What is NIE (Spain) and how to apply?

What is NIE?

NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) is the number of identification of foreigners. This number allows having a relation with Spain for economic, professional, or social interest. Article 206 of the Regulations of Organic Law 4/2000, on the rights and freedoms of foreigners in Spain and their social integration, sets forth that foreigners having a relation with Spain for economic, professional, or social interests shall be provided with a personal, unique, and exclusive sequential number for identification purposes.

Why do I need NIE?

All the students or graduates coming to Spain for doing an internship or for working in a company need to have a NIE. Especially for those who will stay more than 3 months in this country as interns. Moreover, having a NIE will give you many advantages. You will be able to open a bank account, have a Spanish phone number, and much more.

So, if you want to work in a Spanish company, you have to apply for this document. :)

When should I apply?

You should apply for the NIE a few weeks before the start date of your internship. If you are going to a bigger city, like Madrid, Barcelona, or Valencia, you should apply up to a month ahead, even if you are still in your home country. The process could take some time, as some places have long waiting lists to get your appointment.

Be sure to complete the application and obtain a meeting before you start working in the company.

How to apply?

First of all, go here and complete the application for the appointment with the following information: choosing the city where you’ll be, your personal information, day, and hour when you are available.

Then on the chosen day, you need to submit your application to the assigned police office (you will see the address in the process of the application), and it must be accompanied by:

1. Two copies of the completed request file (you can find it here);
2. Original + one copy of your passport or identity card;
3. We suggest you take the original and one copy of your Training Agreement;
4. Please also bring the following form and pay a fee of 9,54 € at an authorized Spanish bank before attending your appointment.

Finally, it's not so complicated if you want to have an amazing professional experience in Spain!

If you want to do an internship abroad, don’t hesitate to take a look at our offers. Make an account on trainingexperience.org and start applying to your favorites. We are here for your questions and we can help you find the perfect internship without any cost involved. Find out more details here.