rental contract must last at least six months and include the cadastral reference |
| Barcelona | Online (idCAT Mòbil, Cl@ve/DNIe or FNMT certificate), by phone on 010, or in person with an appointment | Free; online takes about 7 calendar days; OAC Monumental serves in English, among other languages |
| Valencia | New registrations without an appointment at the Oficina del Padrón, Plaça de l'Ajuntament 1 | Monday–Friday 8:30–14:00; information on 010 or 963 100 010; all procedures free |
| Málaga | Hand in the padrón form and documents at any OMAC district office, such as Calle La Merced 1, or at Gestión Tributaria, Avenida de Sor Teresa Prat 17 | Padrón section on 010; 951 926 010 from outside the city |
Source: the city councils of Madrid, Barcelona, València and Málaga, read 23 September 2026.
In Madrid, a property deed counts as proof only if nobody has registered at the home since its date; otherwise add a utility bill no more than three months old. Any padrón step for a child needs both parents' authorisation.
How do you keep your NIE, TIE and padrón up to date?
Non-EU citizens without long-term residence must renew their padrón registration every two years. Miss it and the town hall removes you for expiry (baja por caducidad) without a prior hearing. EU citizens and permanent residents confirm every five years, or every two if they are not in the Register of Foreigners.
Your TIE follows your permit: after each renewal you apply for a new card and hand the old one back at a police station. A lost, destroyed or damaged card is replaced for the time left on it, which does not count as a renewal. Registered EU citizens must report changes of address to the foreigners' office or police of their province.
One more number: your Social Security number (NUSS) is yours for life. You can request it online through Import@ss, or on form TA.1 at the Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social (TGSS).
What to do now
| Step | What | When |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Secure a home and proof that you live there | Before registering |
| 2 | Register on the padrón; ask for a certificado if an office needs formal proof | Your first week |
| 3 | Book a cita previa with the police | As soon as you arrive |
| 4 | Non-EU: apply for the TIE with EX-17 and fee 790 code 012 | Within one month of entry or of the permit taking effect |
| 5 | EU/EEA/Swiss: apply for the registration certificate with EX-18 | Within three months of entry |
| 6 | Renew the padrón if you are non-EU without long-term residence | Every two years |
Source: Policía Nacional and the Punto de Acceso General, read 23 September 2026.
Official sources
The official pages this guide is based on, read 23 September 2026. Links open the authority’s own website.
- Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE) – Real Decreto 1155/2024, art. 205 · boe.es
- Policía Nacional – Sede electrónica (trámites de extranjería) · sede.policia.gob.es
- Policía Nacional – Sede electrónica (trámites de extranjería) – Tasas de extranjería · sede.policia.gob.es
- Consulado General de España en Londres – exteriores.gob.es · exteriores.gob.es
- Policía Nacional – Sede electrónica (trámites de extranjería) · sede.policia.gob.es
- Sede electrónica de las Administraciones Públicas (Ministerio de Política Territorial) · sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es
- Sede electrónica de las Administraciones Públicas (Ministerio de Política Territorial) · sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es
- Policía Nacional – Sede electrónica (trámites de extranjería) · sede.policia.gob.es
- Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE) – Orden PRE/1490/2012, art. 3 · boe.es
- Punto de Acceso General – administracion.gob.es · administracion.gob.es
- Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE) – Resolución 17 febrero 2020 INE/DGCCAA (instrucciones técnicas padrón) · boe.es
- Ayuntamiento de Madrid – Sede electrónica · sede.madrid.es
- Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones – hoja informativa 28 · inclusion.gob.es
- Comunidad de Madrid – comunidad.madrid · comunidad.madrid
- Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE) – Real Decreto 576/2013, arts. 3 and 7 · boe.es
Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice for your individual situation. Check with the authority named above before you act – rules change, and your case may differ.