The NIE appointment in Barcelona is booked on the Public Administrations e-office, under Cita previa de extranjería, choosing the province of Barcelona. For the white NIE you bring form EX-15 in duplicate, your passport, a document showing why you need it and proof of the 790 code 012 fee, which is 9.84 euros.
Almost everyone who comes to Barcelona to stay for a few months ends up searching for the same thing: an NIE appointment. Before you start fighting the calendar, it helps to know what you are actually asking for, because the NIE is not permission to live here and, depending on where you come from, the paper you need has another name. This is what the National Police and Barcelona International Welcome, the City Council's website for newcomers, say.
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What the NIE is (and what it is not)
Barcelona International Welcome describes it as a simple identification number that the Spanish authorities assign to each foreign national once and for life. It does not expire and has nothing to do with a residence or work permit. Any foreign national, European or not, with economic, professional or social activity in Spain needs one: opening a bank account, buying a home or getting a driving licence are the examples the website itself gives.
That number appears on three different papers, and mixing them up is the quickest way to waste an appointment that took weeks to get.
Three documents, three situations
The white NIE is just the number, on a white document. It is for people who need the number for economic, professional or social reasons without coming to live here, or for stays of less than three months.
The EU citizen registration certificate, which everyone calls the green NIE because of the colour of the paper, is compulsory for citizens of the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland who are staying more than three months. It already contains the NIE and does not expire. You apply within three months of arriving in Spain, in person, at the relevant police station, with form EX-18 in duplicate, and it is issued on the spot. As well as your passport or ID card, you must show that you are employed or self-employed, that you are studying, or that you have sufficient resources and health insurance with full cover in Spain.
The TIE, the identity card for foreign nationals, is for people from outside the EU with a stay or residence authorisation of more than six months. You apply within a month of arriving or of the authorisation being granted, always in person because your fingerprints are taken, with a recent colour photo on a white background. The card takes about 45 days.
What to bring to a white NIE appointment
The National Police e-office sets two requirements: you must not be in Spain irregularly, and you must explain why you are asking for the number. Barcelona International Welcome lists the papers: form EX-15 in duplicate, filled in and signed; your full passport, or your ID card if you are an EU citizen; a document showing why you need the NIE; and proof that you have paid the fee. In general, bring the original and a copy of each document.
Foreign documents must be translated into Spanish by a sworn translator and legalised, usually with the Hague Apostille; standard multilingual EU forms are exempt from both. If you are outside Spain, you apply for the NIE at the Spanish consulate where you live.
How to book the appointment
Appointments are booked on the Public Administrations e-office, under the procedure Cita previa de extranjería, which covers both immigration offices and procedures with the National Police. Barcelona International Welcome explains the route for the EU certificate: choose the province of Barcelona, go to the National Police procedures section, pick the option for the EU citizen registration certificate and continue with or without Cl@ve. Confirmation arrives by email, and you can check or cancel the appointment from the same page.
The council's website warns that demand for appointments is high and it may be hard to get one at the first attempt, so it recommends booking as soon as you arrive. The National Police names the Immigration Offices and Police Stations as the places to apply; for addresses and opening hours, Barcelona International Welcome points to the police's own stations page.
The fee and the deadlines
The fee is paid before the appointment using form 790 code 012, which you fill in online stating the exact procedure. Checked in October 2026 on the National Police fee table: 9.84 euros for assigning an NIE at the applicant's request, 12 euros for the EU citizen registration certificate and 16.08 euros for the TIE for a first residence authorisation. You pay in cash at a bank, without needing an account there, or by direct debit.
A common stumbling block, according to Barcelona International Welcome: some banks will not accept the payment if you only give your passport number, with no NIE. If that happens, try another bank. Once the application is in, the police have a maximum of five days to decide on the NIE; if they do not reply within that time, the application is deemed refused.
And the padrón: before or after?
For the EU certificate, Barcelona International Welcome says you generally do not need to show padrón registration, unless your address has changed from the one you gave before, although it adds that it depends on the officer who sees you. How to register, even without a contract in your name, is in our Barcelona padrón guide. And once you have the number, everyday things open up, such as a Bicing subscription or the health card.
Checked
Checked on 17 October 2026 on the National Police e-office (NIE assignment at the applicant's request and the immigration fee table), on the Public Administrations e-office (Cita previa de extranjería) and on the Barcelona International Welcome pages on what the NIE is, the white NIE, the EU citizen registration certificate and the TIE. Immigration procedures change often: confirm requirements and fees on the official page before you go.
Quick questions
Does the NIE give me permission to live in Spain?
No. Barcelona International Welcome explains that the NIE is only an identification number and has nothing to do with a residence or work permit.
What does a European citizen staying more than three months need?
The EU citizen registration certificate, known as the green NIE: you apply in person at the police station within three months of arriving, with form EX-18, and the fee is 12 euros.
How long does the NIE take?
The National Police have a maximum of five days from when the application is received; if they do not reply within that time, the application is deemed refused.