CUE / green NIE in Mallorca: EU citizen registration certificate explained

If you are a citizen of an EU country, the EEA, or Switzerland and you are going to live in Mallorca for more than three months, you need the EU citizen registration certificate, known as the “green NIE” or CUE after the colour it used to be printed on. It is not optional: Spanish law gives you three months from your entry to apply for it. Here is what documentation you need depending on your situation, what it costs, where to do it in Palma — and an important note if you are British.

If you are British: this is probably not your document

Before anything else: if you hold only a British passport and moved to Spain after 31 December 2020, you are not an EU citizen for these purposes and the green NIE is not the document you need. You most likely need a residence authorisation and a TIE card, the same route as other non-EU nationals — unless you already held Spanish residence before the end of the Brexit transition period, in which case you should hold a TIE issued under the Withdrawal Agreement, not a CUE. See our TIE service page if that is your situation. The rest of this guide is for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens — mainly Irish and Nordic readers of this site.

What the green NIE is, and what it is NOT

The green NIE is a certificate, not a chip card. It certifies your registration in the Central Foreigners Registry as an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen residing in Spain, and it contains your NIE number — the number you will then use for your job contract, bank account, rental agreement and any dealings with the Spanish administration.

Three common points of confusion:

• The green NIE is not the TIE. The TIE is the physical card issued to non-EU residents. EU citizens never get a TIE, even after years of residence.
• The green NIE is not the white NIE. The white NIE (form EX-15) is just the number on paper, for anyone who needs it without residing in Spain: buying property, accepting an inheritance, opening a bank account. It does not prove residence.
• It is not a travel document. To enter and leave Spain you keep using your national ID card or passport.

If you are still not sure which of the three documents applies to you, we cover it in detail in our NIE, TIE and CUE comparison.

Who must apply, and by when

Citizens of an EU member state, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland who are going to reside in Spain for more than three months must register in the Central Foreigners Registry. Real Decreto 240/2007 sets the deadline: the application must be submitted within three months of the date of entry into Spanish territory.

Missing the deadline has a legal consequence: the same regulation applies the same financial penalties used for Spanish nationals who fail to keep their national ID card up to date. In practice this rarely causes problems if you regularise soon after, but it is not something to leave indefinitely, especially if you need to sign a lease or an employment contract that requires proof of your status.

If you are coming for less than three months — an extended holiday, a second home used occasionally — you do not need the CUE. It becomes necessary the moment your time in Mallorca stops being a stay and becomes residence.

Documentation by situation

The application is made using form EX-18, but the supporting documents change depending on why you are residing in Spain:

Your situation	Specific documents to bring
Employee	Employment contract or an employer’s certificate confirming your hire
Self-employed	Proof of registration as self-employed (RETA or equivalent scheme)
Student	Enrolment certificate from a recognised public or private institution, health insurance, and a declaration of sufficient means
Living on your own economic means (not working)	Proof of sufficient resources for yourself and, if applicable, your family, plus health insurance with full coverage in Spain

In every case you also need:

• A valid passport or national ID document (if it has expired, a copy plus proof you have applied for renewal).
• The completed EX-18 form.
• Proof of payment of fee model 790, code 012, which for the EU citizen registration certificate is €12.00.

The certificate is issued immediately once the complete file is submitted — there is no multi-week wait as with other immigration procedures in Spain, provided the file is well prepared from the start.

Where and how to do it in Palma

In Palma, the certificate is processed at the Oficina de Extranjeros de la Policía Nacional, at C/ Felicià Fuster nº 7, 07006 Palma — the same address where the NIE, TIE and fingerprints are handled. The procedure requires a prior appointment (cita previa), booked through the ICP Plus portal on the Sede Electrónica de Administraciones Públicas; there is no walk-in service.

It is the same bottleneck that affects every immigration procedure on the island: finding a slot in the appointment system. For more on how cita previa works in Palma and which office handles what, see our guide to booking an extranjería appointment in Palma.

On the day, bring the original and a photocopy of every document: passport or ID, the signed EX-18 form, and the fee payment receipt. There is rarely a photocopier available for the public on site.

Common situations we see in Mallorca

• Retirees living on a pension from another EU country. They fall under “own economic means”: you need proof of the pension (a certificate from the paying body) and health insurance with full coverage in Spain, unless you already qualify for Spanish public healthcare through an EU social security coordination mechanism — worth checking case by case, since not every pension carries that right automatically.
• Remote workers and freelancers who are EU citizens. If you hold EU citizenship, you do not need Spain’s digital nomad visa or any work authorisation — that route, under Ley 28/2022, is for non-EU nationals. You simply need proof of your self-employed activity (or your job) and the registration certificate.
• Second-home owners who decide to move permanently. The white NIE you used to buy the property does not replace the CUE: once your stay goes past three continuous months, you need to register the change of status.
• Exchange students on a full academic year. They bring enrolment, insurance and proof of means; if the course is shorter than three months, the CUE is not mandatory, though it is worth checking if the stay gets extended.

The law does not set a fixed amount for “sufficient means” in the own-resources category, unlike some other Spanish immigration procedures that reference the IPREM index. Real Decreto 240/2007 simply requires that you not become a burden on the social assistance system. In practice, the Immigration Office assesses each case; it is worth preparing solid bank statements and, if in doubt, asking before booking the appointment.

What the green NIE does not settle

The green NIE proves your registration for immigration purposes, but it does not settle your tax residence. Spanish tax authorities (Hacienda) apply their own criteria — more than 183 days a year in Spain, or your main economic interests being based here. You can be a resident for immigration purposes and still need to clarify your tax position separately, particularly in the year you move. That is worth checking with a tax adviser rather than assuming one document covers both.

Non-EU family members

If your spouse, children or other family members do not hold the nationality of an EU, EEA or Swiss country, they do not get the green NIE. Their document is different: the residence card for family members of an EU citizen, a physical card. The application deadline is also three months from entry, the administration has a further three months to issue it, and it is valid for five years from issue (or the planned period of residence, if shorter). This should not be confused with the TIE, which applies to non-EU residents who arrive through other routes.

Common mistakes

• Turning up without proof of payment for fee 790-012. It has to be paid beforehand — it cannot be settled at the counter.
• Bringing an employment contract without an actual Social Security registration. The administration cross-checks the data; the contract alone is not enough.
• Confusing the green NIE with the TIE when renting a flat or opening a bank account: some landlords ask for “the card” without knowing EU citizens do not have a physical one.
• Letting the three months pass, assuming you can regularise later with no consequence.
• Not checking the validity of the health insurance for the own-means or student categories: it needs to cover all of Spain, not just emergency care.

Frequently asked questions

Does the green NIE expire? No, not as such. It is a registration certificate, not an authorisation with an end date. After five years of continuous legal residence, you can apply for the permanent residence certificate.

Can I work in Spain with only the green NIE? Yes. EU citizens do not need a work permit: the registration certificate is the only residence formality, and it does not limit your access to the labour market.

I am British with residence rights from before Brexit — do I need this? No. If you already held Spanish residence before the end of the transition period, you should hold a TIE under the Withdrawal Agreement, not a CUE. If you are unsure which you have, it is worth checking before applying for anything.

What document does my non-EU spouse need? The residence card for family members of an EU citizen — a separate procedure from yours.

I have a second home in Mallorca but spend less than three months a year there — do I need the green NIE? No. It is only required for a continuous stay of more than three months. For property ownership alone, the white NIE is enough.

Does the green NIE settle my tax residence between my home country and Spain? No — these are related but separate questions. The green NIE is an immigration matter; tax residence is decided by Hacienda under its own criteria. If you keep ties to both countries, get your position checked case by case.

Official sources

• Real Decreto 240/2007, of 16 February — BOE-A-2007-4184 (articles 7, 8 and 15)
• Sede Electrónica de la Policía Nacional — EU Citizen Registration Certificate
• Orden PJC/617/2025, of 13 June — BOE-A-2025-12056 (fee 790-012)

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Not sure whether the green NIE or the TIE applies to you? At Extranjería Palma we check your documentation before booking the appointment, so you do not have to repeat the procedure. Get in touch.