The usual questions
Updated guide · January 2026
📌 Last-minute update: Spain's Immigration Law underwent a major overhaul in late 2024, taking effect in 2025. This guide already reflects all changes to deadlines, requirements, and family reunification procedures. If you're reading information from before 2025, it's probably outdated.
Tick the wrong box on a form and you could lose four months. Yes, four. Welcome to Spanish bureaucracy.
I'm not joking. And it's not hard to avoid. The process itself isn't complicated. The problem is that nobody explains it properly until you've already messed up.
That's what this guide is for. So that when you walk up to that window, you walk out with your document in hand—not fighting back tears.
The acronym mess (and how to avoid it)
NIE, TIE, Registration Certificate... They sound alike, people mix them up constantly, and choosing wrong means starting over from scratch.
Let's clear this up once and for all:
If you're an EU citizen
NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) — It's just a number. Think of it as your Spanish ID number. You need it to work, open a bank account, rent an apartment, buy a car... pretty much everything. Apply using form EX-15.
EU Registration Certificate (Certificado de Registro de Ciudadano UE) — A green A4 document that says "this person lives here legally." Required if you're staying more than 3 months. It includes your NIE, so you're killing two birds with one stone. Apply using form EX-18.
If you're NOT an EU citizen
TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero) — A physical ID card. For Americans, Latin Americans, Africans, Asians... anyone from outside the EU. Different form, different process, different story.
The golden rule: if you're European, the TIE doesn't exist for you. Ever.
Why? Because legally, you're not a "foreigner." You're a "community citizen." Sounds like a yogurt brand, but that's how the EU works.
If you apply for a TIE as an EU citizen, your application won't be processed. It gets tossed. And you go back to the end of the queue — which right now, depending on the city, can be two months long.
So what do you actually need?
It depends on how long you're staying:
Less than 3 months
Technically, nothing. But in practice, without a NIE you can't even open a bank account. So you'll probably end up applying anyway. Form EX-15.
More than 3 months
Registration Certificate, mandatory. No excuses, no "I'll do it later." After 90 days without it, you're technically in an irregular situation. And that can cause problems down the road. Form EX-18.
See? Not that complicated. The drama starts now.
The real problem: getting an appointment
The actual process takes less than an hour. If you have everything in order, you walk in, get seen, and walk out with your document. Simple as that.
What's not simple is getting them to see you in the first place.
Actual wait times to get an appointment (January 2026):
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Area
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Wait time
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Madrid
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6 to 8 weeks
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Barcelona
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5 to 7 weeks
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Valencia, Málaga
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3 to 5 weeks
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Smaller provinces
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1 to 2 weeks
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And here's the important part: if you show up with something wrong, they won't say "bring it tomorrow." They'll say "book another appointment." Which will be weeks away.
That's why this guide exists. The process is easy. Making a mistake is expensive.
The mistakes that derail everything
These errors happen constantly. All avoidable if you know they exist.
Padron registration — the first wall
No padron, no Registration Certificate. Period. It's the first major wall every foreigner hits.
And watch out: your padron certificate must be less than 3 months old. If you got it four months ago, it doesn't count. You need a fresh one.
To register for the padron, you need a rental contract or property deed. Some town halls let you do it with just your passport; others require a NIE first. Check with your local town hall before showing up.
The health insurance that "should work but doesn't"
For the Registration Certificate, you need to prove you have health coverage. And there are some nasty surprises here.
Your insurance can be expensive, with a private room and a personal chef. But if it has a €5 copay per visit, it doesn't count. If it has a waiting period ("dental available after 6 months"), it doesn't count either.
What does work: European Health Insurance Card from your country (if you're not working), private insurance with no copays or waiting periods, or enrollment in Spain's Social Security through an employment contract.
The bank statements from day 91
Bank documents expire after 90 days. Not 91. Not "around three months." Ninety days exactly.
If you got your statement when you booked the appointment and the appointment is two months later… do the math. You might show up with expired paperwork.
Amount needed: without a job, between €7,200 and €7,500 per year of intended stay. And heads up: they're increasingly looking at your average balance, not just the balance on the day.
The fee you can no longer pay at the window
You used to be able to pay on the spot. Not anymore.
Form 790-012 must be paid beforehand — at a bank or ATM.
No payment receipt, no appointment. Doesn’t matter how early you woke up or how perfect everything else is.
Tricks to get an appointment faster
What doesn’t work (even if forums say otherwise)
"Go to a less saturated province."
Nope. The process must be done where you're registered (empadronado). Book elsewhere and you'll be rejected for territorial incompetence.
What does work
Look for appointments at other offices within your same province.
Alternatives in Madrid: Alcalá de Henares, Torrejón, Aranjuez, Arganda
Alternatives in Barcelona: Igualada, Vic, Manresa, Vilanova
Alternatives in Valencia: Gandía, Sagunto, Torrent
Alternatives in Málaga: Marbella, Estepona, Fuengirola
When new appointments appear
Monday at 9:00 AM — weekend cancellations
Wednesday 2:00–3:00 PM — weekly system update
Friday around 6:00 PM — no-show slots
Digital Certificate or Cl@ve: no longer optional
In 2026, trying to do paperwork in Spain without a Digital Certificate is like walking around blindfolded.
Booking appointments, checking status, downloading documents, paying fees — everything goes through the electronic portal.
You have two options:
Cl@ve — Easier to get, sometimes unreliable.
Digital Certificate (FNMT) — More robust, requires in-person identity verification.
My advice: get the Digital Certificate as soon as you have your NIE. It will save you headaches far beyond immigration paperwork.
The usual questions
Can I work while waiting for the certificate?
- Yes. As an EU citizen, you can work from day one.
Does the NIE expire?
- No. It’s yours forever.
How long until I get the document?
- If everything’s in order, you get it on the spot.
Do I need a gestor?
- You can use one, but you don’t need to. They don’t have shortcuts — they just know the process. Now so do you.
Ready to complete the process without mistakes?
The next section is members-only and focuses on execution.
Inside you’ll find:
- A clear 6-step summary of the entire process
- A printable checklist to keep documents and deadlines under control
- Downloadable EX-15 and EX-18 forms (ready to use)
- Direct access to pay fee 790-012 correctly
- A short, explicit video walkthrough explaining what to do and in which order
This is the part that helps you walk into the appointment prepared and walk out with your document.
👉 Subscribe to unlock the full execution guide and avoid costly delays.
Your route in 6 steps
