One of the biggest challenges about moving to Spain is dealing with paperwork. As an Expat, you will feel like there’s a million documents to fill, forms to collect, payments to make and on top of all of it, you’re never really sure if you’re getting the right document. But one thing is clear - you will need a NIE as a foreigners living in Spain.
NIE stands for Número de Identidad de Extranjero (or in English, Foreign Identity Number) and it servers as your Identification as a resident in Spain. But there are a few variants of the NIE:
So which type of NIE do you need? And what is the different between them? In this article, we’re going to go through what each of these documents mean, and which one you should aim to get. And if you’re not quite sure why you need a NIE in the first place, read this blog post.
The difference is that the number in itself, is the numerical ID that is assigned to you as a person, while the NIE card, is your foreigners identity card that proves your right to live in Spain and has your NIE number written on it.
But keep in mind that there are two different types of NIE Cards - commonly referred to as the NIE and the TIE. The NIE Card, is usually used to talk about the Green NIE for EU Citizens, while the TIE Card, is for non-EU Citizens and looks totally different. We’ll dive into these two later in the article.
The key physical difference between the two, is that the Green NIE is a (Green) card, while the White NIE is a (white) paper. From a legal stand-point, the White NIE does NOT provide you with the right to live in Spain, while the Green one does.
The White NIE a is paper with your assigned Spanish Identification Number on it, and it can be used for contractual and legal procedures such as buying a house, applying for a Visa or signing an Employment contract. You can apply for your White NIE in your home country via the Spanish Embassy, or you can also do it when you land in Spain. The white NIE does not prove your right to live in Spain, so depending on your situation, you may also need to apply for a Green NIE or a TIE.
The Green NIE is a card given to you by the Spanish Authorities which includes your NIE number. This is your official Identification in Spain and it proves that you are a legal resident in Spain - But please note it’s only for EU Citizens. In fact, as an EU Citizen living in Spain you must get your Green NIE within the first 3 months of arriving in Spain.
There are four main reasons why foreigners could need a White NIE:
As it does’t give you to right to reside in Spain, the White NIE is only valid in certain circumstances. That’s why, most Expats instead apply for the Green NIE or TIE. But you need certain documents to apply for these, so in situations in which Expats don’t meet all the requirements, they need to apply for a White NIE first, while the gather the rest of the documents they need to apply for a Green NIE or TIE. Sign up to Matutto today to learn more about the process of each application and the documents you need.
The TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extrajeros), is the Identification Card for Expats who are not from the EU. This plastic card will also have your NIE Number of it, but the card will be visually different (it’s blue and pink instead of green) and there are a few more steps when it comes to getting it.
Most people coming from outside of the EU will first need to secure a valid visa to move to Spain. Depending on the visa you get and your country of origin, you may be required to secure a White NIE first, which includes your NIE Number - this document will be used temporarily until you get your TIE. There are a few differences between a NIE for EU Citizens and a TIE for non-EU Citizens, with the most important ones being:
The type of NIE you need depends on your nationality, circumstances in Spain and reason for needing the NIE. Here’s a few example of common circumstances, and what NIE you’d need to get in each:
If you don’t know where to get started, you can sign up to Matutto to read up on the process of getting your NIE. In our platform you can also find a step-by-step guide with instructions on how to apply for the NIE that you need - including translations of all the forms you need to submit in Spanish!
If you feel ready to apply for your NIE, you can start by booking your NIE appointment here. Note that the Spanish Government website only works well if you’re in Spain, so if you need support with booking your appointment, you can reach out to us via the Contact Us Form.