NIE Costs and the Tasa 790: What the Application Really Costs

Anyone applying for the NIE number on Mallorca runs into a term that sounds confusing at first: Tasa 790 Modelo 012. That is the official administrative fee you have to pay before your trip to the office, and without the receipt nothing happens at the counter. The good news: the NIE application is far cheaper than most people assume. The bad news: there is a lot of misinformation circulating about the tasa.

What is the Tasa 790 Modelo 012?

The Tasa 790 Modelo 012 is the official administrative fee charged by the Spanish interior ministry for issuing the NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero). It is a one-off charge and it is paid before your appointment, not after.

Without the paid tasa and the matching receipt (el resguardo), the police or immigration office will not accept your application. That applies both to appearing in person on Mallorca and to applying through a Spanish consulate abroad.

The concrete figure: the Tasa 790, Código 012 for assigning a NIE is exactly 9.84 EUR. The legal basis is item 5.12 in the annex to Orden PJC/617/2025, in force since 16 June 2025. There was no increase on 1 January 2026, because the Spanish budget for 2026 was rolled over rather than newly passed (as of July 2026).

What the NIE application costs in total

The 9.84 EUR tasa is only the starting point. Depending on how you apply, other costs come on top:

Whether you need a certified translation depends on the documents you bring. Papers in a language other than Spanish usually have to be translated for Spanish authorities unless they are based on the standard forms.

How to pay the Tasa 790 correctly

Paying the tasa is simpler than it sounds, but the order matters:

1. Fill in the form: download form 790 Código 012 from the official portal of the Spanish administration or complete it online.
2. Make the payment: pay the 9.84 EUR at a Spanish bank (counter or machine) or through the online banking of a Spanish bank. Paying cash at the government office is not possible.
3. Keep the receipt: the bank stamps the form or you get a digital payment confirmation. Bring that receipt to your appointment.

The tasa can also be paid by an authorised representative such as a gestoría. In that case, bring the authorisation with you (a notarised poder or a simple letter, depending on the office).

More on booking the appointment and the exact procedure on Mallorca is in our complete NIE number guide and in the post on applying for the NIE number in Palma in person.

Common mistakes with the Tasa 790

Four frequent errors that can sink your appointment:

• The wrong amount, copied from somewhere else: figures of 10.60 EUR and 12 EUR keep circulating online for the NIE. Both are wrong. 10.60 EUR was the Spanish national ID fee until the end of 2016, to which some Extranjería items were pegged. The 12.00 EUR applies today to the Certificado de Registro for EU citizens and to the residence card for family members of Spanish or EU nationals, not to the assignment of a NIE.
• The wrong código: there are several tasas that use form 790. For the NIE number it has to be Código 012. Other codes cover other applications.
• Paying from abroad: if you apply for the NIE through a Spanish consulate in your home country, you pay a different fee directly to the consulate. The Spanish Tasa 790 is not needed in that case.
• Losing the receipt: the original receipt has to be presented. A photocopy is not accepted everywhere. Digital receipts (PDF) are increasingly accepted, but do not count on it.

Further information on the correct tasa and the official procedure is on the site of the Ministerio del Interior.

Frequently asked questions about the Tasa 790

Do I have to pay the Tasa 790 again every time I apply for a new NIE? Yes. The tasa is tied to each individual application. A tasa that has been paid but not used can be refunded in certain cases, but the process is laborious and rare.

Can I pay the Tasa 790 online? Yes, digital payment is possible through the online banking of several Spanish banks. You can prepare the form on the Sede Electrónica portal of the Spanish administration. If you do not have a Spanish account yet, you can also pay at a bank counter in cash or by card.

What does it cost if a gestoría pays the tasa for me? The gestoría advances the 9.84 EUR and passes it on in its total invoice. So you do not pay more than if you paid yourself, only the gestoría fee comes on top.

If you need help with the NIE application, our post What is a gestoría? explains everything worth knowing.

Conclusion

In pure cost terms, the NIE application is one of the cheapest administrative errands on Mallorca. The mandatory fee is 9.84 EUR and nothing more. If you pay the Tasa 790 Modelo 012 with the correct Código 012 and bring the receipt, you are well prepared. For everything around it (translations, booking the appointment, power of attorney), a gestoría can be worth it depending on your language skills and how much time you have. If you still have questions about the residencia or the next steps after the NIE, take a look at our guide to the residencia on Mallorca.