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Essential guide

How to activate MiDNI and carry your DNI on your phone

Register your DNI and phone online, at a PAD or issuing office, activate the official MiDNI app and use its QR safely.

Reviewed on 27 August 2026Official sources verified

MiDNI is the only official National Police app for proving your identity in person with a mobile DNI. There are two parts: securely linking the DNI to your phone number, then activating the app on that phone.

Information reviewed on 27 August 2026. MiDNI is for in-person identification in Spain and needs a data connection. It cannot cross borders, identify you in other countries, authenticate online or create an electronic signature.

Before starting

You need a valid physical DNI, your own mobile number with SMS access, an email address and a compatible iPhone or Android device. Online registration additionally requires DNIe certificates to be valid, its PIN and a card reader.

If this is your first DNI, first see how to activate DNIe and check its PIN.

1. Register the DNI and phone

The Police provide three routes.

Online

Use only midni.gob.es/InicioRegistro. Insert the DNIe into the reader and continue using its certificates. Enter the phone and email carefully, then confirm the link with the six-digit SMS code.

This route fails if chip certificates are expired, DNIe is blocked, its PIN is unknown or the computer cannot read the card.

At a DNI update point (PAD)

Take the physical DNI to a police station or issuing office with a PAD. The official portal says MiDNI registration needs no appointment. You can also renew chip certificates or change the PIN there.

Terminal availability, building access and opening hours vary by office. Ask staff if the option is missing or verification fails.

While renewing the DNI

The phone may also be linked at a National Police issuing unit during renewal. Before leaving, check that the number is correct and that the required messages arrive.

2. Install only the official app

Follow the store links from midni.gob.es and verify the publisher. On Android the official package is es.gob.interior.policia.midni; on iPhone use the MiDNI App Store listing linked by Police.

Do not install APK files, configuration profiles or apps that merely store a photo of the DNI. A screenshot or third-party wallet cannot verify live Police data.

3. Activate the app

  1. Open MiDNI and start activation.
  2. Enter the DNI number and the support number printed on the physical card.
  3. Create an app password; enable biometrics only on your protected personal device.
  4. Enter the verification code received by SMS.
  5. Wait for confirmation that the DNI is active.

Never share the code, password or support number with someone contacting you. Activation happens inside the official app.

4. Test the live QR

Tap “Show my DNI” and choose:

  • Age: photo, DNI number and adult status.
  • Simple: photo, DNI, names, birth date, sex and expiry.
  • Complete: all physical DNI details, including address and parentage.

MiDNI creates a short-lived QR. The verifier scans it with MiDNI; a screenshot is not a live verification. Use Age or Simple whenever sufficient and reserve Complete for an identified authority or a genuine need for every detail.

When the phone, number or DNI changes

  • New number: repeat registration to link it.
  • Renewed DNI: activate the new card again in the app.
  • Lost phone: lock or erase the device through Apple or Google and cancel the link through the official channel when possible.
  • App cancellation: registering again is required if you later return.

Common problems

  • No SMS: check country code, number, signal and the registered phone before resending.
  • Invalid support number: copy it from the physical card and distinguish letters from digits.
  • Online registration stops: check PIN, certificates, reader and DNIe software, or use a PAD.
  • QR will not scan: raise brightness, avoid glare, generate a new code and check both connections.
  • Someone asks for a photo: offer the dynamic QR and do not send a complete DNI screenshot.

What MiDNI does not replace

MiDNI complements the physical card. Keep the DNI for travel, battery failure or no coverage. For online procedures and signing, see DNIe, MiDNI, FNMT and Cl@ve compared.

Ready when

  • Your own DNI and phone are linked through an official channel.
  • The installed app came from the official link and has local protection.
  • You can generate a new QR and another MiDNI device can verify it.
  • You understand Age, Simple and Complete disclosure.
  • You keep the physical DNI for travel and contingencies.
  • You know to register again after a number or DNI change.