How to apply for a Spanish NIE from Colombia: which consulate to use
In this article
Short answer. To apply for a Spanish NIE from Colombia, start with one office: the Consulate General in Bogotá, whose published jurisdiction is the whole territory of Colombia, so every applicant in the country follows the same route. Applications are submitted there with a prior appointment, but the NIE itself is assigned by Spain’s General Commissariat for Immigration and Borders, and it arrives by email.
This is an independent guide by E-Residence, a private service. It is not an official website of any consulate and does not control appointments; every procedure in it links to its official source. Recheck the official page on the day you act.
For the wider picture of how consular NIE applications work, see our guide to NIE applications at Spanish consulates outside Spain. Here, the focus is Colombia and its single office.
Which office covers your address?
Colombia has one Spanish consular office: the Consulate General in Bogotá, and its published jurisdiction is the whole territory of Colombia. Residence is still the starting point — you apply at the office for the country where you live, not at the office that happens to be easiest to reach — and in Colombia that means the same office for every applicant.
| Where you live (registered address) | Office | Start here |
|---|---|---|
| The whole territory of Colombia | Consulate General, Bogotá | Bogotá NIE page |
Because there is only one consular district, you do not need to work out which office your address belongs to. What you do need is an appointment: applications can only be submitted at this Consulate General with a prior appointment (CITA PREVIA via the published link). The embassy’s official consular-office directory for Colombia is the source of the jurisdiction above.
The consular NIE route: what applies across Colombia
Every consular NIE application follows the same national procedure, with local differences in how you book and what you bring. The shared points, as published by the offices themselves:
- A NIE can be requested directly in Spain or at the consular office for your country of residence. From Colombia, that is the Consulate General in Bogotá.
- You apply in person or through a duly accredited representative — and the physical presence of the applicant or the representative is always mandatory. Do not read the representative route as one that removes attendance altogether.
- You must state the economic, professional or social reasons that justify the application, and offices may ask for documents proving them.
- The standard document set is an EX-15 form (original and one copy), a valid passport with a copy of the data page (EU citizens may use a national identity document), and proof of residence in the consular district.
- In Colombia the fee is paid without form 790. The Consulate General states that if you apply in Colombia you do NOT need form 790: the fee is paid through its PSE button and you bring the printed payment proof. That is a Colombia-specific exception to the national Modelo 790, Código 012 route — do not assume it applies at other consulates.
- The consular NIE is identification, not residence. A NIE processed through a consulate is not valid to reside in Spain and does not accredit residence there, and anyone planning to settle in Spain must check visa requirements first.
- The consulate does not issue the number. It is assigned by the General Commissariat for Immigration and Borders, part of Spain’s Directorate-General for the Police. The consulate cannot speed up processing, and the NIE is sent to the applicant by email — so put a working notification address on the form.
Prefer to prepare your application with E-Residence? Start an NIE enquiry — a private service that helps you organise the paperwork before you contact the office. An enquiry does not create, confirm or replace an official appointment.
Office by office: how each one runs NIE applications
Bogotá — consulate general
Bogotá is the only Spanish consular office in Colombia, and it runs NIE applications by prior appointment only: the page states that applications can only be submitted at the Consulate General with a prior appointment, requested through the CITA PREVIA link published on its own NIE page. On documents, the Colombia-specific point to remember is that form 790 is not required when you apply in Colombia; the fee is paid through the PSE button and the printed payment proof is brought with the application. The office lists that fee as $39,700 COP, reduced to $35,400 COP from 1 October 2026 — figures to be confirmed with the office on the day you pay. For anything the page does not answer, the general queries address is cog.bogota@maec.es and the phone number is +571 6283910. Bogotá NIE page
Addresses and map links
| Office | Address | Open the map |
|---|---|---|
| Bogotá | Calle 94A Nº 11A-70 (2nd floor), Bogotá, Colombia | Google Maps |
This is the office’s published address, including the floor where the consular service is located. The map link is a navigation aid built from that address — it does not confirm which service a building hosts, and it is no substitute for the office’s own page. Check the address there before travelling.
What this guide does not confirm
- Processing times. No current processing time for the NIE is published in the material reviewed for this guide. The number is assigned by the Commissariat and sent by email; ask the office if you need a working estimate.
- Which document proves your residence. Colombia has a single consular district, but this guide does not confirm which specific document the office accepts as proof of address. Ask the office by email before you submit.
- Whether the reduced fee is already in force. The page lists $39,700 COP and $35,400 COP from 1 October 2026. Take the amount the office shows on the day you pay.
- A walk-in service. Nothing reviewed here describes accepting NIE applications without an appointment. Presence is mandatory, but arrange the appointment first through the published CITA PREVIA link.
Want a second pair of eyes on your document set before you request your appointment? Send your situation through a short NIE enquiry. We flag gaps before the office does — an enquiry does not replace or speed up the official procedure.
Frequently asked questions
Which Spanish consulate in Colombia covers my address?
The Consulate General in Bogotá is the office for the whole territory of Colombia: its published jurisdiction is the entire country, so there is no district to work out and no second consular office to compare. Applications can only be submitted at that Consulate General, and only with a prior appointment. If your situation is unusual, confirm with the office before contacting it.
Consular-office directory for Colombia · Bogotá NIE page
Do I need proof of residence in Colombia to apply through the consulate?
Because the Consulate General in Bogotá covers the whole territory of Colombia, you do not have to establish which consular district your address falls into. The standard document set for a consular NIE still includes proof of residence in the consular district, and this guide does not confirm which specific document the office accepts for that. Ask the office by email at cog.bogota@maec.es before you submit.
Can someone else submit the application — do I have to attend in person?
You apply in person or through a duly accredited representative, and the physical presence of the applicant or the representative is always mandatory. Bogotá accepts applications only with a prior appointment, so whichever route you use, the visit itself cannot be avoided. If you use a representative, expect the office to ask for the representative’s identity document plus a power of attorney that expressly authorises them to file the NIE application.
Does the consular NIE let me live or work in Spain?
No. A NIE issued through a consulate is an identification number: it is not valid to reside in Spain and does not accredit residence there. If you plan to settle in Spain, check the visa and residence requirements first — that route starts in Spain, not at the consulate. The consular NIE is useful precisely for the paperwork that a number unlocks: property, tax, vehicles, contracts and similar matters connected with Spain.
National Police — NIE assignment procedure
Who assigns the NIE, and how long does it take?
The number is assigned by the General Commissariat for Immigration and Borders, under Spain’s Directorate-General for the Police — not by the consulate, which cannot shorten processing. The NIE is sent to the applicant by email, so put a working notification address on the form. This guide does not confirm a processing time for Bogotá: no figure was published in the material reviewed here, so treat any estimate you are given as unconfirmed.
National Police — NIE assignment procedure · Bogotá NIE page
Do I need form 790, and how do I pay the fee?
Not if you apply in Colombia: the Consulate General states that applicants who file there do NOT need form 790. Its NIE page lists the fee as $39,700 COP, falling to $35,400 COP from 1 October 2026, and payment is made through the PSE button, with the printed payment proof brought along. Take the amount shown by the office on the day you pay rather than relying on the figure in this guide.
Choose your next step
You can run the whole process yourself through the official channels above — it costs the official fee and one appointment in Bogotá. Recheck your office’s page on the day you act, because document lists, appointment systems and fees change.
Prefer to prepare with E-Residence? Start an NIE enquiry and describe your purpose in one or two sentences. An enquiry does not replace the official procedure; it helps you arrive at it prepared.
For the full service picture, see NIE in Spain.
Editorial note: procedures, forms and local practice can change. Recheck the official links on the day you submit your application.
Official sources
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Spanish consular offices in Colombia — the official directory used for the jurisdiction above.
- Bogotá — Consulate General: NIE — CITA PREVIA booking, the no-790 rule and the PSE fee figures.
- National Police — NIE assignment procedure — the national procedure behind the consular route.
Last checked: 30 September 2026.