How to process my student NIE when I arrive in Spain?

Are you coming to study in Spain ?: Take a look at this complete guide to obtain your NIE or Foreign Card.

You already have your student visa, your tickets, the suitcase made, your friends organized you a farewell and many illusions so that the Master you planned to do in Madrid begins as soon as possible. But have you noticed that your student visa is only valid for 3 months? And no, it’s not a mistake, so don’t worry, don’t go running to the Spanish Consulate to ask what’s wrong with them and why they torment you like that.

SPOILER ALERT: If you come only for 6 months or less, it is NOT necessary that you do this procedure, your visa will reflect the 6 months that you have been given permission to be in Spain. If you are a European citizen, this procedure is NOT for you.

If you come for a stay of more than 6 months and you are not a community citizen
If you take a look look, you have already been assigned a NIE (foreigner identification number) on your visa and when you arrive in Spain you will have to complete the procedure to obtain your Immigration Card (TIE). This procedure is important, since if your visa expires you will be without any document that certifies that you are legally in Spain.

These are the steps to follow:

Registration Procedure:
As part of the requirements for the TIE, you will be asked for your certificate of registration in Madrid. You can request your appointment here.

In case you have a rental contract in your name, you only have to carry your passport and the original contract.
If you do not have it, you must fill in the registration form.

If the person who authorizes you is the owner or the person in the lease, you must fill out and sign the “Registration authorization” section.

If the person who will authorize you is registered on the apartment, but NOT listed in the lease, she/he must fill out and sign the “declaration of residence” section.

In these last two cases you must also carry a copy of the identity document of the person who authorizes you and an electricity or gas bill.

NIE/TIE Procedure

Obtain the appointment: This procedure is only done with a PRIOR APPOINTMENT. Keep in mind that the appointment can be given to you within a week or within a month, so take your precautions.

1. Choose the province, in our case, Madrid.
2. Choose the option: “Policía – Toma de Huellas (Expedición de Tarjeta) y renovación de tarjeta de larga duración” (“Police – Fingerprinting (Card Issuance) and long-term card renewal”)

3. You will see a screen with the documentation that you have to take to your appointment (we will return to this point later), click on “Accept”.

4. Fill in your information, your passport number, names and surnames and country. Since you don’t have a card yet, don’t fill in the “Fecha de caducidad de tu tarjeta actual” ( Expiration date of your current card). Do not forget to press CAPTCHA to confirm that you are not a robot.

5. Check the “Solicitar cita” (Request appointment) option: If you see that there are no appointments available, you have to enter again at another time of the day or the next day. If there are appointments available, it will give you the choice of Office options, the least distant is the one in Av. De los Poblados, so choose that one.

6. Fill in the contact information, this step is important since your appointment will arrive later in an email. They will give you 3 appointment options (maybe the same day or on three consecutive days). My advice from experience is that you take the one that suits you best from those option, don’t wait for the perfect date/time, if you have classes, you can ask for permission and nothing happens, since this is a mandatory and very important procedure so that you can continue your stay in Spain with peace of mind. Once you have the appointment, it is time to collect documents.

Documentation for the issuance of the foreigner identity card

1. Completed application, model EX-17, original and copy.
2. Passport copy
3. Recent photograph in color, card size and with white background.
4. Copy of your visa
5. Registration certificate
6. Proof of payment of the Modelo 790 Código 012 fee of the Ministry of Interior. Download it here https://sede.policia.gob.es/Tasa790_012/, and the option that you have to mark is: TIE que documenta la primera concesión de la autorización de residencia temporal, de estancia o para trabajadores transfronterizos (TIE that documents the first grant of the authorization for temporary residence, stay or for cross-border workers).
   KEEP IN MIND: This form CANNOT BE PHOTOCOPED since each form is recognized with a unique identifier. You have to pay this fee before your appointment, you can do it at any bank (although I always go to Sabadell) and if you want to pay in cash you have to arrive until 10 a.m.

Remember that you must present the original documents, which will be returned once the copies are collated. They will give you a sealed paper that will be your proof of having completed the procedure.

It is important that you do not lose it since they will ask for it when you go to pick up your TIE 30 days after having completed the procedure. Take your precautionsso you can have your Card on time.