How to apply for a Spanish NIE from Pakistan: which consulate to use
In this article
Short answer. To apply for a Spanish NIE from Pakistan, you deal with one office: the consular section of the Spanish Embassy in Islamabad, which is competent for the entire Pakistani territory. The consular directory also lists honorary consulates in Karachi and Lahore. The consular section forwards your application, but the NIE itself is assigned by Spain’s General Commissariat for Immigration and Borders and 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 Pakistan and its single office.
Which office covers your address?
Pakistan has one Spanish consular office that runs the NIE procedure: the consular section of the embassy in Islamabad. Residence is the starting point — not nationality, and not the honorary consulate nearest to you. The table below reproduces the published jurisdiction.
| Where you live (registered address) | Office | Start here |
|---|---|---|
| The whole of Pakistan (the consular section is competent for the entire Pakistani territory; honorary consulates are also listed in Karachi and Lahore) | Consular section of the Embassy, Islamabad | Islamabad NIE page |
The embassy’s official consular-office directory for Pakistan is the source of this jurisdiction. If you are unsure whether your case belongs to the consular section at all — for instance because it concerns residence in Spain — ask before you travel, or write to the consular section at emb.islamabad.sc@maec.es.
The consular NIE route: what applies across Pakistan
Every NIE application from Pakistan runs through the same office and the same national procedure. The shared points, as published by the office:
- A NIE can be requested directly in Spain or at the consular office of your place of residence. From Pakistan, that is the consular section of the Embassy in Islamabad, which is competent for the whole country.
- 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 the office 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, proof of residence in the consular district, and a completed Modelo 790, Código 012 with the fee paid.
- The published route for information is email. The office states that more information on how to apply for a NIE may be requested by email from the Consular Office; its NIE page does not publish a booking link or a walk-in window. Ask first, then prepare what the office tells you.
- The consular NIE is identification, not residence. It lets you run procedures before Spanish public administrations, but it is not valid for residing in Spain and does not prove residence there. If you need a NIE because of your current or future residence in Spain, that route starts in Spain, not at the consulate.
- The consular office 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, and the office cannot speed up processing. 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
Islamabad — consular section of the embassy
The consular section of the Spanish Embassy in Islamabad is the only office that runs the NIE procedure for Pakistan, and it is competent for the entire Pakistani territory. Its NIE page does not publish an appointment link or a walk-in window: it states that more information on how to apply for a NIE may be requested by email from the Consular Office — write to emb.islamabad.sc@maec.es, and the embassy’s general address emb.islamabad@maec.es and its telephone +92 51 208 88 65 are also published for enquiries.
On the documents, the page points to the embassy’s consular services fee page for the current amount rather than printing a figure on the NIE page itself. The published directory also lists honorary consulates in Karachi and Lahore; the NIE page reviewed here describes the procedure through the consular section in Islamabad only, so confirm with the embassy whether an honorary consulate can take your case before travelling to one. Islamabad NIE page
Addresses and map links
| Office | Address | Open the map |
|---|---|---|
| Islamabad (consular section) | Street 6, Ramna 5, Diplomatic Enclave, Islamabad | Google Maps |
These are the offices’ published addresses. The map links are navigation aids built from those addresses — they do not confirm which service a building hosts, and they are no substitute for the office’s own page. Check the address there before travelling.
What this guide does not confirm
- The current fee. The embassy publishes no amount on the NIE page reviewed here; it points to its consular services fee page. Take the figure from the office on the day you pay.
- Appointment channel and waiting times. The page does not publish a booking link or a walk-in window: it directs you to request the information by email. No processing time or appointment waiting time is published either. Treat any estimate you read elsewhere as unconfirmed and ask the office.
- The representative route in detail. The office states the general rule that the applicant’s or the representative’s physical presence is mandatory, but the page reviewed here does not itemise what a representative must bring. Ask the consular section before sending anyone.
- NIE service at the honorary consulates. The consular directory lists honorary consulates in Karachi and Lahore, but no NIE route for them is published on the page reviewed here. Confirm with the embassy whether they can receive an application.
- Walk-in service. No page reviewed describes accepting NIE applications without an appointment. Presence is mandatory, but ask the office how it wants your application presented first.
Want a second pair of eyes on your document set before you email the office? 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 consular office covers my address in Pakistan?
The consular section of the Spanish Embassy in Islamabad is competent for the entire Pakistani territory, so it serves applicants across the country. The consular directory also lists honorary consulates in Karachi and Lahore. Confirm your case with the embassy before writing, since the NIE page reviewed here sets out the procedure only through the Islamabad consular section.
Consular-office directory for Pakistan · Islamabad NIE page
Do I need proof of residence in Pakistan to apply through the consular section?
Yes — the application is tied to the consular district where you live, and the standard document set for a consular NIE includes proof of residence in that district. The NIE page reviewed here does not itemise which Pakistani documents are accepted as residence proof, so ask the consular section what will establish your address before you travel.
Can someone else submit the application — do I have to attend in person?
The applicant or a duly accredited representative must attend, and the physical presence of the applicant or the representative is always mandatory. The NIE page reviewed here does not detail a separate representative route at this office, so ask the consular section by email what it requires if you intend to send someone on your behalf.
Islamabad NIE page · National Police — NIE assignment procedure
Does the consular NIE let me live or work in Spain?
No. The NIE obtained through a consulate is an identification number for dealings with Spanish public administrations, not a residence permit: the offices state that 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.
Islamabad NIE page · 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. Delivery is by email, so give a working notification address on the EX-15. This office does not publish a processing time or an appointment waiting time for NIE applications; ask the consular section when you request the information.
National Police — NIE assignment procedure
Where do I get the EX-15 and how do I pay the fee?
Open the forms from the consular section’s NIE page: EX-15 for the application and Modelo 790, Código 012 for the fee. The embassy does not print an amount on the NIE page reviewed here: it states that the fee follows the consular services fee page of the embassy, so take the current figure from the office on the day you act.
Choose your next step
You can run the whole process yourself through the official channels above — it costs the official fee and, in most cases, one appointment in Islamabad. Recheck the embassy’s page on the day you act, because document lists 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 Pakistan — the official jurisdiction used for the table above.
- Islamabad — consular section of the Embassy: NIE — the email information route and the fee-page pointer.
- National Police — NIE assignment procedure — the national procedure behind the consular route.
Last checked: 2 October 2026.