If your residency card or NIE has been lost or stolen, keep on reading. In this article you are about to discover, through 3 simple steps, how to request a duplicate of your TIE as quickly as possible. You will find how many days this procedure takes exactly, what documentation you will have to submit to get your new card, and where. Complete this process as soon as possible to avoid legal problems and get your new card in record time. Let’s get started!
What happens if you lose your NIE?
In case you have lost your NIE or it has been stolen, the solution is very simple: you must request a duplicate.
But before we dive deep into the exact actions to be carried out for this purpose and understand how this duplication is done, we must first clarify a very important point that will help us understand what comes next.
Whether you lose your card, if it is stolen or rendered useless; in no case are you losing your NIE.
The NIE is the number that identifies you as a foreigner in Spain, and that number is forever.
What is actually lost is the TIE or residency card, the document or plastic that contains our NIE (9-digit identification, with one letter at the beginning and one at the end), photo, and residency type.
In addition, you do not lose your residency in Spain either; that is, your legal capacity to live in the country remains intact. This is a right that you acquire once your residence permit application is granted, and it is maintained for the stipulated period of 1, 2, or 5 years (depending on the type of residency).
Therefore, although many foreigners tend to say that “they have lost their NIE”, what they have really lost is their TIE or physical card; and the process of requesting a duplicate consists of getting a new document while the rest of the data will be exactly the same.
How do I get a copy of my NIE?
The process consists of three different parts that you will have to follow if you want to get your duplicate.
The first thing you should do, once you realize that your physical card has been lost or stolen, is to report it to the police.
You should visit any police station to report the “disappearance” of your TIE and make a record of it. This is essential, since you will have to submit the document you will be granted afterwards when you apply for the duplicate later on.
Through this link, you will find a list of the different offices closest to your residence.
Once you have done this, you have a maximum of 30 days to go to the national police (after making an appointment) to request the copy.
Our recommendation is that you wait a few days (about 4 or 5) while you look for your card or wait for it to appear. It is very common for someone on the street to find it by chance and send it to you, or that by searching through your belongings you finally find it.
That is why it is suggested to wait for a prudential time before applying for the duplicate.
Once these days have passed, you will make an appointment with the nearest immigration office to submit all the paperwork in person, as you can see below.
Appointment for a duplicate NIE due to loss
Where can I make an appointment to request a duplicate of my lost or stolen card?
You just need to click on this link, select your region, and enter your data to select date and time from the available fields.
What are the required documents to get a duplicate of my TIE?
On the day of the appointment, you must bring with you the following documents:
- First of all, the report that you formalized days before notifying the theft or loss at the police station.
- The application form EX-17, in which you will check the corresponding box in section 4): “duplicado por robo, destrucción o inutilización”.
- Your passport (which must be valid) and a copy.
- Three passport pictures (with white background).
- Proof of payment of the relevant fee, which will be the fee that corresponds to the type of residency you currently hold in Spain.
And that’s it! Simply with these documents, your application will be accepted and the process to get a copy or a duplicated card will start.
How long does it take to issue the duplicate NIE?
Once you have submitted all the documentation on the day of your appointment at the immigration office, you will register your fingerprints.
This will end the process, and you will have to leave the police station and wait around 40-45 days to make again a new appointment to pick up your new card.
Therefore, the process can take a little over a month.
But there is something worth considering here. Because, in some cases, this can cause problems at the Spanish borders. What kind of problems?
Is it possible to leave Spain while the duplicate is being made?
As we have seen, for a period of about 40 days you will be in Spain without a physical residency card (the old one is lost, and the new one is being processed).
This could pose a problem, because although it is true that leaving Spain is something you can do without showing your Spanish residency card, when re-entering the country the border authorities would not let you go in if you don’t have a TIE or visa.
What to do then?
The solution is simple. You will have to ask for an authorization to return to Spain, which will allow you to cross the border as long as you have your passport with you.
Remember that if you have any legal doubts and would like our expert lawyers to legally assist you step by step, we are at your complete disposal.
Book a consultation with one of our lawyers and solve all your doubts:
