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NIE, DNI, NIF, CIF, Social Security

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NIE, DNI, NIF, CIF, Social Security

This, of course, does not mean you get automatic residency in Spain, nor will it make it any easier to get residency."

Posted by The Expatriator

Information on getting your NIE, social security number and other forms of identification. Explanations of the NIE, DNI, NIF, CIF, social security number and their relevancy for residency for expatriates living in Spain.

NIE (Número de Identidad/Identificación de Extranjero): The immigration service issues this number to you once you obtain residency (you will find the number on your Resident Card).  This is your identification number in Spain.  It is needed in order to file taxes, establish a business, open a bank account (not necessary for foreign accounts), and for almost any other form you fill out.  Both EU citizens and non-EU citizens get issued an NIE.  You can download this form here: NIE.pdf. Note that you can take this form to the Spanish Embassy in your country before you leave and receive the NIE ahead of time.

Also see The Cheat’s anecdotal guide to getting your NIE Live and Let NIE - Spanorama.

DNI (Documento Nacional de Identidad): This is the ID number for Spanish citizens.  The same number is used for one’s driver’s license.

NIF (Número de Identificación Fiscal): This is the tax ID number for all individuals.  For Spaniards, it’s the DNI plus one letter; for foreigners, it’s the same number as your NIE. Once you have an NIE, you do not need to re-apply for an NIF; if and when you have to pay taxes, use your NIE number. If you’re a nonresident who has to pay taxes in Spain, you may get an NIF issued to you without having an NIE. This, of course, does not mean you get automatic residency in Spain, nor will it make it any easier to get residency.

CIF (Certificado de Identificación Fiscal): This is the the same as the NIF, but for companies.

Social Security Number: Your employer applies for this number when you start your first job in Spain.  This number then stays with you for all subsequent jobs.  If you are self-employed, you apply for this number yourself.

The New Residency (Residencia) Card

by algrif

It is true that the new certificate is now being issued to replace the old Residencia, at the insistence of Brussels. It is to be carried with the national ID or passport of your country of origin. It will show your name and the NIE that you were issued with. I suppose this last bit, as I still have not got my copy yet.

So far, I have been to Extranjería in Alicante where, after waiting over 2 hours for my turn, I was pleasantly informed that I did not need to go there at all now. (Question: Why didn’t the guy at the info desk at the entrance tell me there and then, or at least give me a photocopy info sheet or something?) They explained that I was to go to any Comisería of the National Police.

So, I went off to Elche, thinking that Alicante would probably be full to overflowing, and anyway I live nearer to Elche. There, I was given two forms to fill out at my leisure at home. Both were simple. One was to make the payment of 6.70€ at any bank, Caja de Ahorros, etc. The other was to fill with my name, address, issued NIE and passport numbers.

Today, I went to the Comisería at 9.00am only to be told that the numbers normally run out before 8.00. “Please would I return on Monday at an earlier time.” So it seems that the horrendous queues which have been the subject of numerous denouncements at Brussels have simply been transferred to the Comiserías.

I will let you know how I get on.

Meanwhile, I think we can feel safe in the knowledge that, carrying an old Residencia plus passport is OK as it is legal enough for the moment. I have always maintained this position, refusing to renew my Residencia as it had been denounced as illegal under European Law. This point has been bourne out as I have done all the following things with an out of date residencia plus passport: Got married, got a job, opened a bank account, got a mortgage, bought a house, bought and sold more than one car, hired a car, and more things besides. All along the line people have admonished me because “You really should get the residencia up to date you know” in both Spanish and English. But everyone knew, that in reality, they could not insist as European Law was on my side.

Residencia Update

Well, I arrived at the Comisería at just before 6.00 am and hunted through the crowd already there to find someone who was keeping track of arrival order in note pad.

At about 7.45 a policeman came out and took the list and started to put us in an orderly queue. I’m sure you can imagine how easy that was. ha ha. Finally, after a lot of cajoling, shouting, joking, and storming off in a temper, we were in a queue more or less corresponding to the list.

At 8.00 another policeman came out and started to hand out numbers to the 3 queues. First to the renew DNI queue, then to the Passport queue, and finally whatever was left to our queue. I was number 59. After giving number 60 to the person next behind me the Policeman shouted “That’s it. Everyone else can come back tomorrow”. He was adamant. The person behind me was in fact one half of a couple. So they had to come back also as the policeman refused to give out number 61.

At about 1.30, my turn came. It took about 2 minutes. The nice lady behind the desk took my two forms and my passport. She didn’t ask for any photocopies (even though, as a result of hard earned experience, I was carrying two photocopies of everything I could think of!) And she printed and stamped a form that says, (in Spanish, of course) :

CERTIFICADO DE REGISTRO DE CIUDADANO DE LA UNIÓN
Note: This document is not valid to confirm the identity nor the nationality of the holder
The Chief Registrar of the Central Registry of Foreigners in the Comisería of (the town where you are) Certifies:
That according to (the relevant Spanish law) the below named person has requested and received his inscription in the official registry of the Guardia Civil as a community resident living in Spain on a permanent basis since (first date of your NIE)

There then follows your personal details: name, address, nationality and your NIE.

You keep a copy of this with your passport or other national ID, and keep the original in a safe place at home. And that’s IT!! No renewals (except for your own national ID).

Don’t forget that in Spain it is illegal to be out and about indocumentado This means that, just as the Spanish always carry their DNI, you must carry your national ID plus copy of this certificate. You can be fined on the spot for being indocumentado.

Last updated 18 01 2008

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04/May/2009:
mary_gb said:

Hello all,

At first congratulations for this site.

It is very useful for us... foreign people.

I would like to have your opìnion regarding one matter. I seem to have lost my original NIE (the green paper). I think it has been a long time since the last time i have seen it. What should i do, just go again do the same procedure and apply for a new one?

From the below comments i understand that there should not be any important problem if anyone has tried to use it, since it does not confirm my ID without my passport.

What is your opinion?
Which is the procedure i should do now?

Thanks a lot!

07/Mar/2009:
BritYank said:

Brits resident in Spain who hold full UK Driving Licences can, in practice, get round the passport-carrying requirement if they are willing to exchange their UK licence for a Spanish one. This is because the photocard issued by the State bears the holders NIF (DNI/NIE) as the Spanish licence number.

Though not valid as a travel document beyond Spanish territory, a Spanish driving licence should also suffice for flights etc within Spain. The fee is €26.00 You’ll need:

1. A form (http://www.dgt.es/was6/portal/contenidos/documentos/oficina_virtual/conductores/hojas_informativas/2.40-Castellano.pdf );

2. required documents (http://www.dgt.es/was6/portal/contenidos/documentos/oficina_virtual/conductores/hojas_informativas/CANJE_DEL_PERMISO_DE_CONDUCCION_DE_PAISES_CON_CONVENIO.pdf ), and;

3. a prior appointment: https://canjes.dgt.es/CANJES-DGT/canjes/index_canjes.jsp?consulta=estado

13/Feb/2009:
BritYank said:

It's amazing what a little research can teach you. It seems that Brits who are licensed drivers have a way round the passport-carrying burden within Spanish territory once they have obtained their NIE: a 'Permiso de Conducción' bears the driver's NIF (DNI or NIE) as the licence number and, under Spanish law, is deemed to be an acceptable 'medio de identificación'. (However, a driving licence is not an international travel document and so intra-Schengen travel beyond Spanish territory should NEVER be attempted without a valid UK passport.)

Of course, an €85.00 fee and an extra layer of Spanish bureaucracy are involved in obtaining your permiso but any sane individual would probably consider the ability to carry an ID card at all times in Spain (instead of one's full passport) to be definitely worth the one-off hassle. Especially given that replacing a lost Spanish driving licence (€26.00) seems to be a better option than a lost UK passport (£72.00).

09/Feb/2009:
ROB1305 said:

No finger prints are no longer part of the process.

23/Jan/2009:
flaixbac said:

So there is no fingerprinting anymore? When some older expats showed me residencia cards I was shocked when I saw it! Can someone confirm that for applying NIE or/and Residency Permit (Tarjeta de Residencia) they still take fingerprints like for a criminal? smile

Anyway, here in Madrid, you are sent away from comisaria with telephone number where you should register for an appointment (cita previa) for both (with EX-16), which is excellent as you do not stand hours in queues except the fact you get the appointment in 5 months! Again, months, not days or weeks. (happened to me and all ppl I know they applied for it recently). Maybe a nice way how to protect local labour market with 3M unemployed persons from furher influx of foreigners out of EU (for those from EU it is possible to have the contract with passport until issued NIE).

15/Jan/2009:
algrif said:

No. The SS number is different. The NIE identifies you to the police and to the Tax authorities. The SS number needs to be issued to you when you start working. You need the SS number to get medical attention, dole (paro), and pension. One word of warning to UK residents... if you claim pension rights in Spain, you lose your pension rights in UK. This normally means a financial loss for most people.

12/Dec/2008:
madcandylee said:

thanks for a very informative article. this site rocks!

one question....is the social security number different from your NIE??? i thought they were the same!!! please clarify.
thanks!!!

05/Apr/2008:
algrif said:

2) All you need in any EU country is a fiscal number, which is what the NIE is all about, as you correctly state. So now, what you should possess in any EU country is your country of origin ID plus the official fiscal certificate. 3) So of course, this piece of A4 paper is not any form of ID except for your fiscal dealings. Your own national ID is for photographic identity.

So, What's the beef? The fact that in Spain it is illegal to be on the streets indocumentado. This means that if you are Brit, you have to carry your passport with you all the time. It's a bit inconvenient, but that's what happens if in UK the population are generally not in favour of a national ID card. Can't have your cake and eat it, I'm afraid.

05/Apr/2008:
algrif said:

Hi Susana,
I don't see any confusion in the above explanation of the DNI. NIE. CIF. and NIF. But thanks for your comments anyway.
As the text above says ... It is true that the new certificate is now being issued to replace the old Residencia, at the insistence of Brussels. It is to be carried with the national ID or passport of your country of origin. It will show your name and the NIE that you were issued with.

This means 3 important things (with reference to your comments) 1) It was Brussels, and not "some fools", who took Spain to court 5 TIMES over their ILLEGAL insistence that any EU member was obliged to get a Spanish ID card as well as their own country ID.
(I have to split this text, as there is a text length limit)

04/Apr/2008:
Susana said:

I think there is a lot of confusion among contributors here so:
DNI - is ONLY for Spanish nationals.It is their national identity number. NIE - is for foreigners, it is your fiscal number, it will be used on a residence certificate but it is NOT a residence certificate. It is used to track you through the banking and tax system. They are obtained from the Comisariat of the national police.
Residence Card - These not longer exist for new residents because some fools decided it was against their civil liberties to carry one so the convenient card has gone and you now have to apply for an A4 sheet of green paper which says your are registered with the National Police, It also says on the bottom that this means absolutely nothing as it is not PHOTOGRAPHIC identity.

NB. The British Consulate in Alicante confirm that if you still have an in date Residents Card, you do NOT have to apply for the residents certificate. This is nonsense being put around by the usual bar room 'know alls'.

30/Mar/2008:
Dory said:

Hi, I am a non EU resident and planning to get married to a Spanaird. We have got all the papers needed for marriage, applied, and they gave us a meeting with the judge after 4 months! (23 june 2008).
Should I apply for residency permit first and then get an NIE, or I should apply for the NIE first and residency permit after?

14/Mar/2008:
Kevin473 said:

My wife and I are residents here in Spain. Our Tarjeta de Residencia is due to expire next year. Will I be renew the card or will I have to get this certificate. Also will I still be able to use my card for identification purposes or will I need to take my passport everywhere?

01/Mar/2008:
algrif said:

Hristo said:

Does anybody know if one can apply for the Tarjeta de residente comunitario and NIE from outside of Spain (embassy, consulate)?

I doubt it very much. If you have read the above information, you will have gathered that you need to have proof of residency, and need to take said proof to your local Comisería. If a "gestor" cannot do it for you inside Spain, then I can't see a Consulate being able to do it either.

You do not say if you are from inside or outside the EC. If from outside, then you will also need to have a work permit plus contract.

01/Mar/2008:
ROBI said:

Yes but everyone seems to say it takes longer and can be more complicated. But if it suits you.......

01/Mar/2008:
anita said:

Hi Peter,

I too live in Moraira and had to go to Benidorm police station for my "residencia"..it is now a european form. If you live on the Benitaxel side I have been told you can go to Denia. We were told that was only possible if we had a doctors certificate to say we could not queue. We arrived at Benidorm police station at 7:15 and the experience was very much as previously described. We were given a number, forms to fill in and pay our money at the bank. Our turn finally came up about 1pm, we were numbers 27,28. All we required was our original NIE paper and our passport. I also had to show my esquitora but other didn´t. This was because my address on my NIE was not the same as the address on my new form. You will definately need your NIE paper and I suggest taking all your papers, just in case. The rules can change any minute!

Hope this helps.
Anita

22/Feb/2008:
Hristo said:

Does anybody know if one can apply for the Tarjeta de residente comunitario and NIE from outside of Spain (embassy, consulate)?

19/Feb/2008:
peterw said:

Have just been to get our residencia at the Denia office as we are in Moraira. Got an appointment in 3 months time (May) but was told only to bring our passports, no mention of an application form!!

Peter

27/Jan/2008:
ROBI said:

NIEs are now chargable - 9 euros in Alicante province.

N.I.E. (EX14) / RESIDENCIA (EX16)

Forms and the Regulations Governing EU citizens in Spain document.

http://extranjeros.mtas.es/

For forms - Click: Modelos de Solictudes

Or direct link
http://extranjeros.mtas.es/es/general/procedimientos_Solicitudes_index.html

For the Regulations document Click UK flag &
Régimen de los ciudadanos Comunitarios en España

03/Jan/2008:
kev99981 said:

PLEASE COULD YOU SEND ME THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION AS WE COULD NOT FIND IT !


MANY THANKS!!!!!!!!

KEVIN C

01/Apr/2006:
Shelly said:

Hi,
Can anyone answer the following for me:-

If we have an NIF number obtained in 1989 and paying Taxes to SUMA and got a bank account, do we require an NIE number.

Best wishes

Susan

19/Oct/2007:
bibert said:

I received my N.I.E. through a GESTOR in Calpe and paid €50. They get this from Denia.
The problem is the residencia which is hard to get. In Benidorm they issue 30 tickets per day or 600 per month, and have to get there in person.I understand from the Assosiation of Foreign Property Owners that they may get an office in Calpe, but this has been promised before.
You mentioned that it is illegal to have no residency papers if you have been longer then a certain period, but the law also says that the Spanish authorities have to be organized to give you a reasonable chance to get you these papers (without picture) and unfortunately they are NOT organized. This has been well recorded in Brussels and several consulates and embassies.They are made aware of these problems.
thank you

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