A number, not a permission
The Policía Nacional assigns the NIE: an initial letter, seven digits and a control letter. Once it is yours it never changes, whether you stay in the Region of Murcia for a summer job or for the rest of your life.
On its own the number says nothing about residence. Europeans who settle here find it printed on their green EU registration certificate; residents from further afield carry it on a TIE card. A plain NIE certificate is for people who need the number without settling, or before they settle.
Who will want to see it
- A landlord in El Carmen, Santa Eulalia or La Flota before the lease is signed
- The farm, cooperative or warehouse that takes you on for the season
- Any bank where you open an account for a salary, a grant or a pension
- The notary when you buy a flat in the city or a house near the Mar Menor
- The tax agency and the social security office
- Electricity, water and internet providers
- The traffic office, if you buy a car or swap a driving licence
How it is requested
Inside Spain you fill in form EX-15, pay the fee with the Modelo 790 código 012 and present both, with your passport, at an appointment booked on the cita previa website. In the province that usually means the Brigada Provincial at Cabezo Cortado, though the comisarías of Molina de Segura, Cartagena, Lorca and Yecla list the procedure too.
If you are still abroad, a Spanish consulate can take the request instead: handy when a purchase or a contract in Murcia needs the number before you travel.
What goes in your folder
- The EX-15, filled in and signed
- Passport, or ID card for Europeans, with one copy the desk can keep
- Something that shows why the number matters to you now: an employer’s letter, a reservation contract for a flat, an acceptance from the university
- The 790-012 receipt, already paid
- The printed or saved confirmation of your cita previa
In Murcia
In the Region of Murcia, most NIE requests end up at the police’s provincial foreigners’ unit, the Brigada Provincial, out at Cabezo Cortado in Espinardo. People in the Vega Media or around Cartagena, Lorca and Yecla often book a comisaría of the region instead, since all four list NIE certificates and assignment.
Questions people ask
Will my NIE run out one day?
Never. Some certificates that show it are dated, and offices sometimes ask for a recent one, but the digits themselves stay the same for good.
Is the NIE the same thing as residence?
No. The number identifies you. Living in Spain legally is shown by the EU registration certificate or by a TIE, both of which carry the number.
Can someone else collect my NIE for me?
Usually not. The request is personal and the police expect you in person, with your passport. If you cannot be in Murcia, a Spanish consulate in your country is the usual alternative.