How to Renew Your NIE in Spain: What Actually Gets Renewed, Requirements, Documents, and Deadlines

When you renew your NIE, you aren’t actually renewing the number. Your NIE (Foreigner Identification Number) is yours for life and never expires. What expires, and what you have to renew, is your TIE (Foreigner Identity Card, the physical card) and, in most cases, the residence authorization behind it. That’s why people search for NIE renewal and TIE renewal as if they were the same thing.

That distinction matters. Depending on your situation, the process goes through two different offices, with two forms and two fees. And one date matters more than any other: two months before your authorization expires, you can, and should, file your renewal.

In this guide, you’ll see exactly what gets renewed in your case, the requirements and documents, what it costs, and how to do it step by step, online or by appointment. We also cover what happens if you’re already late and what employers with foreign staff should keep an eye on.

What Actually Gets Renewed When You “Renew Your NIE” (and What Doesn’t)

The NIE is the personal, unique, and exclusive number that Spain’s Immigration Regulation assigns to every foreign national. It doesn’t expire and can’t be renewed. What you renew is your residence authorization, when it runs out, and the card that proves it: the TIE.

Put simply, the card is the container and the authorization is the right. Your TIE is valid for as long as your authorization, so when the authorization expires, you first renew it and then apply for a new card. For a refresher on each document, see our guide to the TIE (Foreigner Identity Card).

If you have…	What you renew	Where
Only an NIE number (for example, to buy property without living in Spain)	Nothing: the number doesn’t expire	There’s no renewal process
Temporary residence (work, non-lucrative, family reunification…)	1st the authorization · 2nd the TIE	Immigration Office, then National Police
Long-term residence	Only the TIE: the authorization is permanent	National Police
Student stay	It isn’t renewed but extended, under its own rules	Immigration Office and National Police
EU citizenship	You don’t have a TIE: your document is the EU registration certificate, which follows a different system	National Police

When to Renew Your NIE: Two Months Before and Up to Three Months After

You can file to renew a temporary residence authorization in the two months before it expires, and up to three months after, with a possible penalty.

Watch out for a detail that trips people up: many guides still say “60 days before and 90 days after,” which comes from the previous regulation. The Ministry of Inclusion’s information sheets for the current Immigration Regulation (Royal Decree 1155/2024) say two months before and three months after the expiration date.

If you file on time, your current authorization is extended until the Immigration Office makes a decision. In other words, you remain a legal resident and, if your authorization allows it, you can keep working with your proof of filing.

Here’s an example: if your authorization expires on March 15, 2027, you can file your renewal starting January 15, 2027. If you miss March 15, you can still file until June 15, but you risk a fine.

What Happens If Your NIE Has Already Expired?

If your card and authorization expired less than three months ago, you can still apply for renewal, but you’re exposed to a minor offense. Spain’s Immigration Law (Organic Law 4/2000) penalizes a delay of up to three months in applying for renewal with a fine of up to €500.

After those three months without having applied, the situation gets more serious. With an expired NIE (really, an expired authorization) for more than three months, the law treats your stay as irregular, a serious offense with fines from €501 to €10,000. On top of that, renewal is no longer accepted, and you’d need to look at another route to residence. That’s why the date that matters most isn’t the expiration date, but the first day you can file.

NIE Renewal Requirements by Type of Residence

The general rule is simple: to renew, you must still meet the requirements of the authorization you hold, plus a few that apply to everyone.

The common ones are having no criminal record in Spain, holding a valid passport, and, if you have school-age children in your care, proving they’re enrolled in school. Beyond that, it depends on your type of residence:

Authorization	What you need to prove	Form · length
Employee	That you’re still in the same job, or that you fit one of the cases the rules allow (for example, nine months registered with Social Security within a twelve-month period, or receiving unemployment benefits)	EX-03 · 4 years
Self-employed worker	That you’re still running the activity your authorization was granted for	EX-07 · 4 years
Non-lucrative residence	Enough financial means without working, health insurance, and having lived in Spain for more than 183 days per calendar year	EX-01 · 2 years
Family reunification	That your sponsoring family member still holds their residence	EX-02 (EX-11 if the sponsor has long-term residence) · 4 years
Long-term residence	Nothing new: only the card is renewed	EX-17 · 5-year card

Work-based renewals involve more cases and nuances than fit in a table. We cover them in our guide on how to renew your residence card as an employee or self-employed worker.

Documents for Your NIE Renewal and the Fees You Pay

You need two sets of documents: one to renew the authorization at the Immigration Office and another to apply for the new card with the police.

1. To renew the authorization (except long-term residence):

• The EX form for your authorization (the same type as your initial application), signed.
• A copy of your valid passport.
• Documents for your situation: employment contract or work history, benefits, financial means, health insurance, your children’s school enrollment…
• Proof of payment of Form 790, code 052 and, for employee renewals, Form 790, code 062, which the employer pays. Both must be paid within ten business days of filing.

A tip that saves weeks: foreign documents need a sworn translation and must be legalized or apostilled, with some exceptions.

2. For the new card, once your renewal is approved:

• Form EX-17, checking the “renovación de tarjeta” (card renewal) box.
• Your valid passport.
• One recent color photo with a white background, passport size.
• Proof of payment of Form 790, code 012.
• The approval decision for your renewal (or the administrative silence certificate) and, usually, your previous card.

How Much Does It Cost to Renew Your NIE?

The fee to renew your NIE, strictly speaking the card fee, is €19.30 for temporary residence and €21.87 for long-term residence. You pay it with Form 790, code 012, at any authorized bank or online. On top of that, there’s Form 790, code 052, for the authorization renewal, which varies by type of authorization.

Form 790, code 012 (National Police)	Amount
Temporary residence TIE, first card	€16.08
Temporary residence TIE, renewal	€19.30
Long-term or EU long-term residence TIE	€21.87
EU registration certificate or EU family member residence card	€12.00

These are the amounts published on the National Police e-portal as of October 21, 2026. Fees are updated from time to time, so check the e-portal right before you pay.

How to Renew Your NIE Step by Step

First you renew the authorization with the Immigration Office. Once it’s approved, you apply for your new TIE with the police within one month.

Watch the order: you book the fingerprinting appointment once you have the decision, not before. From the day you’re notified that your renewal was approved, you have one month to apply for the card in person at the police station or police service where you live.

Can I Renew My NIE Online?

Yes. You can file the authorization renewal online through the Mercurio platform on the Public Administrations e-portal. You’ll need a digital certificate, a Spanish electronic ID, or Cl@ve. You fill in the form, upload your scanned documents as PDFs, and sign electronically; you get your proof of filing right away.

What you can’t do online is the card itself, because fingerprinting requires an in-person visit. In other words, NIE renewal online covers half the process: the half with the most paperwork and the strictest deadline.

How Do I Book a NIE Renewal Appointment?

To book your NIE renewal appointment for the police step, go to the immigration appointment (cita previa) site on the Public Administrations e-portal. Choose your province and select the police procedure for fingerprinting or card issuance. The exact name of the procedure varies from province to province. Then enter your NIE, your name, and your nationality, and pick an office, date, and time.

A scheduling tip: appointments are released in batches and go fast. Start looking as soon as you’re notified of the decision, because the one-month window to apply for the card starts that day.

Long-Term Residence Card Renewal: Only the Card Changes

If you have long-term residence, your authorization is permanent. The only thing you renew is the long-term residence card, every five years.

You don’t need to prove employment or financial means again. All you need is Form EX-17, your valid passport, a recent photo, and Form 790, code 012 (€21.87), at a police station by appointment. According to the National Police e-portal, from the second renewal onward, if you’re already 30 or older, the new card is valid for ten years.

One point worth knowing early: the fact that you can renew the card without meeting new requirements doesn’t mean long-term residence can’t be lost. Long absences from Spain can cause it to lapse, so if you spend long stretches abroad, have your situation reviewed before renewing.

Renewing Your Employees’ NIE: What Employers Need to Watch

If you have foreign employees, the renewal is theirs, but the risk is yours too: an expired, unrenewed authorization affects the employment relationship.

For employee renewals, the worker signs the application, but Form 790, code 062, is paid by the employer, and the main thing being proven is that the job continues. In practice, that means:

• An expiration calendar: track each employee’s authorization date and remind them at least two months in advance.
• Paperwork ready to go: an up-to-date contract, Social Security work history, and company certificate make the renewal easier.
• Proof of filing on file: while the decision is pending, the proof of filing shows the authorization has been extended.

For teams with several foreign employees, we handle it centrally through our employee relocation to Spain service.

Mistakes That Sink a NIE Renewal

Most problems don’t come from failing to meet the requirements, but from mistakes in the paperwork or the timing:

• Using the wrong form: Form EX-15 is for getting an NIE number, not for renewing. You renew the authorization with its EX form and the card with Form EX-17.
• Paying the wrong fee: code 052 is for the authorization (Immigration Office) and code 012 is for the card (National Police). They aren’t interchangeable.
• Waiting for an appointment to file: the authorization renewal doesn’t depend on the fingerprinting appointment. You can file online with no appointment.
• Letting your passport expire: both steps require a valid passport.
• Missing the one-month card deadline: once your renewal is approved, you have one month to apply for your TIE.

At its core, renewing your NIE means showing that your situation is still the one that earned you residence, and doing it in the right order and on time. Most denials don’t happen because people aren’t entitled to renew, but because of a wrong document or a missed date.

At ILLAY Legal, we review your authorization, prepare your documents for your specific situation, file your renewal online, and support you until you have your new card, all handled 100% online and in your language. If you prefer, our immigration lawyers in Spain can review your case before anything is filed. Tell us which card you have, when it expires, and what your situation is now, and we’ll tell you which process applies to you and the date you need to file by.

Frequently Asked Questions About NIE Renewal