NIE, DNI, NIF, CIF, Social Security

My wife and I renewed our residencia in Palma, Mallorca. We have added a special page to our website with links to relevant website that will assist you in making the process as easy as possible. We found that by having the correct information it makes the renewal process less stressful. The only documents that you require now are
1 Old plastic card -1 photo copy of the front and rear
2 Passport -1 copy
3 EX-16 - 3 copies
4 Modelo 790 receipt.

The clerk then completes the new residencia and they will ask you to check the details. Please review the screen carefully as my parents details where wrong and if you do not correct them you could have problems when you apply for your pension as this information is required by the Spanish Government when they apply to the UK for their contribution.

For complete details and map for directions please visit our website at:
http://www.welcome-2-mallorca.com/residencia-renewal.html

Regarding Passport with Residencia papers? I went to a photography store here in Calpe, as they are advertising copying your passport on both side into CREDIT CARD SIZE for €5. They also did the green Residencia paper in reduced form, but not able to get it in credit card size. So far the Post office has accepted this, because they don´t know if this card was issued by the Government concerned.
However, the other option for not wanting to carry your passport is to copy the page with your picture, go to the Local Police, show your passport and the copy of your passport en they will stamp and sign this copy and you are set to go. having dual Citizenship being Dutch and Canadian, These countries allow the Post office stamp. Of course a real passport is always needed at the Airport and where officially requested like City Hall.

guirigales said:

I think the loss of the "tarjeta de residencia" is a tragedy. Ive been here for over nine years now and Ill be damned Im I going to carry round my passport every time I leave the house! How many times a day do you use your ID in spain...

I have a spanish driving licence and I usually get by with that but there are some places that refuse to accept it as a form of ID. For example as of last week ALCAMPO now only accept DNI or passport as proof of ID. I personally welcome the return of the "Tarjeta de residencia" which there are already murmurs about. What a complete waste of time and money.

Hi mary-gb

If you lose your NIE paper, you can go to the National Police station closest to you, tell them that it's lost and they'll tell you to come back a week later and they'll give you another copy. I don't think you can apply for another new number because that would mean you'd be registered under 2 different numbers and could cause problems.

This was the procedure I had to do, all be it a few years ago. As long as you have your passport as ID, they can find your records, also, if you know your NIE number that helps too.

Hope you found this useful.

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!

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

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).

No finger prints are no longer part of the process.

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?

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).

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.

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!!!

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.

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)

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'.

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?

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?

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.

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

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

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