How to Get a Spanish Student Residence Card (NIE) while you are in Barcelona?
When you arrive in Spain you must know you have to get a RESIDENCE CARD, this card helps you to open a Bank Account, get a mobile phone contract, travel around Europe, apply for jobs, and many other benefits that other Spanish Citizens enjoy. The good thing about Spain is the benefits are the same for foreigners as well local citizens. In this article, we are going to explain how to get a Student Residence Card (NIE) in Spain.

EU CITIZENS
For the foreign student, the Spanish government has enforced the latest law. This law is very significant prior to becoming a new student in Spain. The student should know about this law. For the citizen of an EU country like Belgium, Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Cyprus, Estonia, , France, Greece, the United Kingdom, Finland Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Latvia, Luxembourg, Lithuania Malta, Poland, Sweden Portugal the Netherlands, Slovakia, Romania, and Slovenia. The students from Iceland Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and Norway have free residence and movement in Spain. All European Union people who want to live in Spain for more than three months must register Number Identification as a Foreigner (NIE).

The important documents needed to do this are:

• Application form Ex18
• Passport or ID card
• Enrolment in the study center
• European Health Insurance Card
• Statement of Financial Resources

Applicants need to make a former appointment to get this certificate. The student should apply at the Central Registry Office at the National Police Office. For further information, you can visit the website. You should read all the information on this web page carefully. Don’t forget to carry the vital document that you could require to register.

The addresses of the National Police office are given below:

• CITY OR TOWN ADDRESS
• BARCELONA BALMES, 192
• BADALONA AV. DELS VENTS, 9-13
• L’HOSPITALET DE LLOBREGAT CARRER DEL MIGDIA, S/N
• SANT CUGAT DEL VALLÈS C/ VALLES, 1-3
• SANT FELIU DE LLOBREGAT C/ CARRERETES , 9-11
• STA. COLOMA DE GRAMANET C/ IRLANDA,
• TERRASSA C/ BALDRICH, 1

To stay in Spain, the student needs to get a residence card (NIE). This card permits the student to stay during the time of study in Spain. These cards also permit the student to travel all the way through the EU and other countries that have signed agreements with Spain.
Any person who is not a citizen of any European Union nation must apply for a residence card. The countries are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Poland, and Slovakia, Sweden Slovenia and, the United Kingdom or Iceland, Norway and Switzerland and Liechtenstein needs to reside more than six months.

NON-EU CITIZENS
How can the student get the Student Residence Card (NIE) in Spain?
Prior to coming in Spain, the student should apply for a visa at the Consulate of Spain of their own country. The students should present the documents that demonstrate that they have been acknowledging to course curriculum. For further information visit the following Web page: http://www.maec.es/es/EYC/Paginas/embajadasyconsulados.aspx
You should apply for a type D visa since other visas do not permit the student for a residence card.

If the student needs to stay in Barcelona for 6 months or less than 6 months, the embassy issues a visa by giving a statement, ESTUDIOS TOTAL 180 DÍAS. This type of visa is not able to apply for a student residence card in Spain. This visa is applicable for only 6 months of living in Spain. After 6 months, the visa expires, and then the student must go back to their own country. Overseas students can not apply for a visa if they go to Spain with a tourist visa. You should visit the police station after arrival in Spain and then apply for a residence card.

For Andorran citizens
Agreement between Spain, France, and Andorra on free movement, residence, the entry, and settlement of nationals between these nations that traced in Spain’s official state gazette. All Andorran citizens longing to study in Spain shall necessitate a visa for their time of stay. This visa allows the students for a time of 1 year that may be renewed.

Validity of the card
The residence card is applicable for 1year from the date of issue. The card can be renewed if the student wants to continue their studies.

How can you renew the card?
You should come up to their office prior to its expiration. You can renovate your card before 60 days of the expiry date.

Some important information
The new Spanish legislation concerning international students specifies that when an application is completed, fees must be paid for the approval of modification, extension, or renewal of a visa. You will be required to pay fees prior to submitting an application to renew the card and carry the receipt of reimbursement with the other documents. It is not possible to allow the application until the students have done this job.

How do I pay?
First, you should go to the Web page and see the fees (they are around €16.08 but they change every year)  On the right side of the page click on “Impreso Tasa 790 – Codigo 012under ” under “Todos los trámites y procedimientos de extranjería”.  Just fill in all the fields and then just click on the button obtener documento. This will create a pdf document. Then the student can print the papers and take them to any bank to give the payment. You can submit the fee directly to their office when you apply to renew your card.

What should you do if your card expires?
If you want to depart Spain and the card has expired. Then you are able to apply for approval to re-enter Spain. These approvals permit you to depart and re-enter Spain within 3 months. At the Police Station, you can apply directly for this permission.

Does the student residence card entitle you to work in Spain?
If you have to perform practicals as a course curriculum that is a collaboration agreement between the UB and a company, then you need not apply for a work permit card. Nevertheless, if anyone desires to study and work at the same time, then the students need a work permit card. You should know the subsequent points clearly:

• You must sign a part-time contract
• Full-time contracts cannot expand outside three months
• Work permits will be applicable for the same time as the contract and cannot lengthen beyond the authorized time to study.

Converting the student residence with full residence and work permit
The new law connecting to foreigners shows that students or researchers who have already had a residence card for three years and who have not come across scholarships from public or private organizations may now replace their residence permit with a work permit and full residence. To do this exchange, the student can submit applications prior to 3 months of the expiry date of the visa at any Social Security registry office.