Glossary Term

NIF/CIF

NIF and CIF are Spanish tax identification numbers — NIF for individuals and CIF for companies — required on all Spanish e-invoices.

Quick Facts

country
Spain
registry
AEAT
format cif
letter + 7 digits + control
format nif
8 digits + letter

Definition

What is NIF/CIF?

Spain uses different tax identifiers:

  • NIF (Número de Identificación Fiscal): For individuals (8 digits + letter)

  • CIF (Código de Identificación Fiscal): For companies (letter + 7 digits + control)

  • NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero): For foreigners (X/Y/Z + 7 digits + letter)

    • Note: CIF was officially replaced by NIF for companies, but the term is still commonly used.

    Formats

    Type Format Example
    -----------------------
    NIF (individual) 8 digits + letter 12345678Z
    NIF (company) Letter + 7 digits + control B12345678
    NIE X/Y/Z + 7 digits + letter X1234567L

    In Facturae

    B12345678

    Checksum Validation

    Both NIF and CIF include checksum letters that are validated. An invalid checksum will cause rejection.