How to apply for a Spanish NIE from the United States: which consulate to use
In this article
Short answer. To apply for a Spanish NIE from the United States, start with your registered address: nine Spanish consular offices serve the country — a consular section at the embassy in Washington, D.C., plus consulates general in Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco and San Juan. The office forwards your application, but the NIE 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 the United States and its nine offices.
Which office covers your address?
The consular districts follow Spain’s official division of the United States. Residence is the starting point — not nationality, and not the office with the most convenient appointment. The list below matches each office’s published district.
| Where you live (registered address) | Office | Start here |
|---|---|---|
| Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont | Consulate General, Boston | Boston NIE page |
| Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin | Consulate General, Chicago | Chicago NIE page |
| Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas | Consulate General, Houston | Houston NIE page |
| California (Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties), Arizona, Colorado, Utah | Consulate General, Los Angeles | Los Angeles NIE page |
| Florida, Georgia, South Carolina | Consulate General, Miami | Miami NIE page |
| New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey | Consulate General, New York | New York NIE page |
| Alaska, California (except the southern part), Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, US possessions in the Pacific | Consulate General, San Francisco | San Francisco NIE page |
| Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, District of Columbia, North Carolina | Consular section of the Embassy, Washington, D.C. | Washington, D.C. NIE page |
| Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Culebra and Vieques | Consulate General, San Juan de Puerto Rico | No dedicated NIE page — write to cog.sanjuan.pas@maec.es |
If your address does not map clearly to one of these lists, confirm it with the office before contacting it rather than guessing. The embassy’s official consular-office directory for the United States is the source of these districts.
The consular NIE route: what applies across the United States
Every office here 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 the United States, that is the office covering your address. Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. all state it in these terms.
- You apply in person or through a duly accredited representative — and the physical presence of the applicant or the representative is mandatory. Do not read the representative route as one that removes attendance altogether; it requires the representative’s own identity document and a power of attorney.
- You must state the economic, professional or social reasons that justify the application, and offices may ask for documents proving them. Two offices go further: San Francisco requires the reason to be written in Spanish, and Washington, D.C. does too.
- The standard document set is an EX-15 form, a valid passport with a copy of the data page (EU citizens may use a national identity document), proof of residence in the consular district, and a completed Modelo 790, Código 012 with the fee paid. Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami and New York ask for the EX-15 in original and one copy; Washington, D.C. explicitly asks for a single print-out, with no second copy.
- Payment is not uniform. Boston accepts the fee only by money order, Houston quotes $11 and New York takes a USPS money order in person; San Francisco asks for the exact cash amount. Whatever your office’s page says, keep the payment receipt and pay on the day it asks.
- 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 organize 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
Boston — consulate general
Boston asks you to request a previous appointment, and the channel it publishes is email (cog.boston@maec.es). Its page carries one of the strictest notes of the nine: an applicant who is traveling to Spain in the short or medium term will need to apply directly there rather than at the consulate. It repeats the mandatory-presence rule and the standard documents, and states the fee as $12, payable only by money order. Processing is described as normally two weeks, and the NIE is sent by email. Boston NIE page
Chicago — consulate general
Chicago publishes the shared document list, including proof of residence in its consular district, and says more information on how to apply may be requested by email from the office. Its version of the representative route is the most specific of the nine: the power of attorney must carry the Apostille. The page does not state a fee amount — it points to its 790-012 page instead — and it publishes six weeks as the processing expectation, against the two weeks that most other offices describe. Chicago NIE page
Houston — consulate general
Houston publishes the shared document list and the mandatory-presence rule, says more information may be requested by email from the office, and states the fee as $11 USD. Processing is described as normally two weeks, with the NIE sent by email. Houston NIE page
Los Angeles — consulate general
Los Angeles states that one appointment per person is required and carries its own booking link on the NIE page. It links the EX-15 form directly and, for the fee, does not publish an amount — it tells applicants to check the exact amount on the fee page it links. Proof of residence in its consular area is on the list, processing is described as normally two weeks, and more information may be requested by email. Los Angeles NIE page
Miami — consulate general
Miami publishes an appointment link, the shared document list and the mandatory-presence rule. For proof of residence it is specific: an ID from its consular jurisdiction — Florida, Georgia or South Carolina — in copy and original. Its fee line carries an example from an earlier year (2021, stated in euros); do not rely on that figure — take the current amount from the office or the 790-012 payment form. Processing is described as normally two weeks. Miami NIE page
New York — consulate general
New York states that an appointment is necessary and its NIE page carries the booking link (“APPOINTMENTS NY”). Its requirements are among the most detailed here: the EX-15 must be typed and printed, a representative supplies a certified copy of your document, and proof of residence in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut or Pennsylvania is required. The consular fee is paid in person on the day of the appointment, with a USPS money order for $12 USD. Processing is put at five weeks, which may be longer, and the NIE is sent by email. New York NIE page
San Francisco — consulate general
San Francisco is the office of the nine that publishes a no-appointment window: applications may be made in person or through a duly accredited representative every Thursday from 12 P.M. to 1 P.M., without an appointment. The EX-15 should preferably be completed online and printed, the reason for the NIE must be written in Spanish, and the address on the form must be in the United States. The fee is listed as $12 USD, by cashier’s check, cash or money order, and the page asks you to bring the exact cash amount of $12. Proof of residence is an ID or driver’s license. The page adds that the process to obtain a NIE takes 6-8 weeks. It also carries a note for applicants living in Hawaii: they may contact the Honorary Consulate in Honolulu — Honorary Consul María Mera, phone +1 808 425 2722, email honoraryconsulspain@gmail.com — instead of traveling to San Francisco. San Francisco NIE page
Washington, D.C. — consular section of the embassy
This is the Consular Section of the Embassy, not a consulate general, and it is the other office that accepts applications without an appointment: NIE applications are attended Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm, at 2375 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Its document rules differ from the rest: the EX-15 is an original print-out, completed and signed beforehand, and no second copy is needed, and the same applies to Form 790-012. The page also gives form-filling instructions — add your passport number where it asks for your N.I.F/N.I.E, write your US address, select the option “Asignación de Número de Identidad de Extranjero (NIE) a instancia del interesado”, keep “Principal” selected in “Autoliquidación”, and select “En efectivo” in “Forma de pago”. Proof of residence is a driver’s license or state ID, original and photocopy. Its fee line carries an example from an earlier year ($12, in 2025, described as cash, card or money order) — take the current amount from the office or the 790-012 payment form. It publishes an expectation of 20-30 days for issuance by email. Washington, D.C. NIE page
San Juan de Puerto Rico — consulate general
No dedicated NIE page was found for this office: the service links published from the consular directory do not resolve. The only published NIE channel is the office’s own site, which lists “solicitud NIE, NIF” among the matters handled at cog.sanjuan.pas@maec.es. That is the extent of what is published: this guide does not describe the local NIE procedure, documents, fees or waiting times for San Juan, and you should ask the office directly.
Addresses and map links
| Office | Address | Open the map |
|---|---|---|
| Boston | 31 St. James Avenue, Suite 905, Boston, MA 02116 | Google Maps |
| Chicago | 180 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1500, Chicago, IL 60601 | Google Maps |
| Houston | 1800 Bering Drive, Suite 750, Houston, TX 77057 | Google Maps |
| Los Angeles | 5055 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 860, Los Angeles, CA 90036 | Google Maps |
| Miami | 2655 Le Jeune Road, Suite 203, Coral Gables, FL 33134 | Google Maps |
| New York | 150 East 58th Street, 30th & 31st Floors, New York, NY 10155 | Google Maps |
| San Francisco | 1405 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94109 | Google Maps |
| Washington, D.C. (consular section) | 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 | Google Maps |
| San Juan de Puerto Rico | Edificio Mercantil Plaza, Piso 11, Oficina 1101, Avenida Ponce de León s/n, Hato Rey, Puerto Rico 00918 | 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 traveling.
What this guide does not confirm
- Current fees. Miami’s page carries a fee example from 2021, stated in euros, and Washington, D.C.’s a 2025 example; neither is presented here as the current amount. Take the figure from the office or the 790-012 payment form on the day you pay.
- A fee amount for every office. Chicago and Los Angeles do not state an amount on their NIE pages — they point to a separate fee page. Do not assume that the $12 quoted by Boston, New York and San Francisco, or Houston’s $11, applies to your office.
- Waiting times. These are the offices’ published expectations, not commitments, and they differ widely: about two weeks in most cases, six weeks in Chicago, five weeks in New York, 6-8 weeks in San Francisco and 20-30 days in Washington, D.C. San Francisco’s page carries both a 6-8 week figure for the process and the standard two-week wording elsewhere on the same page.
- The payment method you will be asked for. Boston takes a money order only; New York a USPS money order in person; San Francisco asks for the exact cash amount; Washington, D.C. describes its example as payable in cash, card or money order, and the same page mentions cash or money order in an earlier paragraph. Confirm the method with your office.
- Walk-in service across the board, and San Juan’s procedure. Only Washington, D.C. (Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm) and San Francisco (Thursdays, 12 P.M. to 1 P.M.) publish no-appointment windows; the other offices ask you to book or write first. San Juan publishes no NIE procedure at all beyond an email inbox.
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 consulate in the United States covers my address?
It depends on your registered address. Boston covers Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Chicago covers Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin. Houston covers Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Los Angeles covers the California counties of Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura, plus Arizona, Colorado and Utah. Miami covers Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. New York covers New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. San Francisco covers Alaska, California outside the southern counties, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming and US possessions in the Pacific. Washington, D.C. covers Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, the District of Columbia and North Carolina. San Juan covers Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Culebra and Vieques. Confirm your district with the office before contacting it.
Consular-office directory for the United States
Do I need proof of residence in the United States to apply through a US consulate?
Yes — every office reviewed here asks for evidence that you live in its consular district. Miami names an ID from Florida, Georgia or South Carolina, in copy and original. Washington, D.C. asks for a driver’s license or state ID, original and photocopy. San Francisco accepts an ID or driver’s license, and New York asks for proof of residence in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut or Pennsylvania. The wording differs by office, so check yours rather than assuming that a document accepted in one district works in another.
Miami’s requirement · Washington, D.C.’s document list · San Francisco’s document list
Can I use the consular route if I am about to travel to Spain?
Boston is the office that states this most explicitly: its page warns that an applicant traveling to Spain in the short or medium term will need to apply directly there. The other US offices reviewed here do not publish that restriction, so ask your own office about your timeline. Do not treat the consular route and the in-Spain route as interchangeable before you have that answer, and do not pay for travel to an appointment you may not need.
Boston’s note · Booking a NIE appointment in Spain
Should I attend in person, and can a representative apply for me?
The applicant or a duly accredited representative must attend — the offices here state that the physical presence of the applicant or of the representative is mandatory in every case. The representative route is a published alternative, not a way of skipping attendance: it requires the representative’s own passport or identity document, original and copy, plus a power of attorney that expressly empowers them to present the NIE application. Chicago adds that this power of attorney needs the Apostille. Check your office’s wording before you appoint anyone.
Chicago’s instructions · Los Angeles’ instructions
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 or expedite processing. Most pages here describe about two weeks. Chicago publishes six weeks, New York five weeks and San Francisco 6-8 weeks for the process, while Washington, D.C. publishes an expectation of 20-30 days. Treat all of these as the offices’ published expectations, not guarantees, and note that the NIE arrives by email.
Chicago’s processing note · New York’s processing note · San Francisco’s processing note
Where do I get the EX-15 and how do I pay the fee?
Open the forms from your office’s NIE page: EX-15 for the application and Modelo 790, Código 012 for the fee. Payment methods are not uniform across the country: Boston accepts the fee only by money order, at $12; New York takes a USPS money order for $12 in person on the day of the appointment; San Francisco lists $12 and asks you to bring the exact cash amount; Houston lists $11. Miami and Washington, D.C. carry fee examples from earlier years. Check the current figure and the accepted method with your office or on the 790-012 form before you pay.
Boston NIE page · San Francisco NIE page · Spanish NIE requirements for non-EU citizens
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 the United States. Recheck your office’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 the United States — the official district list used for the table above.
- Boston — Consulate General: NIE — email appointment channel, money-order fee and the short/medium-term travel note.
- Chicago — Consulate General: NIE — apostilled power of attorney and the six-week expectation.
- Houston — Consulate General: NIE — document list and the $11 fee.
- Los Angeles — Consulate General: NIE — one appointment per person and the fee page link.
- Miami — Consulate General: NIE — appointment link and consular-jurisdiction ID requirement.
- New York — Consulate General: NIE — APPOINTMENTS NY link, typed EX-15 and the USPS money order.
- San Francisco — Consulate General: NIE — Thursday no-appointment window, exact-cash fee and the Hawaii note.
- Washington, D.C. — Consular Section of the Embassy: NIE — no-appointment hours, form instructions and the 20-30 day expectation.
- San Juan de Puerto Rico — Consulate General: no dedicated NIE page is published; the office lists “solicitud NIE, NIF” among the matters handled at cog.sanjuan.pas@maec.es.
- National Police — NIE assignment procedure — the national procedure behind the consular route.
Last checked: 29 September 2026.