Half of the confusion in Spanish immigration fits into three acronyms. Clearing them up avoids the wrong appointments, pointless queues and unnecessary scares — because they are not interchangeable, and each has its own procedure.
The Número de Identidad de Extranjero (Foreigner Identity Number) is exactly that: a number that identifies you before the Spanish administration. You need it for almost everything (opening a bank account, buying a house, paying taxes) — but having a NIE does not mean having legal residence. You can hold a NIE as a non-resident (the classic case of the foreign property buyer). It is the most dangerous confusion: some people believe they “have papers” because they have a NIE on a white sheet of paper.
The Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero (Foreigner Identity Card) is the physical document that proves your residence authorisation (whichever one you obtained: arraigo, family reunification, work…). It contains your NIE, your photo, your fingerprints and — careful — the validity of the card. It is processed at a police station with a prior appointment: first the fingerprints (form EX-17, fee 790-012, photo), and some 30–45 days later, the collection.
The TIE is the proof, not the right. If your authorisation is still valid, or a renewal was filed on time, an expired physical card does not make you irregular — although it does complicate your life (travel, procedures, employers who don’t understand the nuance). The right discipline: renew the authorisation on time and book the fingerprint appointment as soon as the decision arrives.
EU citizens do not carry a TIE: their document is the registration certificate — the green paper or small green card — which proves their registration as EU residents. Their non-EU family members do carry a special TIE (the family member of an EU citizen card).
Lost among acronyms, or stuck with a procedure? Assess your case for free and we will point you down the short path.