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Spain NIE card photo requirements

The 26 × 32 mm photo rules set by Policía Nacional, sede electrónica for the Spain NIE card, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 6 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Spain NIE card photo?

You do not need a photo to get an NIE. The Policía Nacional lists only form EX-15 and the fee receipt, and Spanish consulates add a passport copy and proof of your reason, never a photo. EU citizens' registration certificates show the NIE without a photo either. If you are a non-EU resident staying over six months, your NIE goes on a TIE card, and that application needs a recent colour photo, carné size (26 x 32 mm), on white.

The NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) is a personal, unique number that Spain gives foreign nationals for identification. It is assigned by the Dirección General de la Policía and must appear on the documents Spain issues to you, visas aside. People with economic, professional or social ties to Spain, for example buying property or receiving an inheritance, can ask for it themselves at an Oficina de Extranjería or police station, or through a Spanish consulate abroad. In other cases it is assigned automatically, such as when a residence procedure starts.

The NIE is a number, not a photo card. None of the official document lists for requesting it includes a photograph, and the Spanish Consulate General in Paris sends the assigned NIE by email. What people call an NIE card is usually one of two other documents: the TIE, the photo card for non-EU residents, or the EU citizen registration certificate, which shows the NIE but has no photo. Only the TIE needs a photo.

Spain NIE card photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Policía Nacional, sede electrónica:[1]

Print sizeNo photo for the NIE itself. The TIE card, which also shows your NIE, takes carné size: 26 x 32 mm
Digital sizeNot needed: an NIE application includes no photo
BackgroundNo photo for the NIE; a TIE photo needs a white background
Pixels when printed307 × 378 px at 300 dpi · 614 × 756 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
26 mm32 mm
26 × 32 mm photo drawn to scale. Background: no photo for the NIE.

Key requirements

  • No photo for an NIE request

    The Policía Nacional asks for form EX-15, Solicitud de Número de Identidad de Extranjero (NIE) y Certificados, and proof of payment of fee 790 code 012. No photograph is on the list.

  • Consulates do not ask for one either

    Applying from abroad, you send the request through a Spanish consulate. The embassy in Tegucigalpa asks for a letter explaining the reason, a legible passport copy, form EX-15 and the fee form; Paris asks for the passport, proof of residence in its district and documents showing why you need the number.

  • EU citizens: registration certificate

    Citizens of EU states living in Spain register on form EX-18 within three months of arrival. The certificate shows the NIE, and the Policía Nacional does not list a photo for it.

  • Non-EU residents: the TIE has the photo

    If you hold a visa or permit for more than six months, you must request a TIE, and that card does need a recent colour photo, carné size, on a white background.

  • An NIE alone is not residence

    The Paris consulate warns that an NIE obtained through a consulate lets you deal with Spanish public administrations, but it is not valid for living in Spain and does not prove residence.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Fill in form EX-15 and pay fee 790 code 012.
  • Bring your passport and a document showing why you need the NIE.
  • Register on form EX-18 if you are an EU citizen moving to Spain.
  • Have a carné-size colour photo on white ready if you are applying for a TIE.

Don't

  • Do not pay for photos for an NIE request; none are asked for.
  • Do not expect a photo card from an NIE request.
  • Do not use a consular NIE as proof that you live in Spain.
  • Do not confuse the NIE number with the TIE residence card.

Sample photos

How a Spain NIE card photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 26 × 32 mm and background colour.

Correct
Open-mouth smile
Head tilted
Too close: head too big
Too far: head too small
Busy background
Shadows on face or background
Glare on glasses

Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.

Glasses

Glasses do not matter for the NIE, because no photo is taken or submitted. They only become relevant if you go on to apply for a TIE. In that case the TIE photo follows Spain's DNI photo rules, which ban dark lenses except for some people with serious visual impairment.

Babies and children

Children can be given an NIE too. At the Paris consulate, both the parents or guardians and the child must attend, with a copy of the family book or birth certificate and copies of the parents' identity documents or passports. As for adults, no photo of the child is listed.

There is nothing to print or upload for an NIE. The request is made on paper forms with copies of your documents, and the official lists include no photograph.

The only related document that needs a picture is the TIE. Its photo is a print, carné size, which under the DNI rules means 26 x 32 mm on a plain white background. You hand it in at the police appointment for the card.

Where to submit the photo

In Spain, the NIE is requested from the Dirección General de la Policía, directly or through an Oficina de Extranjería or police station. Outside Spain, you apply through a Spanish consular office, which forwards the request to the Comisaría General de Extranjería y Fronteras. The regulation gives the police five days to decide; if there is no answer in that time, the request counts as refused.

The embassy in Tegucigalpa points out that if you plan to study or work in Spain, you cannot request the NIE through it: EU citizens obtain the number when they register in Spain, and non-EU citizens receive it with their residence permit.

How to get your Spain NIE card photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Spain NIE card: 26 × 32 mm print, no photo for the NIE background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: no photo for an NIE request; consulates do not ask for one either; eU citizens: registration certificate; non-EU residents: the TIE has the photo.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. There is nothing to print or upload for an NIE. The request is made on paper forms with copies of your documents, and the official lists include no photograph. The only related document that needs a picture is the TIE.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. In Spain, the NIE is requested from the Dirección General de la Policía, directly or through an Oficina de Extranjería or police station.

Make this photo online

Spain NIE card photo FAQ

No. The Policía Nacional asks for form EX-15 and the fee receipt, and consulates add a passport copy and proof of your reason. No photograph appears on any of these official lists.

Not as a separate document. The NIE is a number; when assigned on request it is not a photo card, and the Paris consulate sends it by email. The card people usually mean is the TIE for non-EU residents, which shows the NIE and has a photo, or the EU registration certificate, which shows the NIE without a photo.

The NIE is your foreigner identity number and needs no photo. The TIE is the card that non-EU nationals staying more than six months must request within a month; it carries the number and needs a recent colour photo, carné size, on a white background.

No. The Policía Nacional lists form EX-18, the fee receipt, a valid passport or national identity card and proof that you meet the conditions for registration. The certificate shows your name, nationality, address, NIE and registration date.

Yes, if you have economic, professional or social ties to Spain. The consulate forwards the request to the police. An NIE obtained this way lets you deal with Spanish administrations, but it does not let you live in Spain. No photo is needed.

A recent colour photo, carné size, with a white background. Spain's immigration regulation points to the DNI photo rules, which set 26 x 32 mm on a uniform plain white background, taken from the front with the head uncovered.

Related photo specifications

Other Spain documents

Other documents nearby

Also 26 × 32 mm

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Official sources

  1. Policía Nacional, sede electrónica. Extranjería: asignación de NIE a instancia de interesado sede.policia.gob.es. Checked 1 November 2026.
  2. Policía Nacional, sede electrónica. Extranjería: certificado de registro de ciudadano de la UE sede.policia.gob.es. Checked 1 November 2026.
  3. Boletín Oficial del Estado. Real Decreto 1155/2024, Reglamento de la Ley Orgánica 4/2000 (artículos 205 y 209) boe.es. Checked 1 November 2026.
  4. Embajada de España en Honduras, Sección Consular. Solicitud de NIE exteriores.gob.es. Checked 1 November 2026.
  5. Consulado General de España en París. Número de Identidad de Extranjero (NIE) exteriores.gob.es. Checked 1 November 2026.
  6. Ministerio del Interior. Tarjeta de identidad de extranjero interior.gob.es. Checked 1 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Policía Nacional, sede electrónica before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Spain NIE card photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/spain/nie-card-photo

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