How Do I Get an NIE Number?
N.I.E (Identification numbers for non-residents)
As a foreigner in Spain you will need an NIE number (Numero deI identificacion de Extranjero ), this identification number is used to track your financial and official activities in Spain.
The NIE always starts with “X” and is followed by seven numbers and a letter. NIE Numbers are needed to:
- Buy or sell property
- Insure Property
- Open a bank account
- Pay taxes
- Buy a vehicle
- Apply for a driving license in Spain or for an international license
- Apply for a mortgage or other type of loan
- Employment
- Apply for a business permit
- Inheritance of assets in Spain
- Sign onto the national Social Security service
Applying for your NIE Number
Obtaining a NIE number is quite easy and should be a priority upon arrival, if you can speak some Spanish you can manage it on your own or we will be able to help you.
You apply for your NIE at your local National Police Station in the Departmento de Extranjeros (Foreigners Department) and you have to provide the following documents:
- Completed and signed original NIE application form and a photocopy copy
- Taxes paid
- Passport and photocopy
- Address in Spain
Depending on the time of year and the amount of work they have this process can take from 2-4 weeks, a copy of the paperwork will be officially stamped and you will be given a date to go back and collect the original document.
The NIE number is an officially stamped, A4 sized paper bearing your name, date of birth and your NIE number. Keep this document in a safe place as different bureaucratic processes require the original document, you should also do nothing to invalidate the document such as laminating it to “keep it clean”.
Getting a NIE in Britain
You can apply for a NIE (foreigner's identification number) in any of the Spanish consulates in Britain which could save you having to come to Spain early in order to apply before the sale of your property.Applying at your nearest consulate is more expensive than getting a NIE in Spain but it can save time, if you do decide to apply while still in the UK, then you need to get together all necessary documentation and then go to the consulate where you will be asked to sign the NIE application form in front of a consulate employee. Your signature will then be given an official validation stamp (which is where the fee comes in - £22).
You will need the following documents:
A stamped (also at the consulate) photocopy of your passport
2 recent passport size photos. The background must be plain, and people who wear glasses and/or earrings must take them off for the photo
An original copy + photocopy of a document which explains why you need your NIE. This can be the private sales contract you have signed
A self-addressed envelope
An envelope big enough to contain all the above + NIE application form addressed to the central police HQ in Madrid: Comisaría General de Extranjería y Documentación, Dirección General de Policia, C/ General Pardiñas, 90, 28006 Madrid, Spain
Once the NIE application form with your signature and passport have been stamped, the consulate will send the envelope containing all the above to Madrid. Then you will have to wait to receive your NIE.
The consulate will not be able to provide you with an application form, so you need to get someone to go to the local police station in Spain and post it to you or simply download a NIE application form. This form is provided by the Spanish Interior Ministry. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the yellow IMPRIMIR button to print it out (Imprimir means Print)
There are 3 Spanish consulates in the UK.
If you live in:-
Northern Ireland, Cheshire, Cleveland, Clwyd, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Durham, Manchester, Gwynedd, Humberside, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, the Isle of Man, Merseyside, Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Tyne & Wear or Yorkshire, please apply to: The Spanish Consulate General, 1 Brooks House, 70 Spring Gardens, Manchester, M2 2BQ. Tel: 0161 236 1233
Scotland or the Scottish Islands, please apply to: The Spanish Consulate General, 63 North Castle Street, Edinburgh, EH2 3LJ. Tel: 0131 220 1843
And if you live anywhere else within the UK apply to the London office: 20 Draycott Place, London SW3 2RZ, Tel: 020 7589 8989, Fax: 020 7581 7888
The Spanish Consulate in Britain's website gives no indication just how long it takes for the NIE to arrive from Madrid, so check with staff either by phone beforehand or while you are there to get an idea of how long you should expect to wait.
