Spanish DNI from the United States: it is only issued in Spain
The answer almost nobody wants: the DNI is only issued in Spain, at designated police stations. No consulate issues one, not even provisionally.
What the consulate can do is give you the two documents you need to get it on your next trip.
Getting an appointment in Spain
By phone, calling 060 from Spain, or online at citapreviadnie.es. It is the same system nationwide and availability varies a lot from one station to another.
If you cannot get a slot, the official instruction lets you turn up at a designated police station with all your paperwork: as far as possible they will try to fit you in during your stay. For that you must bring the consulate's certificate of residence for DNI purposes.
The two documents the consulate does issue
The full birth certificate for DNI purposes, issued no more than six months before. You need it for a first DNI, to renew one that expired long ago, or when your personal details change.
And the certificate of residence for DNI purposes, issued no more than three months before. It is always required for a first DNI, and also on renewal if you have moved or if you are going without an appointment.
Are you obliged to have one?
Spaniards living abroad are not, unless they move to Spain for six months or more. But without a DNI, banking and tax matters get awkward, and plenty of government online services assume you have one.
The alternative from abroad is the NIF, which the consulate does issue and which covers tax matters.
A valid DNI travels further than you would think
With a valid DNI you can enter the whole European Union plus Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Norway, San Marino, the Holy See, Serbia and Switzerland. Not to fly to the United States: that needs a passport.
If you lose it abroad
Tell the nearest consular office using the declaration of loss or theft of Spanish documents, filed without an appointment and with a photograph. The document is flagged in international police databases, so never travel on a DNI recovered after reporting it.
With no appointment in Spain, the consulate's residence certificate is what gets you into the police station.Details verified on 8 September 2026.
consuladosespana.us is a private guide. We do not represent the Spanish State and take no part in any consular procedure.
The information comes from official sources that sometimes disagree with one another, and is reviewed regularly. Confirm before you travel.