Your residence card is about to expire. And you are wondering what to do to continue living in Spain legally as you were doing until now. You don’t need to worry: it’s an easier process than you think.
In this article, we will explain, step by step, how to renew your NIE or residence permit in Spain.
We will explore the main requirements according to your specific type of card, and a series of very useful tips that will undoubtedly help you out.
The first thing you should keep in mind is that you don’t really renew your NIE, but your TIE or foreigner’s ID physical card.
The NIE is the number that identifies you as a foreigner in Spain, and it will always remain the same.
Once you have been in the country for one year with your initial residence permit, you will most likely have to renew i.
How to do it?
Although a few months ago the usual process was to get an appointment at the immigration office, prepare all the documentation, attend in person to submit all the paperwork, and then wait for the resolution; now everything is much easier.
The vast majority of residence permits can be renewed online.
After the coronavirus crisis and the lockdown in the country, the government has expanded the list of procedures that can be done online, speeding up the situation for foreigners.
Thus, you can now submit your renewal online, and you will get an answer much faster than before.
All you need is a digital certificate. In case you do not possess one, you can contact our team of lawyers and we will submit the documentation for you.
Do you have any doubts? Get in touch with our immigration lawyers and receive personalized legal advice and all your doubts solved:
What do you need to renew your NIE?
In order to renew your NIE, you must basically meet all the requirements that you met when you initially obtained your residence card.
Hence, the exact requirements will depend largely on the type of authorization you possess. It won’t be the same for an investor visa than for a non-lucrative one.
And that is what we will analyze next.
However, there are a series of general requirements that, no matter what your specific card is, must be present.
If you want to renew your residence permit, you will have to comply with them:
- No criminal records in Spain. That is to say, not to register minor offenses or issues of any type with the police or Spanish justice system. If you have any criminal records registered, we suggest you cancel them before submitting your application.
- Not be a citizen of the European Union, Switzerland, or the European Economic Area.
- You must not be prohibited from entering the country.
- Provide a valid and up to date passport. If it has expired, renew it before starting the renewal of your residence card.
- Be the holder of the residence permit that you intend to renew and be within 60 days before its expiration or 90 days after.
- Have health care in Spain. This can be covered by social security if you are employed, or by contracting health insurance.
- If you have dependent children, they must be in school while they are in Spain.
- Fill in the official application form according to your residence. You can find the complete list here. As you can see, it is the same as the initial form you already submitted. You just need to check the box for the 1st or 2nd renewal this time.
- Pay the relevant fees, the amount of which will vary according to your permit.
- Avoid prolonged absences outside Spain, as that is a straightforward denial reason.
Let’s see what the specific requirements in each particular case.
Work permit as an employee renewal
The first case is that of the work permit as an employee (“por cuenta ajena”). How can it be renewed?
The first thing is that you need to have a job and offer valid for the duration of the renewal.
However, unemployment or welfare benefits are also valid.
Unless it is already the time for your permanent residence, this renewal will be for 4 years.
But there is another requirement that must be met. And in that sense, We encounter three different cases:
You have been working for 9 months or more
If you have been working for a minimum of 9 months, you are set to go.
Having a job offer or keeping your contract will be enough to renew.
You have just been working for 3 months
But what happens if you’ve only worked for three months a year? The renewal is still possible.
But in this case, it will be essential that during the time you have not worked, you can prove that:
- You present a new employment contract with another employer (which meets the initial conditions), and you are registered with Social Security at the time of renewal.
- The employment contract with your original employer was terminated for reasons beyond your control, provided that, subsequently, you have been registered uninterruptedly as a job seeker in the Public Employment Services
- That you have a new employment contract that meets the previous requirements and that is conditional on the granting of the renewal of your residence.
If the foreigner is not working but meets the requirements to be reunited with his or her spouse or partner, it is also possible to renew the authorization. In that case, the renewal is processed by proving that the spouse has sufficient financial means to reunite with him or her.
You have not been working
Finally, If a foreigner is not working but meets the requirements for reunification, then it is also possible to renew the card, even if she does not meet the requirements for renewal.
In those cases, the renewal is done by proving that the spouse can regroup him/her.
Work permit as a self-employed renewal
Here the requirements are more straightforward.
To renew a self-employed work permit (“por cuenta propia”, as an autónomo), you must maintain the same employment relationship that gave rise to this residence permit in the first place.
In other words, you must continue to operate as a self-employed individual.
In order to do so, you must be up to date with the payment of taxes as an “autónomo” and not have any debts with the Tax Agency or Social Security. This is done by submitting your VAT, income tax, or corporate tax returns.
If you do not continue working, you will need to have protection for cessation of activity or it can also be renewed if the self-employed person’s contract has been terminated for reasons beyond their control.
Finally, and as in the previous case, there is also the option of the spouse being able to demonstrate that he/she has sufficient economic resources to support you. Therefore, continuing with the professional activity would not be necessary for the renewal.
However, in that case, he or she would only obtain a residence permit, and not a work permit, when renewing.
Renew your work permit as a highly qualified worker
To renew this type of work permit, you will need to demonstrate and present the same requirements that were necessary for the initial application.
That is to say:
Firstly, the foreigner must provide the contract signed by the company or employer, guaranteeing his or her employability for the duration of the renewed card’s validity.
The salary established in the contract must be high enough. We are talking about a gross annual salary equal to or greater than 1.4 times the average gross annual profit per worker published by the INE.
For this year, this threshold stands at approximately 42,000€ annually, according to Order PJC/44/2026. This amount is updated every year with new data from the INE, so it is advisable to check it before signing the job offer.
Again, submitting the documentation referring to the academic background of the worker, demonstrating that he or she has the experience and knowledge necessary to perform the job.
The foreign worker must be registered with the social security system.
As for the company, not only must it be up to date with its payments to the Tax and Social Security Agency, but it must also be able to demonstrate sufficient economic solvency to keep the worker on payroll during the established renewal period.
As we have mentioned, the documentation to be provided will be the same as in the initial application, with the difference that if the worker changes his company, he will have to provide the details of the new one. We are talking about tax identification data as a self-employed person/company (NIF, CIF, DNI), income tax declaration, VAT, company tax, or working life of the company.
Family reunification visa renewal
To renew a residence permit for family reunification, the requirements are identical to those of the initial application.
We are basically talking about three key points.
The first is to continue having proper housing conditions so that all of you who live together can do so in dignified conditions. If you have changed your address, you will have to request the habitability report again from the competent Autonomous Community.
Afterwards, the applicant must have sufficient economic means (100% of the IPREM plus 50% of the IPREM per extra relative). To prove this, at the time of renewal, a copy of the employment contract or the last personal income tax return if you are working for someone else; and if you are self-employed, the last personal income tax return and proof of your professional activity. If you do not carry out any type of activity, bank certification with the required amount of money.
Finally, the relationship must be maintained (marriage, civil union, etc.), and it will be necessary to accredit it.
All this will be formalized by means of the application form EX-02.
Non-lucrative residency renewal
Here you can find a complete guide on how to renew the non-lucrative residency.
However, in this section we will see one of the main requirements, the one that generates most doubts.
As you know, in order to obtain this type of residency it is essential to demonstrate the possession of a certain economic amount in your bank account.
If for the initial application you had to prove the possession of 28,800 euros in your bank account, at the time of renewal this amount goes up.
Why? Because the renewal is not for one year, but for two.
Therefore, the amount required is doubled; now requiring 57,600 euros.
Apart from that, make sure you still have health insurance, and the renewal will be yours.
In this case, we will use the EX-01 model.
How to renew the long-run/permanent residency
In the case of the long-term residency, and as long as you are on time, the renewal is much easier and direct.
You don’t need to prove you’ve been working in the country.
The only existing and crucial requirement will be to prove that you have been in Spain for 5 years continuously. That is to say, that you have not left more than 6 months in a period of one year (not continuous); or that the total amount of departures in the complete period does not exceed 10 months.
Here you will find an article here explaining in detail the maximum time you can be outside the country and still be able to renew; and here a complete guide on how to renew the long-term residency card step by step.
Finally, you will have to prove that you have not been banned from entering Spain, pay the relevant fee, and finally renew.
Family member of an EU citizen card renewal
If you have obtained the residence as a family member of an EU citizen, once your 5 years with it come to an end, renewing your community card is very simple.
You will simply need to prove that the link with the European Union citizen (usually your spouse) is still maintained, that you have not been outside Spain for longer than the time allowed, and fill in the EX-19 form.
As an exception, if you have separated or divorced your partner (European citizen), you can continue to renew it as long as you have lived together for at least 3 years within the 5 years granted with the initial card.
When can I renew my permit?
You can request renewal from 60 days before your card expires and up to 90 days after it expires. Submitting the application within the deadline automatically extends the validity of your previous authorization until the process is resolved.
You have 5 months in total to do it.
However, we recommend that you start the process before the card expires.
Why? Because you may be fined for a late submission.
So be aware of the administrative deadlines for your renewal and start preparing everything good time before.
How much should I pay for the corresponding fee?
Each and every one of the procedures carried out at the immigration office requires the payment of a fee.
And renewals are no exception.
In this case, the exact cost depends on the type of card and the procedure:
TIE issuance fee (form 790, code 012): is what you will pay at the National Police to have the physical card delivered to you once your file has been resolved.
The amount varies depending on the type of authorization, orientatively between 12€ and 22€ (for example, around 15.76€ for temporary residence and 21.02€ for permanent or long-term residence, although we recommend that you check the updated amount in the Electronic Headquarters of the National Police before paying).
If you renew a residence and work as an employee or self-employed person, in addition to the previous fee you must pay the file processing fee: form 790, code 052 (at the expense of the worker) and, if you have an employer, form 790, code 062 (at the expense of the company, for work authorization).
For the rest of the renewals (family reunification, non-profit, long-term or community card), the usual rate is only that of issuing the TIE (model 790/012).
Start your renewal now
Now you know all the requirements to renew your NIE or residence permit in Spain.
All that remains is to prepare all the required paperwork and submit it to the competent authority.
And we want to make that easy for you.
You simply need to send us an email explaining your situation, and our team of lawyers will submit your application in record time, completely online.
Speak with one of our
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