How to apply for a Spanish NIE from Nigeria: which consulate to use
In this article
Short answer. To apply for a Spanish NIE from Nigeria, start with your registered address: the Consulate General of Spain in Lagos covers the listed states plus the Republic of Benin, and the Embassy in Abuja covers the rest of the country. The Lagos office publishes no booking system, so you ask it by email; the NIE is assigned by Spain’s Commissariat 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 Nigeria and the Consulate General in Lagos.
Which office covers your address?
The consular district follows Spain’s official division of Nigeria: the Consulate General in Lagos serves a defined list of states and the Republic of Benin, and the Embassy in Abuja covers the rest of the country. Residence is the starting point — not nationality, and not convenience. The row below matches the Consulate General’s published jurisdiction.
| Where you live (registered address) | Office | Start here |
|---|---|---|
| Edo, Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross Rivers, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Rivers and Kwara, plus the Republic of Benin | Consulate General of Spain in Lagos | Lagos NIE page |
The Embassy of Spain in Abuja covers the rest of Nigeria; this guide focuses on the Lagos Consulate General and does not set out the Abuja office’s NIE route, so confirm with the embassy if your address falls outside the district above. The embassy’s official consular-office directory for Nigeria is the source of this jurisdiction. The consular route asks for proof of residence in the consular district, so check your address against the list before you act.
The consular NIE route: what applies across Nigeria
The Consulate General follows the same national procedure as other Spanish consular offices, with local rules on how you contact it. The shared points, as published for the consular route:
- A NIE can be requested directly in Spain or at the consular office for your country of residence. From Nigeria, that is the Consulate General of Spain in Lagos for the states listed above and the Republic of Benin; the Embassy in Abuja covers the rest of the 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 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), proof of residence in the consular district, and a completed Modelo 790, Código 012 with the fee paid.
- 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; 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.
- In Nigeria, no booking system is published. The Lagos NIE page carries no online appointment platform; the published route is to ask the Consular Office by email at cog.lagos.nac@maec.es. Its public opening hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00–14:00.
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
Lagos — consulate general
The Consulate General of Spain in Lagos is the office for the states listed above and the Republic of Benin; the rest of Nigeria falls to the Embassy in Abuja. For a NIE the Consulate General publishes no booking system: the page carries no online appointment platform, and the published route is to ask the Consular Office by email at cog.lagos.nac@maec.es — it is the address the office routes NIE queries to — with its general address cog.lagos@maec.es also published. It is open to the public Monday to Friday, 8:00–14:00, and its published phone numbers are (234-1) 277 03 00, (234-1) 280 54 88 and (234-1) 277 16 08. On the fee, the page shows the 2021 figure — 9.74 euros — as an example and directs you to the office’s consular-services fee page for the current amount. Lagos NIE page
Addresses and map links
| Office | Address | Open the map |
|---|---|---|
| Lagos | 21C Kofo Abayomi St, Victoria Island, Lagos (P.O.Box 74759 Victoria Island, Lagos) | Google Maps |
This is the office’s published address. The map link is a navigation aid built from that address — it does not confirm which service the 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. The Consulate General does not publish a processing time for NIE applications in the material reviewed for this guide. The number is assigned by the Commissariat and delivered by email, but no timeframe is given; ask the office for its current estimate.
- Current fee. The only figure on the NIE page is the 2021 example of 9.74 euros. Take the current amount from the office’s consular-services fee page on the day you pay.
- A booking system. The Lagos NIE page publishes no online booking platform; the published route is to ask by email at cog.lagos.nac@maec.es.
- Walk-in service. The Consulate General attends the public Monday to Friday, 8:00–14:00, but the page does not say whether an NIE application can be submitted without a prior appointment — ask before you travel to Victoria Island.
- The rest of Nigeria. The Embassy in Abuja covers the states outside the Lagos district, and this guide does not detail that office’s NIE route; confirm with the embassy if your registered address is not in the list above.
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 Nigeria?
The Consulate General of Spain in Lagos covers residents of these Nigerian states: Edo, Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross Rivers, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Rivers and Kwara, as well as the Republic of Benin. The Embassy in Abuja covers the rest of Nigeria. The starting point is your registered address, not your nationality — confirm your situation with the office before contacting it.
Consular-office directory for Nigeria · Lagos NIE page
Do I need proof of residence in Nigeria to apply through the consulate?
The consular route is tied to residence: the standard document set for a consular NIE includes proof of residence in the consular district, and the Lagos district covers the states listed above plus the Republic of Benin. The NIE page does not set out a specific document for Nigeria in the material reviewed for this guide, so ask the Consular Office at cog.lagos.nac@maec.es what it will accept as proof.
Can someone else submit the application — do I have to attend in person?
Under the national consular procedure the application may be made in person or through a duly accredited representative, and the physical presence of the applicant or the representative is always mandatory. If you use a representative, be ready to show the representative’s identity document and a power of attorney that expressly authorises them to file the NIE application; the formalities differ by office, so confirm them with the Lagos Consulate General.
Does the consular NIE let me live or work in Spain?
No. The 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.
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 delivered to the applicant by email, so put a working notification address on the form. The Lagos page does not publish a processing time in the material reviewed for this guide; ask the office for the current estimate.
National Police — NIE assignment procedure · Lagos NIE page
Where do I get the EX-15 and how do I pay the fee?
Open the forms from the Consulate General’s NIE page: EX-15 for the application and Modelo 790, Código 012 for the fee. The page shows the 2021 fee as an example — 9.74 euros — and points to the office’s consular-services fee page, where you take the current amount. Payment details are confirmed with the office; take the current figure on the day you act.
Lagos NIE page · Consular-office directory for Nigeria
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 exchange with the office in Lagos. Recheck the Consulate General’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 Nigeria — the official office list used for the table above.
- Lagos — Consulate General: NIE — email route, document list and fee pointer.
- National Police — NIE assignment procedure — the national procedure behind the consular route.
Last checked: 6 October 2026.