How to apply for a Spanish NIE from Saudi Arabia: which consulate to use
In this article
Short answer. To apply for a Spanish NIE from Saudi Arabia, start with your registered address: the Consular Section of the Embassy of Spain in Riyadh serves the whole country and takes NIE applications in person by prior appointment. Applications can also be requested in person at the honorary consulates in Jeddah and Al Khobar, which act with limited, delegated competence. The NIE is assigned by Spain’s General 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 Saudi Arabia and its single consular office.
Which office covers your address?
The consular district follows Spain’s official division of Saudi Arabia: one office serves the whole country. Residence is the starting point — not nationality, and not convenience. The row below matches the Section’s published jurisdiction.
| Where you live (registered address) | Office | Start here |
|---|---|---|
| All of Saudi Arabia (the Section serves the whole country) | Embassy of Spain in Riyadh — Consular Section | Riyadh NIE page |
Honorary consulates of Spain in Jeddah and Al Khobar support the Section and can also request the procedure in person, but they act with limited, delegated competence. The embassy’s official consular-office directory for Saudi Arabia is the source of this jurisdiction. If you live outside Riyadh, confirm your case with the Section rather than assuming an honorary consulate can process a full NIE application.
The consular NIE route: what applies across Saudi Arabia
The Section follows the same national procedure as other Spanish consular offices, with local rules on how you book. 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 Saudi Arabia, that is the Consular Section of the Embassy in Riyadh.
- 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 Saudi Arabia, an appointment is required. Applications are made in person with a prior appointment requested by email to emb.riad.sc@maec.es, and the Section attends the public Sunday to Thursday, 09:00–13:00. The procedure can also be requested in person at the honorary consulates of Spain in Jeddah and Al Khobar, which act with limited, delegated competence.
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
Riyadh — embassy consular section
The Consular Section of the Embassy of Spain in Riyadh is the only office that handles NIE applications for the whole of Saudi Arabia, and it runs them in person by prior appointment. To ask how to apply — and to request the appointment — write to the Section at emb.riad.sc@maec.es; the embassy’s general information address is emb.riad.info@maec.es, and the Section’s phone number is 00966 11 488 06 06. It attends the public Sunday to Thursday, 09:00–13:00, by appointment. The procedure can also be requested in person at the honorary consulates of Spain in Jeddah and Al Khobar, which act with limited, delegated competence. On the fee, the NIE page reviewed for this guide publishes no amount and directs you to the office’s consular fee page for the current figure. Riyadh NIE page
Addresses and map links
| Office | Address | Open the map |
|---|---|---|
| Riyadh | Barrio diplomático, Diplomatic Quarter, P.O. Box 94347, Riad 11693 | 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 Consular Section 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 Section for its current estimate.
- Current fee. The NIE page reviewed for this guide publishes no fee amount for Saudi Arabia; it points to the office’s consular fee page. Take the current amount from that page on the day you pay.
- A booking system. The Section requires a prior appointment, but the page reviewed here publishes no online booking platform; the published route is to ask by email at emb.riad.sc@maec.es.
- Walk-in service. The Section attends the public Sunday to Thursday, 09:00–13:00, and states that an appointment is required — do not assume you can submit an NIE application without one.
- Honorary consulates. The honorary consulates in Jeddah and Al Khobar can request the procedure in person, but they act with limited, delegated competence; the NIE route itself is handled by the Section. Confirm with the Section if your case can be taken locally.
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
How do I apply for a Spanish NIE from Saudi Arabia?
The Consular Section of the Embassy of Spain in Riyadh serves the whole of Saudi Arabia, and it handles NIE applications in person by prior appointment. Write to the Section at emb.riad.sc@maec.es to request the appointment, and state the economic, professional or social reasons behind your application. The Section forwards the file, but the NIE is assigned by Spain’s General Commissariat for Immigration and Borders and sent to you by email. The Section attends the public Sunday to Thursday, 09:00–13:00.
Riyadh NIE page · Consular-office directory for Saudi Arabia
Where do I book a NIE appointment in Riyadh?
Book through the Consular Section of the Embassy of Spain in Riyadh: the published route is to request a prior appointment by email at emb.riad.sc@maec.es. The embassy’s general information address is emb.riad.info@maec.es, and the Section’s phone number is 00966 11 488 06 06. The material reviewed for this guide publishes no online booking platform for the Riyadh Section, so the email route is the one to use.
Can I apply at the honorary consulates in Jeddah or Al Khobar?
The procedure can also be requested in person at the honorary consulates of Spain in Jeddah and Al Khobar, but they act with limited, delegated competence, so not every case can be handled there. If you are closer to Jeddah or Al Khobar, check with the honorary consulate first, and confirm with the Consular Section in Riyadh that your case falls within what the honorary office can do.
Consular-office directory for Saudi Arabia · Riyadh NIE page
How much does a NIE cost in Saudi Arabia?
The NIE page reviewed for this guide publishes no fee amount for Saudi Arabia; it points to the office’s consular fee page for the current figure. The fee is paid on Modelo 790, Código 012, which you complete before submitting the application. Take the current amount from the embassy’s fee list on the day you pay, and confirm the payment method with the Section.
How long does a NIE take from Saudi Arabia?
The Consular Section does not publish a processing time for NIE applications in the material reviewed for this guide. The number is assigned by the General Commissariat for Immigration and Borders — not by the consulate, which cannot shorten the wait — and delivered to your notification email. Ask the Section for its current estimate.
National Police — NIE assignment procedure · Riyadh NIE page
What documents do I need for a NIE in Riyadh?
The standard 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. You also state the economic, professional or social reasons for the application, and the office may ask for documents that prove them. The NIE page does not list a country-specific document for Saudi Arabia in the material reviewed here, so confirm the exact list with the Section before your appointment.
Riyadh NIE page · Consular-office directory for Saudi Arabia
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 Saudi Arabia. Recheck the Section’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 Saudi Arabia — the official office list used for the table above.
- Riyadh — Embassy Consular Section: NIE — email appointment route, document list and fee pointer.
- National Police — NIE assignment procedure — the national procedure behind the consular route.
Last checked: 7 October 2026.