Spanish Residency Certificate for Citizens of EU countries

All EU and EEA (European Economic Area) citizens and their family members have the right to visit, live or work in Spain.  A Spanish residency certificate confirms your status as a resident in Spain. For stays of up to 3 months there is no need to register or obtain any Spanish documentation unless you are going to be working, or for example buying a property, in which case you’ll need an NIE.  After that period, or if you intend to stay more than 3 months, you are expected to register as a resident.

You are given a residency certificate, or ‘certificado de residencia‘, when you successfully register.  The issue of certificates is controlled by the National Police, (Cuerpo Nacional de Policia).

The TIE, Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero, or foreigners ID card, is the Spanish identification card foreign nationals from third countries (non-EU) who reside in Spain.

Once you have arrived in Spain with the relevant residency visa or otherwise meeting the eligibility for a residency permit that is applied for in Spain, you can begin the process to get your foreigners ID card – TIE ,’tarjeta de identidad de extranjero‘.

Applying for the TIE ‘Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero’ Foreigners ID Card

Before you can get your TIE you must have a valid residency visa or residency permission.  Residency visas are applied for and issued through the Spanish Consulate in your home country, and residency permits are handled by the immigration office in the province where you live in Spain.  How and where you apply depends on you situation and the type of residency you qualify for and are applying for.

Once your have your visa or residency permission granted by immigration, you apply for your TIE a National Police Station within the province where you live.  The card takes a few weeks to arrive and is collected from the police station when ready.

You can apply in person or appoint a representative or give someone Power of Attorney to apply for a residency permit on your behalf, however with the exception of the ‘Golden Visa’, residency visas have to be applied for in person.  The application for the TIE itself, also has to be made in person.  You provide your fingerprints and a photograph for your biometric ID card.  The whole process can take anything from 3 to 9 months depending on what type of residency you have applied for.

TIE – Spanish Visa & Residency Application Requirements General Info

Visa applications are applied for in person through the Spanish consulate.  Applications for residency permission can be done in person or can be submitted online.

The online submission system is works well, and the Spain’s immigration office encourages the use of this system.  To submit your application you need to have a digital certificate in place.  The digital certificate is and online ID and signature. If you don’t have one, you can authorise someone else or a company to complete the online submission on your behalf.

Official translations of documents that are not in Spanish must be provided.

Additional documents to support your application

The the consulate and immigration when reviewing applications apart from checking qualification and eligibility, may also request further information validating your arrival and situation in Spain.

When your application is received, a receipt will be issued confirming that it has been presented.  It will then be reviewed accordingly at the provincial foreigners office.  If for any reason your application is not immediately accepted and further information is requested, you have 10 working days to supply the additional information that has been asked for.  Applications are archived or rejected if additional information requested is not supplied in within the given time.

Notification of the approval of your application will usually be sent within 3 months, and you have one month to make an appointment and complete the your TIE application at the National Police Station.

You can read more about the different types of Spanish visas and residency here.

TIE Tarjeta de Indentidad de Extranjero Application – Getting Your Card

The second stage of the TIE application process is relatively straight forward, and appointments are readily available in most areas at the Foreigners Offices and National Police Stations.

For your second stage application you need to have a pre-booked appointment.

You can make an appointment through the following link:

https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/pagina/index/directorio/icpplus

For your appointment you will need:

*EX application form (as with the first stage the form number varies depending on type of visa or residency you have)
*Your visa or residency permit approval notice
*Passport and a copy ( a copy of your passport and the application is acceptable if you are in the process of renewing it)
*Small (carnet size) passport  photo 32mmx28mm
*Proof of your Spanish address (padron)
*Modelo 790 form with €12 tax paid and stamped by the bank, or with payment receipt attached

When you present your application at the Police station your fingerprints will be taken electronically and if everything else is in order, you will be given confirmation of your processed application and told to make an appointment to come back and collect your card in 5 to 6 weeks.  Some Police stations operate collection without appointment, and just have allocated days or times for collection of TIE cards.

Link to all EX residency / TIE application forms: https://extranjeros.inclusion.gob.es/es/modelossolicitudes/mod_solicitudes2/

The NIE (Número de Identificación de Extranjero), meaning –  Foreigners Identification Number, is the identification number issued to people who are not a Spanish nationals.

The National Police, (Cuerpo Nacional de Policia), handle the issue of NIE’s, and any one planning to carry out a transaction in Spain, e.g. buying a car, holiday home, or various other interests, needs to have one.

The NIE identifies you whenever you do something official, or which involves the authorities.  For example paying taxes, buying a property; signing a document at Notary; starting a business; or becoming a director of a Spanish company.

The NIE is not a fiscal (tax) residency identification – you can have a NIE and be fiscal resident in another country, however it is used to link payments to you that may be due, including tax amongst others. Both EU citizens and non-EU citizens are issued with NIE’s, and if you become resident, you keep the same NIE when you apply for your residence certificate or card.

The TIE, Tarjeta de Indentidad de Extranjero, is the Spanish identification card for citizens from third countries (non-EU) who reside in Spain.  Since July 2020 British UK nationals moving to Spain have also had to apply for this card, as the UK is no longer in the EU.

If you already have a Spanish residency certificate, you do not have to apply for the TIE, but you can voluntarily exchange your certificate for the card.

Both the Spanish and UK Government websites and their Consulate pages confirm that the green residency certificate, A4 and credit card sized, remain valid for UK nationals and prove the holders residency and retained rights under the withdrawal agreement, having settled in Spain before the UK left the EU.  However considering the issues some have encountered during the recent Covid19 travel restrictions, e.g. multiple incidences of authorities and airlines not understanding the rules and denying certificate holders entry to Spain, it is advisable to get the TIE.

Aside from this the card is a full bio-metric national ID card, therefore so much more useful than the paper certificate.  The card also has the words ARTICULO 50 TUE, a reference to note that the holder was resident in Spain before the end of the transition period and has retained rights.