Certificate of registration as a Union citizen (NIE verde)

What you need to have to hand

1. Pasaporte o DNI vigente. 2) EX-18 filled in. 3) Tasa 790-012 paid. 4) Proof of activity or means (contract/Seguridad Social registration, RETA + 036/037, or bank statements). 5) Health insurance valid in Spain. 6) Matrícula if you are a student. 7) Empadronamiento recent (many offices ask for it). 8) Printer and copies.

Documentation

• Identity: pasaporte o DNI original + copy.
• EX-18: solicitud de certificado de registro UE signed.
• Tasa 790-012: proof of payment (epígrafe del certificado UE).
• Address: volante de empadronamiento (last 3 months recommended).
• Employee: contrato/certificado de empresa + alta en Seguridad Social.
• Self-employed: alta en RETA (TA.0521) + fiscal registration (Modelo 036/037).
• Unemployed/not active: full health insurance and economic means (bank statements with sufficient balance).
• Students: matrícula, health insurance and declaration of resources.

Step by step

1. Fill in the EX-18 with your data and the reason (work, self-employed, student or not active with means).
2. Pay the tasa 790-012 at https://sede.policia.gob.es/Tasa790_012/ (online with your bank or print to pay at a bank counter). Keep the receipt with the NRC or stamp.
3. Book an appointment at https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/icpplustiem choosing your province and “Certificado de registro de ciudadano de la Unión”. If your office serves without appointment, go early.
4. Prepare a folder with originals and copies. If you are employed/self-employed, add Seguridad Social/Hacienda registrations; if not working, add statements and the policy with terms.
5. Go to the comisaría/oficina on the day and time. They check everything, assign your NIE if you didn’t have one and print the green certificate.
6. Check the details (name, address, NIE) before you leave. If there’s an error, get it corrected on the spot.

Time-savers

• Appointments: slots are often released on Mondays and early mornings. Try nearby offices too.
• Browser: the appointment site works better in Chrome. Disable blockers.
• Insurance: bring the policy and its terms. If the policy has copayments/waiting periods, they may reject it.
• Means: bank statements over several months showing a stable balance. Less arguing at the counter.
• Copies: bring one copy of everything. Otherwise they’ll send you to the print shop.

Common mistakes that can derail the procedure

1. Paying the wrong tasa: select the epígrafe for the certificado UE on the 790-012.
2. Insufficient insurance: low-cost policies with copayments or partial refunds = rejection.
3. Expired passport: they’ll send you home.
4. Not bringing empadronamiento: many offices demand it even if the website doesn’t make a big deal of it.
5. Confusing NIE with TIE: here they give the green certificate (no photo). The TIE is for non-EU family members (EX-19), a different procedure.
6. Not proving activity/means: contract without alta, autónomo without RETA or weak bank statements = refusal at the counter.