NIE or Número de identidad de extranjero to give it it’s full name, literally translates as ‘Identification number for foreigners’ and identifies the holder to the Spanish Tax authorities. The NIE is required by law before you can sign at the notary for a property purchase. It is also necessary if you are starting a business or plan to work in Spain.
When do you need to have an NIE number?
If you are buying a home in Spain, you will need to have the NIE number by the time you go to the notary to sign the deeds of purchase.
How can you get an NIE number?
NIE Numbers are issued by the National Police of Spain. The process involves going to the nearest issuing Police Station to the property you are purchasing, completing several forms and supplying identification including passport and passport photo’s. While it is possible to do this process yourself, I highly recommend you use an NIE specialist, as the legal documentation needs to be 100% accurate to avoid having to come back another day and start the application again.
When I moved to Spain, I used Abaco Asesores http://www.abaco-asesores.com/ . They prepared all the paperwork, advised us on what documents we needed and collected us on the morning to take us to the Police Station in Elche (our nearest issuing station). The Police Stations see a limited amount of people each day, so an early start is unavoidable unfortunately. I must say,obtaining the NIE was not the most exciting aspect of the move to Spain, especially as someone who abhors waiting in line for a number to be called. The paperwork is quite extensive, so the thought of having to return to queue up another day if I got it wrong was unthinkable, so I am glad I used Abaco to facilitate the process.
