NIE vs TIE: which one do you need and when

What the NIE is

The Foreigner Identity Number is a personal, unique and permanent identifier that the Spanish administration assigns to foreigners so they can deal with it. It is the functional equivalent of a Spaniard's DNI for tax and administrative purposes.

You need it for practically anything with a financial dimension in Spain:

• Buying, selling or inheriting a property.
• Opening a bank account or taking out a mortgage.
• Signing before a notary.
• Paying tax, including the annual Modelo 210 if you are a non-resident owner.
• Registering as self-employed, incorporating a company or taking a job.
• Setting up utility contracts or registering a vehicle.

The point that causes most confusion: having a NIE does not make you a resident, legally or fiscally. It is just a number. Thousands of foreign owners hold a NIE and live outside Spain with no contradiction at all.

What the TIE is

The Foreigner Identity Card is a physical, card-sized document evidencing that its holder has been granted a residence permit in Spain. It carries a photograph, a fingerprint, the NIE number, the type of permit and its expiry date.

The TIE is reserved for non-EU nationals. It is applied for once the relevant residence permit has been granted — for work, for study, for family reunification, for non-lucrative residence — and must be renewed when that permit expires. Unlike the NIE, the TIE is not permanent: it accompanies a permit that has its own validity.

And if you are an EU citizen

Citizens of the EU, the European Economic Area and Switzerland do not get a TIE. When they are going to live in Spain for more than three months, they register on the Central Register of Foreigners and receive the EU citizen registration certificate, a smaller green document popularly known as the "green card". That certificate also carries the NIE number.

It is important not to mistake it for an identity document: the green certificate does not replace the passport or the national identity document of your home country, which is still needed to prove who you are.

Quick guide: who needs what

• I am buying a property but will carry on living outside Spain. NIE only.
• I am an EU citizen moving to Spain for more than three months. NIE plus the EU citizen registration certificate.
• I am a non-EU national who has obtained a residence permit. NIE plus TIE.
• I am coming as a tourist and carrying out no financial transaction. Neither of them.
• I am a UK national with rights recognised under the Withdrawal Agreement. The document evidencing that status is the TIE.

How each one is applied for

NIE

It is requested using official form EX-15, together with a valid passport (original and copy), a document justifying the reason for the application — for example a deposit contract or a nota simple, where the reason is a property purchase — and proof of payment of the relevant fee. The application is lodged by prior appointment at an authorised National Police station.

It can also be processed from abroad, at the Spanish consular office where you live, or through a duly authorised representative holding a power of attorney. That is the route most buyers take when they do not want to travel just for this, as we explain in this frequently asked question.

TIE

It is applied for using form EX-17 after the residence permit has been granted, with a prior appointment for fingerprinting, and collected afterwards from the same office. Timescales depend on the province and on the type of permit.

Common mistakes

• Believing the NIE expires. The number is permanent and never changes. What may have limited validity is the document evidencing it: the A4 certificate issued with the EX-15 proves the number was assigned, but some institutions ask for a recent one.
• Applying for a TIE without a residence permit. The TIE is not applied for "in order to reside": it documents residence already authorised. Without that prior permit, there is no TIE.
• Confusing legal residence with tax residence. They are different things governed by different rules. You can hold a TIE and not be a tax resident, or be one without holding a TIE. We explain the tax test in our guide to the 183-day rule.
• Filing the EX-15 without evidencing the reason. This is the most common cause of refusal: you have to justify why you need the number.

How we handle it

At Asistenio we work out which document you actually need given your nationality and situation, prepare the complete file, book the appointment and follow it through to the decision. If you cannot travel, we look at the consular route or an application through a representative. More detail on the NIE and immigration page.