Once you clear the hurdles and walk away with a visa fixed to your passport, you’ll have a month to apply for your Foreign Identity Number (Número de Identidad de Extranjero, or NIE) and possibly a Foreign Residence Card (Tarjeta de Identificación de Extranjero, or TIE). You can apply in person at the Oficina de Extranjeros/Oficina d’Estrangers (http://extranjeros.mtas.es, available in English, French and Spanish) or at the Police Department. Some visas will also require you to enrol in the Social Security system (National Social Security Institute, INSS, www.seg-social.es).