A certificate of concordance is the document Spain’s National Police issue to confirm that two identification numbers belong to the same person. The typical case: your old NIE (Foreigner Identification Number) and your new DNI (Spanish national ID card). You apply in person at a police station, with an appointment, and the fee is €7.31.
What costs people the most time isn’t getting it. It’s not knowing who will actually ask for it. Some government bodies already check the change on their own, while others will require the certificate. On top of that, the National Police don’t publish an official page for this procedure. So many of the processing times and validity periods you’ll read online aren’t backed by any regulation.
In this guide, you’ll learn what it is, what it’s used for, what to bring, how to apply, how much it costs, and where to present it afterward. We’ll also flag what the official sources leave unclear.
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The 30-Second Version
- What it is: the certificate of concordance is issued by the National Police and links the identification numbers on record under your name (NIE, DNI, or passport).
- How to apply: in person, at a police station, with an appointment. No official e-portal lets you apply online.
- What it costs: €7.31, paid with Form 790, code 012, under the certificates and reports item, as set by Order PJC/617/2025.
- Afterward: Social Security, the Spanish Tax Agency, and the DGT (Spain’s traffic authority) all let you update your NIE to your DNI, and the DGT can verify the change without you bringing the certificate.
What Is a Concordance Certificate (and What It Isn’t)
A certificate of concordance (certificado de concordancia) is issued by Spain’s National Police. It confirms that different identification numbers, such as an NIE and a DNI or a passport and an NIE, belong to the same person. It lists the numbers on record under your name so any agency can link your history.
What it isn’t: it’s not the resident or non-resident certificate, which show whether or not you live in Spain. It’s not the EU registration certificate either. And it has nothing to do with a vehicle’s certificate of conformity, which the manufacturer issues, or with the “concordance” procedures of Spain’s Land Registry.
One point worth knowing early: the National Police e-portal doesn’t have a dedicated page for this certificate. Government Delegations list it among the procedures handled at police stations by appointment. The Immigration Regulation (Royal Decree 1155/2024) covers the NIE and the documents that prove it in Articles 205 and 206. So whenever a detail isn’t published, we’ll say so.
What a Certificate of Concordance Is Used For
It proves you’re the same person when your identification number changes and an agency can’t connect the old number with the new one.
1. From NIE to DNI After Spanish Citizenship
This is the case for anyone who obtains Spanish citizenship. Once you take the oath and get your DNI, you stop using your NIE. But your records are still filed under it: Social Security contributions, taxes, bank accounts, or your driver’s license. The certificate of concordance connects both stages so your history doesn’t end up split in two.
2. From Passport to NIE
It also helps when an agency has you on file under a different number than the one you use now, for example your passport instead of your NIE. Spain’s Ministry of Health cites exactly this use: it asks for the certificate of concordance to correct the records of healthcare professionals listed under an earlier number.
Is a Certificate of Concordance Mandatory?
There’s no general obligation to get one. You need it when an agency or company can’t link your numbers on its own and asks you for it. The DGT, for example, only requires it if you apply in person and object to it checking the change electronically. In practical terms: before you book an appointment, ask whoever you’re dealing with whether they really need it.
Requirements for a Certificate of Concordance and What to Bring
There’s no official published list for this certificate, so the rule of thumb is to bring everything that proves the two numbers you want to link.
- Your current ID: your DNI if you’re already a Spanish citizen, or your valid passport and TIE (Foreigner Identity Card) if you’re still a foreign resident.
- Your old document: your previous TIE, the document showing your NIE, or your expired passport, depending on the number you need to link.
- Form EX-15: the official application form for the NIE and National Police certificates. It doesn’t have a specific box for concordance, so check when you book whether your police station requires it.
- Proof of payment of Form 790, code 012: paid before your appointment.
- Copies of everything: the official page for the resident certificate, the closest procedure, asks for a full copy of your passport, so it’s worth bringing them.
A tip that can save you weeks: write down the support number of your old TIE or NIE document before you hand it in or lose track of it. Social Security will ask for it when you switch your NIE to your DNI online.
How to Apply for a Certificate of Concordance Step by Step
You apply in person at a National Police station that handles immigration matters, after booking an appointment and paying the fee.
- Book an appointment with the National Police in your province through the official immigration appointment website.
- Generate Form 790, code 012 on the National Police e-portal and select the item «Certificados o informes emitidos a instancia del interesado» (certificates or reports issued at the applicant’s request).
- Pay the fee in cash or by direct debit at an authorized bank, savings bank, or credit union. You don’t need an account there to pay in cash.
- Gather your documents from the list above, with copies, and fill out Form EX-15 if your police station asks for it.
- Attend your appointment in person with the originals.
- Check the certificate when you receive it: every number you need to link should be on it.
Steps at a Glance
- Book an appointment with the National Police in your province.
- Generate Form 790, code 012, under certificates or reports.
- Pay €7.31 at an authorized bank.
- Gather your documents, copies, and Form EX-15.
- Attend the appointment in person.
- Check that the certificate lists all your numbers.
How Do You Book an Appointment for a Certificate of Concordance?
You book it on the government’s immigration appointment e-portal, under procedures handled by the National Police. Choose your province, look for the National Police certificates procedure, and enter your details. The exact name of the procedure varies from one province to another, so make sure it’s a National Police procedure that mentions certificates.
Can You Apply for a Certificate of Concordance Online?
No. No official e-portal currently lets you apply online: the only online steps are booking the appointment and generating the fee form. Mercurio, the platform for filing immigration authorizations online, doesn’t cover National Police certificates. Having a digital certificate or Cl@ve doesn’t change this, although you’ll use them later to update your details with the DGT or Social Security.
How Much a Certificate of Concordance Costs: The Form 790 Fee
A certificate of concordance costs €7.31: that’s the Form 790, code 012 fee for certificates or reports issued at the applicant’s request.
| Form 790, code 012 item | Fee | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Certificates or reports issued at the applicant’s request | €7.31 | Certificates you request yourself, such as a certificate of concordance |
| NIE assignment at the applicant’s request | €9.84 | Only if you’re applying for an NIE; not the item for concordance |
The amount is set by Order PJC/617/2025, which has governed immigration fees since June 2025. It matches the figure shown on the National Police e-portal as of September 2026. These fees are updated from time to time, so it’s worth checking the e-portal before you pay.
Is the Certificate of Concordance Free?
No. Order PJC/617/2025 doesn’t provide any exemption for this certificate. Some websites claim it’s free if you request it at the same appointment as your DNI. We haven’t found any regulation that says so, so plan on paying the €7.31.
Do you want a expert consultation? Contact us and we will help you.
Where to Present the Certificate of Concordance Afterward (and Where You Don’t Need It)
Only present it where they can’t link your numbers on their own, because several agencies already update the NIE-to-DNI change without asking for it.
| Agency | How to update | Will they ask for the certificate? |
|---|---|---|
| Social Security | Online, through Import@ss, with the option to switch your NIE to your DNI | The online process asks for your NIE support number, not the certificate |
| Spanish Tax Agency | Census declaration (Form 030) with documents that prove the change | It’s the document that proves your NIE and DNI are both yours |
| DGT (license and vehicles) | Duplicate license for a change of details: free and online with a digital certificate, electronic DNI, or Cl@ve. Your vehicles are updated at the same time | Only if you apply in person and object to electronic verification |
| Your bank and other companies | Each company sets its own process | If they can’t link your DNI to your NIE, it’s the document that proves it |
Here’s how it plays out: a Peruvian nurse who has just become a Spanish citizen has paid into Social Security for years, owns a car, and has a mortgage. She pays €7.31 for the certificate of concordance and uses it to file Form 030 and update her details at the bank. She makes the Social Security change online, with the support number from her old TIE. With the DGT, she requests a duplicate license online and free of charge, without the certificate, and her car is updated in the same step.
We cover the best order for each update in our guide to getting your Spanish DNI for the first time. Once Social Security has made the change, check your employment history report: all your contribution periods should still appear.
If You’re an Employer or HR Team
When a foreign employee becomes a Spanish citizen, their identification number changes, and it’s best to update it right away. Ask them for their new DNI and, if needed, the certificate of concordance. Then update their details in payroll, in their personnel file, and in what you submit to Social Security and the Spanish Tax Agency. That way, contributions and withholdings stay linked to the same person.
If you’re handling several cases at once, we coordinate them through our employee relocation to Spain and payroll management services.
Mistakes That Delay Your Certificate of Concordance
These mistakes can cost you an appointment or a week of waiting, and you can avoid all of them with a little preparation.
- Booking with the Immigration Office: the certificate is issued by the National Police, as the Government Sub-Delegation in A Coruña points out. An Immigration Office appointment will send you to the wrong counter.
- Selecting the wrong fee item: NIE assignment costs €9.84 and is a different procedure. The item for concordance is certificates or reports, at €7.31.
- Showing up without your old document: without your TIE, passport, or the document with your previous NIE, there are no two numbers to link.
- Counting on a processing time nobody guarantees: the National Police set a five-day maximum for the resident certificate, but publish none for concordance. Anyone who gives you an exact number is oversimplifying, so don’t leave it until the day before an important deadline.
The certificate of concordance is a small procedure, but it keeps your history yours when your number changes. Getting it is half the job; the other half is knowing who needs it and who doesn’t.
At ILLAY Legal, we review the documents you’ve had, prepare your application and fee form, and tell you which agencies to update and in what order. All of it 100% online and in your language. You attend the police appointment; our immigration lawyers in Spain handle the rest. Tell us which documents you’ve had (NIE, TIE, passports) and which updates are still pending, and we’ll tell you what you need and in what order.
Keep reading:
- What You Need to Renew Your NIE
- Dual Spanish Nationality: What You Need to Know
- How to Check Your Spanish Citizenship Application
Frequently Asked Questions About the Certificate of Concordance
Does a certificate of concordance expire?
There’s no official published validity period for a certificate of concordance. The three months you’ll see on many websites apply to the resident certificate, which does have that validity according to the National Police e-portal. In practice, each agency or company decides whether to accept an older certificate, especially if your details have changed since. If you’ll be presenting it a while after you get it, ask first whether they’ll take it or prefer a recent one.
What if there are no appointments available for a certificate of concordance?
Keep trying on different days and check every police station in your province that offers the procedure, because appointments are searched by province. In the meantime, get ahead on what doesn’t depend on it: pay the fee and gather your documents. You can also make the online updates that don’t require the certificate, such as the Social Security change or the duplicate license from the DGT. And be wary of anyone selling appointments: official appointments are free.
Can I request a certificate of concordance for my minor child?
Yes, if your child had an NIE and now has a DNI, for example because they became a Spanish citizen along with you. Since your child is a minor, you apply on their behalf: parents with parental authority are their legal representatives under Article 162 of the Civil Code. Official sources don’t publish specific requirements for minors. When you book, confirm whether your child needs to attend, and bring a document proving your relationship, such as the family book (libro de familia) or their birth certificate.
Can I travel without a certificate of concordance?
Yes. A certificate of concordance isn’t a travel document: you travel with your valid DNI or passport, depending on your destination. Where you may need it is in procedures tied to your records, like dealing with your bank or the Spanish Tax Agency, not at the airport. If you’ve just become a Spanish citizen and don’t have a Spanish passport yet, check beforehand which document you can use for your destination.
Is it possible to get an urgent certificate of concordance?
There’s no official fast-track: the certificate is requested by appointment like any other. If you’re facing a deadline, such as a signing at the bank, explain the situation to the company. Ask whether they’ll accept other proof in the meantime, such as your DNI together with your old TIE or your citizenship approval decision. And check whether that agency can verify the change on its own, as the DGT does.
What services offer assistance with obtaining a concordance certificate?
An immigration law firm can review which numbers are on record under your name and prepare your application and fee form. Above all, it can take care of updating your details with each agency afterward, which is the most time-consuming part. What no firm can do is guarantee you an appointment or a processing time, because those depend on the National Police. At ILLAY Legal, we handle it 100% online and in your language, and you only need to go to the police station.
Where can I validate a certificate of concordance issued in Spain?
It depends on where you’ll use it. Within Spain, you simply present it to the agency or company that asks for it. If you need to use it in another country, first ask whether they accept it and what formalities they require. Countries that are party to the 1961 Hague Convention use the apostille; the rest require legalization. Royal Decree 1497/2011 sets which Spanish authorities issue apostilles, and the Ministry of Justice lets you look up apostilles in its electronic registry.
