NIE cost in Spain: the €9.84 fee and other expenses

How much does it cost to get a NIE?

The amount of €9.84 is shown on the form the police publish on the page «Tasa modelo 790 Código 012. Reconocimientos, Autorizaciones y Concursos». The same amount appears in the annex to Orden PJC/617/2025 (item 5.12) [4]. The order provides for annual updating by the budget law, so check the current amount on the form before paying [1][4].

Who applies for the NIE and pays this fee?

A NIE on application is for people with economic, professional or social interests in Spain: for example, people buying a home or those who need the number for transactions. The conditions are simple: the person must not be in Spain illegally and must state the reasons for requesting the number [2][3]. The applicant submits the application to the Dirección General de la Policía, either directly, through the oficinas de extranjería or police stations, or, if abroad, through a Spanish consulate [2][3].

Documents according to the police page: a completed EX15 form and the receipt for payment of the modelo 790 código 012 fee [2]. What additional proof of your reasons you will be asked for depends on the office.

Who does not pay a separate NIE fee?

Who is assigned a NIE ex officio. Article 205 RD 1155/2024 says that foreign nationals for whom a procedure has been started for a document entitling them to be in Spain receive a personal number, and the police assign the NIE de oficio. For visas, automatic assignment applies only to visas that entitle the holder to stay for more than 90 days without a separate permit [3]. We have not found any requirement in the regulations to pay a separate fee specifically for the NIE in these cases; you do, however, pay the fees for the procedure itself. How this works in your case depends on the type of procedure, and that is a question for a lawyer or gestor.

For the difference between the NIE and the TIE, see the separate article, and for the TIE in Barcelona: TIE and huellas.

How do you pay the NIE fee?

1. Open the police online form Tasa 790, código 012 and select the procedure «Asignación de NIE a instancia del interesado»: the amount is shown next to it [1].
2. Fill in the applicant’s details and generate the payment document.
3. Pay at a bank or another credit institution: you do not need to open an account there [2].
4. Keep the paid document: it is on the list of documents for submission [2].

A detailed guide to the form and online payment: modelo 790 and how to pay the fee online.

What costs are there on top of the fee?

Costs depend on what you need: sworn translation and apostille of documents if you attach them to explain your reasons, a notarial authorisation (poder) if you apply through a representative, the services of a gestor or abogado. There is no single price list, and the price is set by whoever provides the service. Ask for a written quote: what it includes, and whether fees, translations and corrections are covered.

In our format, fees and translations are paid separately from case management, and case management is priced on a quote. Document preparation and submission are handled by the team under document services; the procedure for each residence permit route is set out on the residence permit in Barcelona page.

How long is the wait and how do you challenge a refusal?

The police must decide on the application and notify the applicant within five days of its receipt in the registro. If that time passes without a reply, the application is deemed rejected, meaning silence counts as refusal. The decision ends the administrative route: you can file a recurso de reposición within one month or bring a claim before the contencioso-administrativo courts within two months [2][3]. We have not found the actual processing times in Barcelona in official sources. They are discussed in the article on waiting for a NIE.

Frequently asked questions

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ReloVictory · Sources reviewed 02.10.2026 · Not a substitute for individual legal advice.