Index · Trámites
Spanish administrative procedures, in English
Spanish paperwork is not one system but several, run by different bodies that do not share a counter. Identity documents come from the National Police. Authorisations come from Immigration Offices under the Government Delegations. Registration on the padrón comes from your town hall, which is answerable to neither. Knowing which of the three you are dealing with is most of the battle.
Where each one sits
- National Police
- Identity documents: the NIE, the TIE, EU registration certificates, letters of invitation, return authorisations. Its appointments run on the Interior Ministry's own system.
- Immigration Offices
- Authorisations to live and work here, run by the Government Delegations and Sub-delegations. A separate appointment system, and for some permits the employer or sponsor must book it rather than you.
- Your town hall
- The padrón, which is neither of the above and requires no permit. It is what schools and health centres ask for, and what the other two ask for in turn.
The procedures
How to get a NIE number in Spain
Número de Identidad de Extranjero (NIE)
The NIE is a personal identification number for foreigners dealing with Spain. Many people are given one automatically and never need to apply; those who do apply pay €9.84, not the €12 usually quoted.
- Cost
- €9.84
- Steps
- 6
- Documents
- 5
- Provinces listed
- 51
TIE: the Spanish foreigner identity card
Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero (TIE)
The card issued to non-EU nationals authorised to stay in Spain more than six months. You must apply in person within one month, and it proves your legal status — not your identity, which is why you still have to carry your passport.
- Cost
- From €16.08
- Steps
- 7
- Documents
- 6
- Provinces listed
- 51
EU registration certificate in Spain (form EX-18)
Certificado de registro de ciudadano de la Unión
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens staying in Spain more than three months must register in person within three months of arriving. The certificate costs €12 and is issued on the spot.
- Cost
- €12.00
- Steps
- 7
- Documents
- 7
- Provinces listed
- 51
Empadronamiento: registering with your town hall
Empadronamiento (Padrón municipal)
Everyone living in Spain is legally obliged to register at their town hall. It is usually free and quick — but for non-EU residents without long-term residence it expires after two years unless renewed, and nobody reminds you.
- Cost
- Free in almost every municipality
- Steps
- 7
- Documents
- 4
Letter of invitation in Spain (carta de invitación)
Carta de invitación
The official letter proving where a visitor will stay, applied for by the host at their local police station. It costs €81.59 in total, not the €75 usually quoted, and it can involve a personal interview.
- Cost
- €81.59 in total
- Steps
- 7
- Documents
- 5
- Provinces listed
- 51
Extending a 90-day stay in Spain (prórroga de estancia)
Prórroga de estancia
How to extend a short stay beyond 90 days, on form EX-00, in person. It is capped at three further months, needs exceptional reasons if you are visa-exempt, and requires proof that you are going to leave.
- Cost
- Set by the fee for the stay extension
- Steps
- 7
- Documents
- 6
- Provinces listed
- 48
Return authorisation in Spain (autorización de regreso)
Autorización de regreso
The permit that lets you travel while your residence card is being renewed or replaced. It lasts up to 90 days and allows unlimited trips — but only if you re-enter Spain through a Spanish border post.
- Cost
- €10.72
- Steps
- 6
- Documents
- 5
- Provinces listed
- 49
Permanent residence in Spain under the EU regime
Residencia de carácter permanente
After five years of legal residence, EU citizens get a permanent registration certificate and their non-EU family get a permanent residence card that renews automatically every ten years.
- Cost
- €12.00 for the certificate
- Steps
- 7
- Documents
- 6
- Provinces listed
- 2
Family reunification in Spain (reagrupación familiar)
Reagrupación familiar
Bringing your spouse, partner, children or parents to Spain. You need a year of residence behind you, 150% of IPREM in regular income, and a social services report on your housing.
- Cost
- Set by the processing fee for the authorisation
- Steps
- 8
- Documents
- 7
- Provinces listed
- 1
Arraigo: residence in Spain through ties to the country
Autorización de residencia por razones de arraigo
Five routes to residence based on time and ties in Spain. Most need two years of continuous presence; family arraigo needs none and lasts five years rather than one.
- Cost
- Set by the processing fee for the authorisation
- Steps
- 9
- Documents
- 7
- Provinces listed
- 1
Non-lucrative residence in Spain (residencia no lucrativa)
Residencia temporal no lucrativa
Living in Spain on your own income without working. You need €2,400 a month, plus €600 for each dependant, health insurance — and from the first renewal, more than 183 days a year in the country.
- Cost
- €2,400 a month in means
- Steps
- 10
- Documents
- 7
Spain's digital nomad visa (teletrabajo internacional)
Visado y autorización de teletrabajo de carácter internacional
Living in Spain while working remotely for companies abroad. Employees may only work for foreign companies; freelancers may bill a Spanish client, but for no more than 20% of their work.
- Cost
- Sufficient resources — the law fixes no figure
- Steps
- 10
- Documents
- 7
Student stay authorisation in Spain (estancia por estudios)
Autorización de estancia de larga duración por estudios
The permit for studying in Spain for more than 90 days. Higher-education students may now work without any separate permit, and the authorisation lasts as long as the course rather than one year.
- Cost
- Set by the processing fee for the authorisation
- Steps
- 10
- Documents
- 6
What is not here yet
Family reunification, arraigo, long-term residence, nationality reports and the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement cards are all real procedures handled by the same offices, and none of them has a page here yet. They will get one when their facts have been read from the body responsible, not before — which is why this list is shorter than it could be.