EU Citizens – How to get your Empadronamiento, NIE & Social Security Number!

The information below has been collected by the Citylife team via intense research in collaboration with Proyecto Océano, one of Barcelona’s most known legal associations. Please keep in mind that we are not directly related to any legal or government departments and the information may be subject to change.

Are you a citizen of the European Union currently in the process of getting all your legal documents together to live, study or work in Barcelona? Check out the instructions below where we outline everything you need to know about the NIE/TIE, Empadronamiento, and Social Security Number.

If you are not a citizen of the European Union, please click here to follow the instructions that apply for you!

You will stay in Spain for LESS than 3 months, and will either study or do an unpaid internship? These are the documents you need:

• No further paperwork is required. Lucky you!

You will stay in Spain for LESS than 3 months, and you will either work or do a paid internship? These are the documents you need:

• Empadronamiento (recommended): This official document will make you a citizen of the city in which you reside. It is recommended to get it but currently not mandatory.
• NIE (recommended): You might need this document to sign a phone contract, open a bank account* or fill out any administrative paperwork. It is not mandatory to obtain the NIE, from a legal perspective your passport is sufficient to request your social security number (“número de afiliación”). However, some employers will want you to get the NIE before requesting your Social Security Number.
• Social Security Number: This is required to work or do a paid internship legally in Spain. You will need to request the so called “número de afiliación” so that your employer can request your social security number.

Click on any of the following links, to find out how to obtain the Empadronamiento, NIE and Social Security Number.

* In the case that you want to open a bank account and do not have an NIE, we will help you to open an account thanks to our collaboration with Banco Sabadell.

You will stay in Spain for MORE than 3 months and you will either study or do an unpaid internship? These are the documents you need:

• Empadronamiento: This official document will make you a citizen of the city in which you reside.
• NIE: This is mandatory as it permits you to reside legally in Spain when you stay for more than 3 months being an EU citizen or equivalent.

Click on any of the following links, to find out how to obtain the Empadronamiento and NIE.

You will stay in Spain for MORE than 3 months, and you will either work or do a paid internship? These are the documents you need:

• Empadronamiento: This official document will make you a citizen of the city in which you reside.
• NIE: You will need this mainly for economic reasons, as well as to e.g. open a bank account, sign a phone contract, or fill out any administrative paperwork.
• Social Security Number: This is required to legally work or do a paid internship in Spain. You will need to request the so called “número de afiliación” so that your employer can request your social security number.

Click on any of the following links, to find out how to obtain the Empadronamiento, NIE and Social Security Number.

Do you still have questions or other legal topics you need answered?

Simply fill out the form below and your query will be sent to us as well as to our friends at Proyecto Océano, one of Barcelona’s most known legal associations, who are also here to help you out! Please note: By sending the form below, you automatically agree that we can forward your data to Proyecto Océano.

Coming soon!