If you are a foreigner and reside legally in Spain, the TIE Spain is the document that accredits this situation and it is necessary and obligatory for you to have it in your possession. It can be processed through professional law firms such as Pellicer & Heredia to avoid any incident in the process.

Those who need to apply for it ask themselves these questions

What are the requirements to apply for the TIE? What documentation do I have to present? Where do I have to go to apply for the Foreigner’s Identity Card? We tell you step by step how to obtain this title if you are a foreigner resident in Spain.

What is the TIE?

The Foreigner’s Identity Card is the document that accredits the regular situation of foreigners in Spanish territory. In addition to this, it also serves to identify the person and justify that they have authorisation to stay in Spain.

In other words, it is the document that accredits that the foreigner is legally resident in Spain.

This title is exclusive and unique for each person, as it is the document that identifies him/her and, therefore, it is personal and non-transferable.

The TIE can be assimilated to what the DNI is for Spaniards, the document that identifies them and which they must always keep in force.

Who can obtain the Foreigner’s Identity Card?

The TIE can only be issued to foreigners who are in a legal situation in Spain in accordance with current legislation and regulations. Therefore, it is necessary that they are in the following cases:

Those who have a visa or authorisation to stay in Spain for more than six months.
In cases of renewal of the authorisation.
When there is any modification or change in the data appearing on the card.
If the card has been stolen, lost, destroyed or rendered unusable.

Requirements

It should be borne in mind that in order for the TIE to be issued, the person must have a previous decision in accordance with an administrative authorisation or recognition of the right to stay in Spain and have paid the corresponding fees according to their situation.

All foreigners who have an authorisation or visa to stay in Spain for more than six months are obliged to apply for and obtain the TIE within one month of entering Spain or of being granted the authorisation.

Foreigners who have a work and temporary residence permit are not obliged to obtain the Foreigners’ Identity Card.

What are the obligations of TIE holders?

Holders of the TIE are obliged to:

To carry their Alien Identity Card with them at all times, as this is the document that identifies them.
To show it whenever they are required to do so by the competent authorities, regardless of whether they can prove their identity with their passport or equivalent document.
If they lose their TIE, they must immediately apply for another card, which must be as valid as the lost one. If the TIE has been destroyed or rendered unusable, you must also apply for a new TIE in the same way as for a lost TIE.
When there are changes of nationality or address, or changes in family status or any other change, they must be reported to the Aliens Office or Police Station within one month of their occurrence.

Where do I apply for a Foreigner’s Identity Card?

The TIE is processed at the Foreigners’ Office or at the Police Station in the town where you live.

The application must always be made by the interested party in person.

What documentation do I have to present?

In order to correctly process the Alien Identity Card, the following documentation must be presented:

Original and photocopy of the official application form Ex-17 duly completed and signed by the interested party.
The passport or the travel document in which it appears, or the entry stamp or control mark.
If you do not have the travel document, you must present the travel document, together with the declaration of entry to the country. This declaration must be made at a police station or at one of the foreigners’ offices within 72 hours of entering Spain. You can also present a valid Cédula de Inscripción in the cases provided for.
Three recent passport photos with a white background.
If you have a visa, you must also present it.
Resolution or notification justifying that you must issue the TIE. This document may be waived if you consent to the Administration checking this information.
Proof that you have paid the fees.
Proof or document accrediting that you are affiliated and/or registered with the Social Security in the appropriate cases.

Additional documentation

In cases of theft or robbery of the card, the corresponding report must also be submitted.
If the card is unusable or destroyed, you will have to present it.
If there have been modifications or changes to the data, you must present the documentation that justifies these events.

The TIE is a document that certifies that the foreigner is residing in Spain legally, i.e. that he/she has a recognised right to reside legally in Spanish territory. The NIE, on the other hand, is a number that is granted to foreigners for the sole purpose of identification.

Therefore, the NIE is not a residence card, but only an identification number, which, as such, will always be included on the TIE Foreigners’ Identity Card.