OtterFillHow to fill in the Spanish EX-18 (EU citizen registration)
The EX-18 is the official form to register in Spain’s Central Register of Foreigners as a resident EU, EEA or Swiss citizen; you receive a registration certificate that shows your NIE. You fill it in if you are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen and will live in Spain for more than 3 months.
Last checked against the official form:
- Form
- EX-18
- Edition
- EX-18 (Real Decreto 240/2007)
- Issued by
- Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones
- Form language
- Español
- Where it goes
- In person, usually by appointment, at the immigration office (Oficina de Extranjería) of the province where you will live or, where there is none, the police station (Comisaría de Policía)
- Deadline by law
- Within 3 months of entering Spain
- What to bring
- The EX-18 signed, in original and 1 copy; your valid passport or national ID card; the paid fee form (Modelo 790, código 012); and proof of your situation: work, self-employment, studies, or resources and health insurance. Originals and copies
- Cost
- The form is free; the fee is paid with Modelo 790, código 012. Check the amount on the official page
- What you receive
- A registration certificate, issued straight away, with your name, nationality, address, NIE and date of registration
What this form is
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens may live in Spain without a visa, but if you stay for more than 3 months you must register in the Central Register of Foreigners (Registro Central de Extranjeros). The EX-18 is the official form for that registration. Its printed title is “Solicitud de inscripción en el Registro Central de Extranjeros_Residencia ciudadano de la UE”.
Under Real Decreto 240/2007 (article 7), you have the right to live in Spain for more than 3 months if you work, are self-employed, have enough resources and health insurance, study at a recognised centre, or are the family member of an EU citizen in one of those situations. You apply in person within 3 months of entering Spain, and the certificate is issued straight away once the requirements are checked. The same form is used to ask for a certificate of permanent residence, to update your data and to cancel your registration.
The form has two pages to fill in and a page of instructions. Write in capitals with a black pen or fill it in on a computer, and bring the original and a copy. The certificate shows your NIE, so you do not need a separate NIE application.
Who has to fill it in
You fill in the EX-18 if you are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen and:
- You will live in Spain for more than 3 months as an employee, a self-employed worker or a student, or without working, with enough resources and health insurance.
- You are coming to live with, or are joining, a family member who is an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen and is in one of those situations.
- You have lived in Spain legally for 5 years without a break, or you are in one of the earlier cases for workers, and you want a certificate of permanent residence.
- You are already registered and need to update your data, for example a new address or passport, or cancel your registration.
You do not need this form if:
- You will stay in Spain for less than 3 months: your passport or national ID card is enough.
- You are a family member of an EU citizen but not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen yourself: you apply for a residence card with form EX-19.
- You are an EU citizen who needs only an NIE, for example to buy property, and will not live in Spain: you apply with form EX-15.
- You are a UK national covered by the Withdrawal Agreement: you use form EX-20.
Field-by-field instructions
1) Your personal details
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| 1PASAPORTE | The number of your passport or national ID card. | Copy the number of the valid passport or national ID card you bring to the appointment. If it has expired, bring a copy of it and of your renewal application. |
| 1N.I.E. | Your foreigner identity number (NIE), if you already have one. | Write it only if you were given an NIE before, for example with form EX-15. If you have never had one, leave it blank: the NIE is assigned with your registration. |
| 11er Apellido | Your first (or only) surname. | Write it as in your passport or ID card, in capitals. Spanish forms have room for two surnames; if you have one, it goes here. |
| 12º Apellido | Your second surname, if you have one. | Fill it in only if your document shows a second surname. Otherwise leave it blank; do not repeat the first one. |
| 1Nombre | Your first name or names. | Write every first name as in your passport or ID card, in the same order and spelling. |
| 1Sexo (X / H / M) | Your sex: X (indefinido, unspecified), H (hombre, man) or M (mujer, woman). | Tick one box. X may be ticked only by people whose country of origin recognises it. |
| 1Fecha de nacimiento | Your date of birth. | Use 2 digits for the day, 2 for the month and 4 for the year, in that order: 3 July 1990 is 03/07/1990. |
| 1Lugar / País | The town (Lugar) and the country (País) where you were born. | Write the town and the country as in your passport or ID card. |
| 1Nacionalidad | Your citizenship. | Write the EU, EEA or Swiss country of the document you apply with. |
| 1Estado civil (S / C / V / D / Sp) | Your marital status. | Tick one box: S (soltero/a, single), C (casado/a, married), V (viudo/a, widowed), D (divorciado/a, divorced) or Sp (separado/a, separated). |
| 1Nombre del padre / Nombre de la madre | Your father’s and your mother’s first names. | Write their first names as they appear in your documents. |
| 1Domicilio en España, Nº, Piso, Localidad, C.P., Provincia | The address where you live in Spain. | Write street, number (Nº), floor and door (Piso), town (Localidad), postcode (C.P.) and province. It is printed on your certificate, and you apply in the province where you live. Some offices also ask for a recent municipal registration certificate (empadronamiento), so check your office’s list. |
| 1Teléfono móvil / E-mail | Your mobile phone number and email address. | Fill in both. The office can use them to tell you that a notification is waiting for you. |
| 1Representante legal, en su caso / DNI/NIE/PAS / Título | The parent or guardian who acts for you if you are a minor or under guardianship. | Fill it in only in that case: the representative’s name, their ID, passport or NIE number (DNI/NIE/PAS) and the capacity they act in (Título), for example Padre/Madre del menor or Tutor. Otherwise leave it blank. |
2) The representative who files the application
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| 2Nombre/Razón Social / DNI/NIE/PAS | A representative who files the application for you, if any. | Fill in section 2 only if someone other than you acts as your representative, for example a lawyer. Write their name or company name and their DNI, NIE or passport number. The law says you apply in person, so ask the office before you send someone else. |
| 2Domicilio en España, Nº, Piso, Localidad, C.P., Provincia, Teléfono móvil, E-mail | The representative’s address in Spain, mobile phone and email. | Write the representative’s full address and contact details. Leave the whole section blank if you have no representative. |
| 2Representante legal, en su caso / DNI/NIE/PAS / Título | The legal representative of the representative, for example the person who signs for a company. | Fill it in only if the representative is a company or cannot act alone: that person’s name, ID number and the capacity they act in. |
3) Address for notifications
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| 3Nombre/Razón Social / DNI/NIE/PAS | The person who should receive letters about the application. | Write the name and the DNI, NIE or passport number of that person: yourself or your representative. If you leave section 3 blank, notifications go to you as the applicant. |
| 3Domicilio en España, Nº, Piso, Localidad, C.P., Provincia, Teléfono móvil, E-mail | The address in Spain, mobile phone and email for notifications. | Write a full address where post reaches that person, plus a phone number and an email, so that you get a notice when something is waiting. |
| 3CONSIENTO que las comunicaciones y notificaciones se realicen mediante puesta a disposición en la Dirección electrónica habilitada Única (Dehú) | Your consent to receive notifications electronically through the government’s single electronic address (DEHú). | Tick it only if the person in section 3 has a valid electronic certificate or Cl@ve, because you need one to open the notification. Companies must receive notifications electronically even without ticking it. |
4) Your residence in Spain
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| DIRIGIDA A / Código DIR3 / PROVINCIA | The office the application is addressed to, its DIR3 code and its province. | Write the name of the office where your appointment is, for example the immigration office or police station, and its province. The DIR3 code identifies that office; leave it blank if you do not know it and ask at the appointment. |
| 4PERÍODO PREVISTO DE RESIDENCIA EN ESPAÑA | How long you expect to live in Spain. | Write the period you plan to stay, for example the length of your job contract or of your studies. |
| 4FECHA DE INICIO DE LA RESIDENCIA EN ESPAÑA | The day your residence in Spain began. | Write the date you came to live in Spain as day, month and year: 1 September 2026 is 01/09/2026. |
| 4Nº DE FAMILIARES QUE ACOMPAÑAN O SE REÚNEN CON EL SOLICITANTE EN ESPAÑA | How many family members live with you in Spain or are coming to join you. | Write the number. Write 0 if no family member comes with you. |
4) What you are applying for, and signatures
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| 4RESIDENCIA TEMPORAL: Trabajador por cuenta ajena | You work for an employer in Spain. | Tick RESIDENCIA TEMPORAL and this box. Bring a hiring declaration or certificate of employment from your employer, with the company’s name, address, tax number and Social Security code, or your registered contract or Social Security registration. |
| 4RESIDENCIA TEMPORAL: Trabajador por cuenta propia | You work for yourself in Spain. | Tick RESIDENCIA TEMPORAL and this box. Bring proof, for example your registration in the census of economic activities, in the commercial register or with Social Security. |
| 4RESIDENCIA TEMPORAL: No activo con recursos suficientes y seguro de enfermedad | You do not work in Spain but have enough resources and health insurance, for example as a retiree. | Tick RESIDENCIA TEMPORAL and this box. Bring health insurance that covers you in Spain as fully as the public health system (pensioners: the certificate of their right to healthcare paid by the country that pays the pension) and proof of resources for you and your family, such as bank certificates or income. |
| 4RESIDENCIA TEMPORAL: Estudiante con recursos suficientes y seguro de enfermedad | You study at a recognised public or private centre in Spain, including vocational training. | Tick RESIDENCIA TEMPORAL and this box. Bring your enrolment, health insurance with full cover in Spain (a European Health Insurance Card valid for your whole stay is accepted) and a signed declaration that you have enough resources. EU exchange programmes such as Erasmus count as proof. |
| 4RESIDENCIA TEMPORAL: Nacional UE/EEE/Suiza, familiar de otro nacional incluido en los apartados anteriores | You are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen and the family member of another one who works, is self-employed, studies or has enough resources in Spain. | Tick RESIDENCIA TEMPORAL and this box when your right comes from that family member, and bring proof of the family link. If the family member is a student, only a spouse or registered partner and dependent children qualify. |
| 4DNI/NIE/PAS del ciudadano UE/EEE/Suiza que da derecho / Vínculo con el ciudadano UE/EEE/Suiza que da derecho | The ID number of the family member your right comes from, and your relationship to them. | Write their DNI, NIE or passport number and the link, for example CÓNYUGE (spouse), PAREJA REGISTRADA (registered partner) or HIJO/HIJA (child). |
| 4RESIDENCIA PERMANENTE: Residencia continuada en España durante 5 años / Trabajador en edad de jubilación, en jubilación anticipada o en incapacidad permanente / Otros (especificar) | A certificate of permanent residence. | Tick RESIDENCIA PERMANENTE and the case that fits: 5 years of continuous legal residence, or one of the earlier cases for workers who retire after at least 12 months of work in Spain and 3 years of residence, stop working because of permanent incapacity after 2 years, or work in another EU country while still living in Spain. Bring proof. |
| 4MODIFICACIÓN: De datos personales / Por cambio de domicilio / Por cambio de Documento de Identidad/Pasaporte / Otros (especificar) | A change to the data in your registration. | Tick MODIFICACIÓN and the change: personal data, new address, new ID card or passport, or other. Bring the document that proves the change. |
| 4BAJA POR CESE: Especificar la causa | Cancelling your registration because your residence in Spain ends. | Tick BAJA POR CESE and write the reason, for example that you are leaving Spain. |
| Las personas abajo firmantes se hacen responsables de la veracidad de los datos consignados y de la documentación que se acompaña | The signers declare that the data and the documents attached are true. | Tick the box. You do not have to bring documents issued by a Spanish authority or already handed in to one in an earlier procedure. |
| (lugar), a (día) de (mes) de (año) / FIRMA DEL CIUDADANO DE LA UNIÓN (familiar del solicitante) / FIRMA DEL SOLICITANTE (o representante legal, en su caso) | The place and date, your signature and, in a family case, the signature of the EU citizen your right comes from. | Write the town, the day, the month and the year, for example “Madrid, a 14 de marzo de 2026”, and sign as the applicant. The EU citizen family member signs in the box FIRMA DEL CIUDADANO DE LA UNIÓN only if you ticked the family option. A parent or guardian signs for a minor. |
Key terms
| Term on the form | What it means |
|---|---|
| Certificado de registro de ciudadano de la Unión | The registration certificate of an EU citizen: the document you receive after registering. It shows your name, nationality, address, NIE and date of registration, but no photo. |
| Registro Central de Extranjeros | The Central Register of Foreigners, kept by the National Police, where foreign residents in Spain are recorded. |
| Número de Identidad de Extranjero (NIE) | Foreigner identity number: the personal number that identifies you to the Spanish authorities. Your registration certificate shows it. |
| Modelo 790, código 012 | The government fee form for immigration procedures. Choose the option that includes the registration certificate of a resident EU citizen, pay it at a bank and bring the receipt. |
| Cita previa | An appointment booked in advance on the government’s online appointment system. Choose your province and the police option for the EU citizen registration certificate. |
| Oficina de Extranjería | Immigration office: the government office that handles foreigners’ applications. |
| Comisaría de Policía | A police station of the National Police with an immigration desk, where you apply if your province has no immigration office. |
| Recursos suficientes | Enough money for you and your family not to depend on social assistance in Spain. There is no fixed amount; your personal situation is assessed. |
| Seguro de enfermedad | Public or private health insurance that covers you in Spain. |
| Certificado del derecho a residir con carácter permanente | The certificate of the right to permanent residence, which you can ask for after 5 years of continuous legal residence or earlier in some cases. |
| Certificado o volante de empadronamiento | Proof of registration on the municipal register (padrón) at your address, issued by your town hall. |
| Dirección electrónica habilitada única (DEHú) | The government’s single electronic address, where notifications are made available online. |
| Cl@ve | The Spanish government’s system for signing in online; an electronic certificate also works. |
| Tarjeta de residencia de familiar de ciudadano de la Unión (EX-19) | The residence card for family members of EU citizens who are not EU, EEA or Swiss citizens. It has its own form, EX-19. |
Common mistakes
- 1
Waiting more than 3 months
The law asks you to apply within 3 months of entering Spain. Appointments are limited in many provinces, so book one soon after you arrive.
- 2
Applying for an NIE instead
If you are moving to Spain to live, the EX-15 is the wrong form: it gives you only a number. Register with the EX-18; the certificate shows your NIE.
- 3
No proof for the box you ticked
Each option in section 4 needs its own proof: an employment certificate or contract for workers, enrolment for students, and resources plus health insurance if you do not work. Bring originals and copies.
- 4
Health insurance that does not cover Spain
If you do not work, your insurance must cover you in Spain as fully as the public health system. Students may use a European Health Insurance Card only if it is valid for the whole stay.
- 5
Paying the wrong fee
On Modelo 790, código 012, choose the option that includes the registration certificate of a resident EU citizen, not the one for assigning an NIE.
- 6
Forgetting the second signature
If you ticked the family member option, the EU citizen your right comes from must also sign in the box for the citizen of the Union.
- 7
Not updating your registration
You must tell the immigration office or police of a change of nationality, marital status or address. Use the EX-18 with MODIFICACIÓN.
- 8
Using the certificate as ID
The certificate has no photo, so it does not prove who you are. Carry it with your passport or national ID card.
Questions and answers
Is the EU registration certificate the same as the NIE?
No. The NIE is only a number, which the EX-15 gives you. The registration certificate from the EX-18 records you as a resident in Spain and also shows your NIE.
Do I need to register if I stay less than 3 months?
No. For stays shorter than 3 months, your valid passport or national ID card is enough.
How long does it take?
The certificate is issued straight away at your appointment once the office has checked your documents. If something is missing, the office gives you 10 days to provide it.
How much money do I need if I do not work?
There is no fixed amount: your personal and family situation is assessed. Resources above the yearly amount that gives a right to a non-contributory benefit in Spain are accepted as enough.
Is the European Health Insurance Card enough?
For students, yes, if it is valid for the whole stay. If you live in Spain without working, you need insurance that covers you as fully as the public health system; pensioners can use the certificate of healthcare from the country that pays their pension.
Does the certificate expire?
It stays valid as long as you still meet one of the conditions for residence. After 5 years of continuous legal residence you can ask for a certificate of permanent residence with the same form.
Can my non-EU spouse use the EX-18?
No. A family member who is not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen applies for a residence card with form EX-19.
Is the certificate an ID document?
No. It has no photo. Carry it together with your passport or national ID card.
How much does the certificate cost?
The form is free. The fee is paid with Modelo 790, código 012. The amount is set by the government and can change, so check it on the official page.
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