• Apply within three months of entering Spain.
• Requirements differ for employees, self-employed people, students and people who are not working.
• The application is made in person using EX-18 after paying form 790, code 012.
• The certificate includes the NIE, but it is not a TIE and has no photograph.
• A right of permanent residence is generally acquired after five years of continuous legal residence.

Residence in Spain for EU Citizens: Requirements and Procedures

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens who intend to live in Spain for more than three months must register with the Registro Central de Extranjeros. The application must be made within three months of entering Spain. The resulting document is the Certificado de Registro de Ciudadano de la Unión, also known as the EU certificate or green NIE.

Requirements for residence as an EU citizen

The evidence depends on the applicant's circumstances.

Employees

Employment may be proven with an employment contract, an employer's certificate or declaration, or registration with Spanish Social Security.

Self-employed people

Economic activity may be shown through Social Security registration, registration in the Censo de Actividades Económicas or, where applicable, the Commercial Register.

People who are not working

They must prove sufficient resources for themselves and, where applicable, their family, together with public or private health insurance providing adequate cover in Spain. Resources are assessed according to personal and family circumstances and may be shown through bank accounts, income, assets or other means.

Students

Students must provide enrolment at a recognised institution, valid health cover in Spain and sufficient resources for their stay. In certain cases, the European Health Insurance Card may be used if it adequately covers the intended period.

Documents required

The application generally requires:

• form EX-18;
• a valid passport or national identity card;
• evidence of the relevant employment, financial or academic circumstances;
• health insurance where required;
• proof of payment of form 790, code 012;
• proof of address or empadronamiento where requested.

A criminal-record certificate is not generally required for this procedure.

How to obtain the certificate

1. Empadronamiento

Register your address with the municipality where required to establish residence.

2. Prepare the evidence

Collect the documents for your circumstances as an employee, self-employed person, student or person with independent resources.

3. Book a cita previa

The procedure is completed in person at the competent Oficina de Extranjería or police station for your address.

4. Pay the fee

Pay the applicable fee using form 790, code 012.

5. Submit the application

Submit EX-18 with your identity document and supporting evidence. If the conditions are met, the registration certificate is issued.

Which document do you receive?

The certificate states the holder's name, nationality, address, NIE and registration date. The NIE is included in the certificate, so no separate NIE procedure is needed afterwards if one had not already been assigned.

The certificate is not a TIE and has no photograph. It must therefore be used together with a valid identity document.

Family members of EU citizens

Family members who are also EU, EEA or Swiss citizens may register under the EU system if they meet the requirements.

Non-EU relatives may apply for the Residence Card for Family Members of an EU Citizen, generally using EX-19. Depending on the case, they must prove the family relationship, the EU citizen's identity and residence in Spain, financial dependence where required, and that the EU citizen meets the residence conditions.

Non-EU relatives of Spanish citizens may instead fall under the specific EX-24 permit. The applicable system must therefore be identified first.

Permanent residence

After five years of continuous legal residence in Spain, an EU citizen generally acquires a right of permanent residence. They no longer need to base residence on employment, studies or a specified level of resources.

Certain absences do not interrupt the five-year period. However, permanent residence may be lost after more than two consecutive years outside Spain.

Administrative residence and tax residence

The EU certificate proves administrative residence in Spain. Tax residence determines where a person pays tax and depends on tax law and their individual circumstances. Obtaining the EU certificate alone does not determine tax residence.

• Confusing the NIE with the EU certificate and assuming that having an identification number is sufficient.
• Submitting EX-18 without properly proving employment, resources, studies or health cover as required.
• Using the EU family-member system for a non-EU relative without checking whether EX-19 or the specific EX-24 permit applies.