Which number comes first
- The NIE: through the EX-18 registration if you are an EU citizen staying on, through the EX-15 for a short contract
- The Social Security number (número de afiliación), issued by the Seguridad Social’s treasury, the TGSS, once you can show your NIE; some employers handle this step
- A Spanish bank account for the salary
- The padrón at the town hall of the address where you live
EU, EEA and Swiss workers
You can work from your first day under free movement: the paperwork is about identification, not permission. If the contract runs beyond three months, the registration certificate is the right request rather than a bare NIE, and it saves a second appointment later.
Non-EU workers
The NIE does not give the right to work. A tourism job for a non-EU citizen needs a work authorisation, usually requested by the employer, or a residence that already includes work, such as a Withdrawal Agreement TIE or a family-member card. Ask us which applies before you sign anything.
On Tenerife
Much of the island’s tourism work is in the south, between Los Cristianos, Playa de las Américas and Costa Adeje, so the Comisaría Sur in Las Terrazas, Adeje, which lists NIE assignment and EU registration, is the obvious first booking for new staff. Santa Cruz offers the same two procedures to anyone working in the capital, in La Laguna or on the north coast.
Questions on this topic
Can I start work while my NIE appointment is pending?
Usually not: your employer has to sign you up with the Seguridad Social before your first shift, and that sign-up needs the number. So the NIE comes first; share your appointment date and the start can be planned around it.
Is the Social Security number the same as the NIE?
No, it is a second reference, from the Seguridad Social, and you keep it from one employer to the next.
I work the winter season and leave in summer. Do I register?
Yes, if you stay on the island beyond three months: EU rules expect registration, and a full season usually crosses that line.