Madrid

NIE and Residency Details Guide:

NIE (Identification Number)

NIE is a legal identification number given to all people who live in Spain that appears on Spanish national ID cards. You need an NIE to open a bank account, file taxes, buy a house, sign up for telephone, internet and utilities services, establish a business, get a Spanish drivers license, sign a lease and for almost any financial transaction or government related dealings.

To apply for your NIE, you should visit the Oficina de Extranjeros de Madrid, located at:

C/ General Pardiñas, 90

28006 – Madrid

Tel.: 913226824

Tel.: 913226826

Open from 9:00AM to 2:00PM – Monday to Friday

You can fill in the application form there, or you can download it from the Internet at the following link: http://www.mpt.es/servicios/servicios_on_line/extranjeria/modelos_oficiales_solicitudes/ex14/document_es/ex14.pdf. Along with the completed and signed application, you must also bring the following documentation:

1. The passport used to enter Spain with an entry stamp and three photocopies of the personal information and photo page.
2. Three color passport photos with a white background.
3. Visa if not affixed to your passport.
4. Proof of registration with Spanish social security, if applicable.
5. Proof of address (apartment contract or lease or empadronamiento certificate). The original and two photocopies.

Expect long lines, as they begin to form long before the office actually opens, and prepare to spend your whole morning submitting your application.

Upon turning in your documentation, you will also be expected to pay a processing fee of about €7. However, the fee cannot be paid at the office, which means you will have to visit a nearby bank that accepts payments on the Oficina de Extranjeros behalf, then return to the office and turn in your receipt as proof of payment.

Your NIE can take up to 4 weeks to arrive. You will not be notified when it’s ready, so you’ll have to drop by the office to check and see if it’s arrived.

Residency

If you’ve spent a significant amount of time in Spain, built a respectable life for yourself in Madrid and just can’t imagine living anywhere else, it’s time to apply for residency. Don’t bother applying unless you are positive that Spain in where you want to live long term, as it is a long and draining process. If you move to Spain knowing that you will be staying long term, it is best to begin the residency application process within your first month in Madrid.

EU Citizens

The process is generally simpler for EU Citizens:

1. Download form EX 16 (http://www.mir.es/SGACAVT/modelos/extranjeria/modelos_extranje/ex_16.pdf) , fill it out, and sign it.
2. Make an appointment with the Oficina de Extranjeros by phone (if you can!) or in person (make sure to get there very early). Take this opportunity to ask for a form called Modelo 790. You’ll then have to go to a bank to pay the 6.70 euros and have the form stamped for confirmation.
3. Bring your passport, the EX 16 form, and the stamped Modelo 790 to your appointment. A Modelo 790 is an official bank form saying you have paid the €7 application fee. The people at the counter of the Oficina de Extranjeros will step you through this part.

Non-EU Citizens

The application is significantly more involved for Non-EU citizens. The steps listed above are basically the same. However, the following additional documentation is required:

1. Proof of financial means; a job offer, proof of savings, regular freelancing or dividend income of around €1,000 per month (plus €200 for each dependent).
2. Medical certificate.
3. Medical insurance with a company that has offices in Spain; this is why you should register with Social Security – your medical is covered.
4. Passport and three photocopies of the personal information and photo page.
5. Three color passport photos with a white background.
6. Proof of fee payment. (See #2 above)
7. Proof of address: a lease, purchase documents or your Certificado de Empadronamiento (see Registration).

Your residency card can take up to six months to process. Ask whether it is possible to have the card mailed to you or whether it is best to pick it up in person.