Getting Your Spanish Social Security Number (NUSS)

Covers: all of Spain (national rules). Where a step is run by your region or city council, the guide says so.

This guide is for internationals who have recently moved to Spain and do not yet have a Spanish Social Security number. After reading it, you will know what the number is for, what you need to request it and how to apply online through Import@ss, with or without Cl@ve.

• What the NUSS is and what it is for
• Who needs one, and whether you already have one
• What you need before you apply
• Applying online through Import@ss
• After the number: employees and the self-employed
• FAQ

What the NUSS is and what it is for

The Número de la Seguridad Social (NUSS, your Social Security number) identifies you in all your dealings with the Seguridad Social (Spain’s national social security system). Barcelona City Council’s International Welcome guidance describes that system as public protection against illness, disability, unemployment, old age, accidents at work, maternity and the loss of a family’s means of support.

According to the Social Security’s Import@ss page on requesting the number, the NUSS is needed:

• to be registered with the Social Security for the first time, your alta (registration), when you start working;
• to access pensions, subsidies and other benefits;
• for health care, because the health system of your comunidad autónoma (region) uses it to issue your tarjeta sanitaria (health card) and give you the right to health services.

The number itself is national. The health card is issued by your region’s health system, so what happens after you have your NUSS depends on where you live. The page also notes that without a NUSS you cannot identify yourself by SMS on the Social Security’s online services.

Who needs one, and whether you already have one

The Import@ss page says the procedure is for any person who has not yet been assigned a Social Security number. Barcelona City Council’s guidance adds that anyone who wants to work in Spain, whether self-employed or as an employee, must get one.

You may already have a number. The Social Security points out that one may have been assigned if you have worked at some point, or if you were covered by the Seguro Escolar (school and student insurance scheme). If you do not know your number or are unsure whether you have one, the page says you can check in your personal area on the Social Security website.

There is no deadline: the page states that you can request the NUSS at any time.

What you need before you apply

For a person applying in their own name, the Import@ss page lists three things:

• your identity details: a DNI (Spanish national identity card) or NIE (foreigner identity number);
• your contact details: a mobile phone number and an email address;
• your domicilio habitual (usual home address).

The page asks for your usual address but does not say that a certificado de empadronamiento (proof that you are on your city council’s residents’ register, the padrón) has to be attached. The padrón is run by each city council, not by the Social Security, and its requirements are set locally.

The Social Security recommends downloading and completing the form Solicitud de número de la Seguridad Social y variación de datos (Modelo TA.1, the application for a Social Security number and changes to personal details) before you start. The page does not mention any fee and does not say how long the Social Security takes to respond.

Applying online through Import@ss

Import@ss is the Social Security’s online portal for individuals. On the NUSS page you choose how to identify yourself. The options shown are Cl@ve Permanente, Cl@ve Móvil, the DNIe (electronic Spanish identity card), an electronic certificate or SMS. Because SMS identification needs an existing NUSS, a first-time applicant uses one of the other methods or the route without electronic identification.

With Cl@ve or an electronic certificate. You identify yourself with your chosen method and complete the application. The page lists no extra documents for this route.

Without Cl@ve or an electronic certificate. You can still apply. If you are an adult or a menor emancipado (legally emancipated minor), the page says you will need to:

1. submit the application in your own name and fill in your personal details;
2. take a selfie holding the front of your identity document;
3. attach a copy of both sides of your DNI or NIE.

An emancipated minor must also attach the document that proves their emancipation.

Applying for a child. If the NUSS is for a minor, the application must be submitted by the mother, father or legal guardian. The page lists:

• the personal details of the parent or guardian;
• a selfie of the parent or guardian;
• a photo of the parent’s or guardian’s identity document (DNI, NIE or passport);
• Modelo TA.1 completed with the child’s details;
• a photo of the child’s DNI, NIE or passport;
• a copy of the Libro de Familia (Spanish family record book) or a document proving parental authority or guardianship.

After the number: employees and the self-employed

Having a NUSS does not by itself allow you to start work. Barcelona City Council’s guidance explains that the number is a necessary step before registration with the Social Security, and that registration is what actually enables you to start working. Registration is compulsory.

• Employees: the company or employer must register you with the Régimen General (general Social Security scheme).
• Self-employed: you request your own registration with the Régimen Especial de Trabajadores Autónomos (RETA, the special scheme for self-employed workers). You must also register with the Agencia Tributaria (Spanish Tax Agency) on its register of entrepreneurs, professionals and withholders.

Barcelona City Council also warns that these procedures change often and that only the rules in force at the time you carry out a procedure apply.

FAQ

Do I need a padrón certificate to get a NUSS?

The Import@ss page asks for your usual home address but does not list a padrón certificate among the requirements. The padrón is managed by each city council, so any rules about registering your address are set locally.

Is there a fee, and how long does it take?

The Import@ss page does not mention a fee and does not give a processing time, so timing is a matter for the Social Security. It does state that you can request the number at any time, with no deadline.

Can an adult apply with a passport instead of a NIE?

For adults applying in their own name, the page lists a DNI or NIE. A passport is mentioned only for applications made for a child, as the parent’s or child’s identity document. The page does not say whether an adult can apply with a passport alone, so the Social Security decides.

Will the NUSS give me access to public health care?

The Import@ss page says the health system of your region uses the NUSS to issue your health card and give you the right to health services. The health card itself, and the steps to obtain it, are handled by your region rather than by the national Social Security.

Sources: portal.seg-social.gob.es · barcelona.cat

Last verified: 5 November 2026 against the pages linked above. Rules and fees change; the responsible authority always has the final word.

This is general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice. For your own situation, ask the office that handles your case (the Oficina de Extranjería, your ayuntamiento, the Seguridad Social or the Agencia Tributaria), a lawyer (abogado) or a gestor administrativo.