Social Security Number in Spain (NUSS): How to Get It Fast
If you are moving to Spain from the UK: the Spanish equivalent of your National Insurance number is the Social Security number — the Número de la Seguridad Social (NUSS). You cannot legally start a job, register as self-employed (autónomo) or claim most benefits without it. The good news: it is free, it is issued once for life, and since the Social Security opened its Import@ss portal you can request it entirely online — even without a digital certificate. This guide shows exactly who needs the NUSS, what it is (and is not), every application route and the documents for each.
What the NUSS is — and how it differs from NAF, NIE and DNI
The Social Security number (Número de la Seguridad Social, NUSS) is the personal identifier the Spanish Social Security assigns you for every dealing with the system: jobs, contributions, sick leave, pensions, benefits. It is assigned once and stays with you for life. Foreigners in Spain juggle several numbers, and they are constantly confused — this is the difference:
- NUSS (Social Security number) — identifies you before the Social Security. This is what a UK reader would call the National Insurance number, an American the SSN. Issued by the Social Security Treasury (TGSS).
- NAF (affiliation number, número de afiliación) — the trap: it is the same number. Your NUSS becomes your NAF the first time you actually start working and are affiliated to the system. Before your first job it is "just" your NUSS; after it, the same digits are your NAF, and your contributions and work history (vida laboral) hang off it.
- NIE (foreigner identity number) — a completely different number, issued by the police / immigration offices, not by the Social Security. It identifies you as a foreigner for everything (taxes, banks, contracts). You will normally need a NIE (or passport) to request the NUSS, but the NIE never replaces it.
- DNI — the national identity document of Spanish citizens. If you are Spanish, your DNI identifies you, and you still need a separate NUSS for social security.
Who needs a NUSS and when
- Your first job in Spain. You must be affiliated before starting work. If you are hired and have no number yet, the company is obliged to request it for you — but employers routinely ask you to bring it to sign the contract, so getting it yourself avoids delays at the worst moment.
- Registering as self-employed (alta de autónomo). The registration in the self-employed scheme (RETA) runs on your Social Security number — no NUSS, no alta.
- Claiming benefits. Applications processed by the Social Security (INSS) — like the minimum income (Ingreso Mínimo Vital), pensions or family benefits — run against your Social Security record.
- Public healthcare. Your entitlement as a worker or beneficiary is tracked through the Social Security; the number is the key that connects you to it.
- Even with no job lined up, you can request the NUSS yourself in advance — nothing requires you to wait for an employer.
NAVISort out my Social Security number — the fastest route for my case
NAVI shows the right application route and the exact documents for your case.
The fastest route: online via the Import@ss portal
Import@ss is the Social Security's online office (portal.seg-social.gob.es). It has a dedicated service, "Solicitar el número de la Seguridad Social", with two ways in:
- With electronic identification — a digital certificate (certificado digital) or Cl@ve: you log in, confirm your data and submit. This is the cleanest path if you already have either.
- Without a certificate or Cl@ve — Import@ss still lets you apply: you fill in your details and identify yourself by attaching photos of both sides of your DNI/NIE and a selfie holding the document. You need an email address and a device with a camera. If your phone number is already registered with the Social Security, an SMS-based route also works.
- The resolution assigning your number arrives electronically; from Import@ss you can then download the accreditation document of your NUSS whenever an employer or an office asks for it.
- A practical note for newcomers: the no-certificate route is designed around the DNI/NIE card. If all you have is a passport and a visa, be ready to use the in-person route below if the online identification rejects your documents.
Other routes: in person and through your employer
- In person: at a Social Security office (Administración de la Seguridad Social / CAISS) with a prior appointment (cita previa) — book it on the Social Security site or by phone. Bring the TA.1 form and your identity documents; this is the standard route when your case does not fit the online identification.
- Through the employer: if you are about to start employed work and have no number, the company must request your affiliation and number before you start. In practice HR asks for the number during onboarding — if you already have it, you skip that dependency.
- For a minor: the application is made by the parent or legal guardian.
Documents and the TA.1 form
- The official request form is the TA.1 — "Solicitud de Afiliación / Número de Seguridad Social" (application for affiliation / Social Security number and data changes). Online via Import@ss the form is generated for you; for the office route you can download and pre-fill it.
- Spaniards: DNI. Foreigners: passport or NIE document, plus your residence authorisation or visa where applicable — the Social Security checks you are legally in Spain when the number is requested for work or benefits.
- Municipal registration (empadronamiento) is not on the document list for the NUSS request itself. You state an address, but no town-hall certificate is required — do not let anyone send you to the town hall first "to get the padrón for the NUSS".
- The procedure is free. Nobody — no agency, no "advisor" — should charge you a government fee for it, because there is none.
Common mistakes
- Confusing NIE and NUSS — arriving at a job with a NIE and assuming it is enough. They are different numbers from different authorities; you normally need both.
- Requesting a second number because you lost the first. The NUSS is for life: if you worked in Spain years ago, your number still exists — recover it via Import@ss (vida laboral / your personal area) instead of applying again.
- Waiting for the employer when the start date is close. Legally they must request it, but the onboarding stalls while nobody moves — request it yourself online in parallel.
- Paying an intermediary for a free 10-minute procedure — or handing your passport photos to unverified "gestores" found in chat groups.
- Assuming empadronamiento is a prerequisite and delaying the application for weeks until the town-hall appointment.
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Frequently asked questions
Is the NUSS the same as the UK National Insurance number?
Functionally yes: it is the number that identifies you to the state social insurance system for work, contributions and benefits. If a Spanish employer or form asks for your "número de la Seguridad Social", that is the Spanish counterpart of your NI number — your UK NI number itself is of no use in Spain.
Do I need both a NIE and a NUSS?
Normally yes. The NIE identifies you as a foreigner in Spain generally (issued by police/immigration); the NUSS identifies you to the Social Security. To work legally you will end up needing both — and the NIE (or passport) is one of the documents used to request the NUSS.
Can I get the NUSS before I have a job offer?
Yes. Anyone can request their own number via Import@ss or at an office — a job is not a precondition. Having it ready speeds up hiring, autónomo registration and benefit applications later.
My employer says they will sort it out. Should I wait?
The company is legally obliged to request affiliation for a new hire who has no number. But if the start date is near, request it yourself online in parallel — it costs nothing and removes the one document that most often delays a Spanish job contract.
Do I need to be registered at the town hall (empadronamiento) first?
No — the town-hall registration certificate is not among the documents required to request the NUSS. You need your identity document (DNI, NIE or passport) and, as a foreigner, your residence authorisation or visa where it applies.
What is the difference between NUSS and NAF?
They are the same digits with two names. The Social Security assigns you the NUSS to identify you; the first time you actually start work and are affiliated, that same number becomes your affiliation number (NAF), and your entire contribution history is recorded under it.
Official sources
- Import@ss — Solicitar el número de la Seguridad Social (Social Security portal)
- Revista de la Seguridad Social — guide to obtaining the NUSS
- Seguridad Social — affiliation of workers (TA.1, employer obligations)
Informational only, not legal advice. Identification options and portal flows change — check Import@ss for the current version of the service. Updated July 2026.
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