How to apply for a Spanish NIE from Tunisia: which consulate to use
In this article
Short answer. To apply for a Spanish NIE from Tunisia, start with your registered address: the Consular Section of the Embassy of Spain in Tunis serves the whole country and handles NIE applications by prior appointment requested by email. The Section forwards your application, 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 Tunisia and its single consular office.
Which office covers your address?
The consular district follows Spain’s official division of Tunisia: 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 Tunisia (the Section serves the country) | Embassy of Spain in Tunis — Consular Section | Tunis NIE page |
The embassy’s official consular-office directory for Tunisia is the source of this jurisdiction. If you are elsewhere in the country, confirm with the Section rather than assuming a local office can process a NIE; the office asks for proof of residence in its consular district.
The consular NIE route: what applies across Tunisia
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 Tunisia, that is the Consular Section of the Embassy in Tunis.
- 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 Tunisia, an appointment is required. The Section attends the public Monday to Friday, 09:00–13:00, with a prior appointment requested by email at emb.tunez.sc@maec.es.
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
Tunis — embassy consular section
The Consular Section of the Embassy of Spain in Tunis is the only office that handles NIE applications for Tunisia, and it runs them by prior appointment. To ask how to apply — and to request the appointment — write to the Section at emb.tunez.sc@maec.es (the embassy’s general address is emb.tunez@maec.es); it attends the public Monday to Friday, 09:00–13:00, with a prior appointment. The Section’s phone number is +21671782217. On the fee, the Section lists 33.66 TND per document, paid in cash; take that as its published figure and confirm it on the day you act. The Section publishes its address and appointment channel directly on its NIE page. Tunis NIE page
Addresses and map links
| Office | Address | Open the map |
|---|---|---|
| Tunis | 22-24 Av. Dr. Ernest Conseil, 1002 Túnez | 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 Section lists 33.66 TND per document, paid in cash. Treat that as its published figure and confirm it with the Section on the day you pay.
- A booking platform. The Section requires a prior appointment, but the page reviewed here publishes no online booking platform; the published route is to request the appointment by email at emb.tunez.sc@maec.es.
- Walk-in service. The Section attends the public Monday to Friday, 09:00–13:00, and states that a prior appointment is required — do not assume you can submit an NIE application without one.
- The documents it will accept. The Tunis page reviewed for this guide adds no country-specific document list, so confirm the exact supporting documents with the Section before the appointment.
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 Tunisia?
Start with your registered address: the Consular Section of the Embassy of Spain in Tunis has jurisdiction for the whole of Tunisia, so it is the office for any address in the country. Requests are handled with a prior appointment, arranged by email. Prepare the standard set — EX-15, passport, proof of residence and the Modelo 790, Código 012 with the fee paid — and confirm the details with the Section before you travel.
Consular-office directory for Tunisia · Tunis NIE page
How do I book a NIE appointment in Tunis?
Appointments are requested by email. Write to the Consular Section at emb.tunez.sc@maec.es; it attends the public Monday to Friday, 09:00–13:00, with a prior appointment. The section publishes the address and the appointment channel directly on its NIE page, so confirm the required documents and the current fee with it before the appointment. Ask for the appointment in good time, since the Section works by prior appointment only.
How much does a NIE cost in Tunisia?
The Tunis Consular Section lists a fee of 33.66 TND per document, paid in cash. Take that as the office’s published figure and confirm it on the day you act, because fee lists can change. The application itself uses the Modelo 790, Código 012, and the Section confirms the payment details with you.
How long does a NIE take from Tunisia?
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 and delivered to the applicant by email, so put a working notification address on the form. Ask the Section for its current estimate.
National Police — NIE assignment procedure · Tunis NIE page
What documents do I need for a NIE in Tunis?
The standard consular set is the 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, which here is Tunisia, and a completed Modelo 790, Código 012 with the fee paid. You must also state the economic, professional or social reasons that justify the application. The Tunis page reviewed for this guide adds no country-specific document list, so confirm the details with the Section.
Tunis NIE page · Consular-office directory for Tunisia
Can I apply by email?
You can request the appointment by email, but the application still follows the consular procedure: it is submitted in person or through a duly accredited representative, and the physical presence of the applicant or the representative is always mandatory. Email at emb.tunez.sc@maec.es is the published way to arrange the appointment and to ask how to apply; it does not by itself replace the in-person step.
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 Tunisia. 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 Tunisia — the official office list used for the table above.
- Tunis — Embassy Consular Section: NIE — the office’s NIE page, address, email appointment route and fee figure.
- National Police — NIE assignment procedure — the national procedure behind the consular route.
Last checked: 7 October 2026.