NIE and TIE: Spain's foreigner numbers explained

The NIE is a number. The TIE is a card. You'll get very tired of explaining the difference to friends back home.

The short version

The NIE (número de identidad de extranjero) is your personal, lifelong Spanish ID number as a foreigner. You need it to buy property, pay tax, open most accounts or sign up for utilities. The London consulate describes it as a personal, unique number that identifies you to the Spanish authorities but doesn't give you the right to live in Spain [3].
The TIE (tarjeta de identidad de extranjero) is the physical residence card with your photo, fingerprint and NIE on it. You get one if you live in Spain, not if you just own a holiday home [1][2].
Brits resident before 2021 have a TIE that records their Withdrawal Agreement rights. The FCDO calls it the only valid residence document listed in the Withdrawal Agreement and strongly recommends swapping the old green certificate for one [1].
Newcomers apply for a TIE within one month of arriving on a Spanish visa [2].
Almost everything needs a cita previa (appointment), and in Málaga province they are famously hard to get. Start early.

NIE versus TIE

	NIE	TIE
What it is	A number	A plastic card
Who needs it	Anyone with financial or legal dealings in Spain, resident or not	Non-EU nationals living in Spain, Brits included
Typical uses	Buying a flat, paying tax, a Spanish will, utilities, a car	Proving you live in Spain legally, at the border, at the bank, at the health centre
Expires?	No, it's yours for life	Yes, renewed with your residence
How you get it	Consulate in the UK, or the police in Spain	National Police in Spain, with fingerprints

Sources: [1], [2], [3].

One handy detail: the number on your TIE is your NIE. You don't get a new number when you get the card, and the same number follows you from your first property purchase to your residence card.

The NIE: for residents and non-residents

If you're buying a holiday flat in Benalmádena but not moving, you still need an NIE. The notary, the bank, the Spanish tax office and the utility companies all ask for it. Non-residents get the number on paper (or by email from the London consulate), not a card [3].

Getting an NIE from the UK

The Spanish consulate in London issues NIEs to people with economic, professional or social dealings in Spain. You (or a representative) must turn up in person, and appointments are arranged by email with the consulate [3]. You'll need [3]:

The EX-15 form, filled in online if possible and printed, but not signed until you're there. It must give the reason you need the number.
Documents proving that reason, such as a property reservation contract or a letter from a Spanish notary or bank.
Your passport, plus a copy of the photo page.
Proof you live in the consulate's district.
Form 790 code 012, filled in.
The fee: £8.65, paid by card at the appointment.

The number is normally issued within three weeks and sent to you by email [3]. A representative can apply for you with an apostilled power of attorney that expressly covers the NIE application [3].

Getting an NIE in Spain

You can also apply in Spain [3], where NIEs are handled by the National Police (Policía Nacional), again by appointment. You use the same EX-15 and pay the fee on form 790 code 012, usually at a bank. The fee is small; check the current amount on the form itself, as it's updated from time to time.

You can also give someone, such as a solicitor (abogado), power of attorney to apply for you, which is how many property buyers get theirs before completion.

The TIE for Withdrawal Agreement residents

If you were living legally in Spain before 1 January 2021, you and your family have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement [1]. Your TIE proves it. Its importance has only grown since the EU's Entry/Exit System arrived: the FCDO says British residents should show their TIE with their passport at the border and shouldn't have their passports stamped [1][4].

There are two groups:

You have the old green residence certificate (certificado de registro, the green A4 paper or credit-card-sized one). It's still valid, but the FCDO strongly recommends exchanging it for a TIE [1]. A card with your photo is much easier at the airport than a folded paper certificate.
You lived in Spain before 2021 but never registered. The FCDO says you must still register and get a TIE, and you'll need to show you were living there legally before the end of 2020 [1]. Gather proof such as your padrón history, rental contracts, utility bills and bank statements.

Spanish immigration uses specific application forms for UK nationals under the Withdrawal Agreement and for their family members, separate from the forms used by other non-EU nationals. The Spanish government's information pages for Brits, and the police appointment system, show which form applies.

Withdrawal Agreement residence is temporary at first and becomes permanent once you've been resident for five years, at which point you get a longer-lasting card. The permanent card itself still has to be renewed when it expires, but your status doesn't.

The TIE for newcomers on a visa

If you moved after 2020 on a Spanish visa, such as the non-lucrative visa or the digital nomad visa, the consulate tells you that you have one month from arriving in Spain to apply for your foreigner identity card [2].

You'll generally need:

your passport and the visa in it
the TIE application form, which the police appointment page and the immigration office will point you to
a recent passport photo on a white background
the fee, paid on form 790 code 012
in practice, your padrón certificate showing your address
the resolution approving your residence, if you got your permission in Spain

At the appointment they take your fingerprint. You go back, usually a few weeks later, to collect the card, which needs a second appointment in some offices.

Getting a cita previa in Málaga

Almost every step needs an appointment booked through the Spanish government's online appointment system for immigration and police procedures (search for cita previa extranjería). You choose the province (Málaga), the procedure (for example, toma de huellas for TIE fingerprints) and an office.

The bad news: in Málaga province appointments vanish within minutes of being released, especially in summer. A few tips from Brits who've been through it:

Check early in the morning and at odd times; new slots are released in batches.
Pick any office in the province. The National Police offices in Málaga city, Torremolinos, Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Marbella and other towns all handle foreigners' procedures, and a slot in another town beats no slot at all.
Have everything ready before you book, so you can grab the first slot you see.
Don't pay touts for appointments. Selling cita previa slots is a known racket, and a reputable gestor or solicitor will tell you so.
Keep your proof of application (resguardo). If your card is delayed, it shows you've applied, though carry your passport and proof together.

Getting it all sorted is a proper faff, but you only do the NIE once. If you're stuck, our community group for Brits in Spain is a good place to ask which offices have slots this month.

Keeping it valid

Renew before it expires. Temporary TIEs come up for renewal with your residence permit. Apply in the window before the expiry date.
Lost or stolen? Report it to the police (denuncia) and apply for a duplicate.
Moving within Spain? Update your address on the padrón and with the immigration office.
Leaving Spain? Your NIE stays yours, which is handy if you keep property there. Deregister from the padrón [1], and if you're returning to the UK, tell HMRC.

NIE and TIE: Spain's foreigner numbers explained for Brits on the Costa del Sol