# Getting a NIE in different province from property purchase



## JulyB (Jul 18, 2011)

Does anyone here know whether, if you are applying for a *non-resident* NIE, it really has to be done in the location where you are purchasing a property? I mean, I know it should be done that way, but if that's problematic, does it actually make any difference doing it somewhere else? I'm assuming that a number is a number, but maybe not?

Anyone know what advice I should give on this? Thanks.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

JulyB said:


> Does anyone here know whether, if you are applying for a *non-resident* NIE, it really has to be done in the location where you are purchasing a property? I mean, I know it should be done that way, but if that's problematic, does it actually make any difference doing it somewhere else? I'm assuming that a number is a number, but maybe not?
> 
> Anyone know what advice I should give on this? Thanks.


I'm confused. There is NO such thing as a non-resident NIE.

There is an NIE or there is a residency certificate.

If I assume that you mean the former (simply an NIE), then it doesn't matter where you get it. In fact, why not get one in the UK with a UK address?


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## JulyB (Jul 18, 2011)

Ok, that makes sense, but I was sure there was a difference! Yes, they don't need the residency cert, just the number.

Anyway, so it doesn't make a difference what part of Spain it's done in (yes I know you can do it at the consulate in other countries, but it takes ages!) Great. The Spanish sites all said it has to be done local to your purchase, so this means I can give better advice to the people concerned. I couldn't work out why the location would matter.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Blanco53 said:


> Again this is not quite right.
> 
> Your NIE Certificate expires after 3 months.
> 
> ...


I hope the moderators will permit me to post this link, because it appears that your competitors (and I can post other links which say the same thing) are advising their prospective clients that NIE certificates are no longer being issued with a 3-month expiry date.

Why does my NIE Certificate say it is only valid for three months?


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Here is another one, which confirms that the regulations changed in mid-2016 and NIE certificates were once again issued without expiry dates from that time.

https://www.spanishpropertyinsight.com/legal/spanish-nie-numbers/


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## JulyB (Jul 18, 2011)

Awesome. I had heard that something has changed, but now it looks like it's changed back. And the location where you get it is simply not an issue, seemingly.

This is really helpful, thanks.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

snikpoh said:


> I'm confused. There is NO such thing as a non-resident NIE.
> 
> There is an NIE or there is a residency certificate.
> 
> If I assume that you mean the former (simply an NIE), then it doesn't matter where you get it. In fact, why not get one in the UK with a UK address?


Having looked for an official link to the information I posted yesterday, Snikpoh, it appears there is now such a thing as a non-resident NIE - although it's called a temporary one!

Permanent NIE's are for people who reside in Spain for more than 90 days. Temporary ones are for people who are not resident in Spain but need an NIE for a specific purpose.
This particuar link is from the Spanish Consulate in Rome site:-

N.I.E. Número de Identidad Extranjero y Certificado Extranjeros


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Lynn R said:


> Having looked for an official link to the information I posted yesterday, Snikpoh, it appears there is now such a thing as a non-resident NIE - although it's called a temporary one!
> 
> Permanent NIE's are for people who reside in Spain for more than 90 days. Temporary ones are for people who are not resident in Spain but need an NIE for a specific purpose.
> This particuar link is from the Spanish Consulate in Rome site:-
> ...


Wow, that article was only posted a week or so ago and is TOTALLY confusing.

It states that your NIE only lasts 3 months UNLESS it's on your 'residency certificate'.

So, by definition, all white, NIE certificates expire after 3 months and can NOT be used for anything.


What's really confusing is that they talk about a permanent NIE as though it were a certificate and that's going to fool a lot of Brits. What it really says (if I understand correctly), the NIE (as printed on the green residency certificate) is permanent.


So now I'm confused. The NIE is always permanent (surely?) but the certificate on which it's printed may or may not be. The green sheet shows an NIE which is permanent but the certificate itself is not permanent until after 5 years.



What a bl**dy mess.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

snikpoh said:


> Wow, that article was only posted a week or so ago and is TOTALLY confusing.
> 
> It states that your NIE only lasts 3 months UNLESS it's on your 'residency certificate'.
> 
> ...


Sorry, snikpoh, I've been out all morning so unable to read the link more carefully before replying. It really is confusing, because this link talks about the number itself being assigned for a period of 3 months, not just the certificate (in the case of applicants who are not resident in Spain).

However, I've just checked the Ministry of the Interior website regarding NIEs, and there is no mention of this system at all. Even if it is very new, you would think their information would be the first to be updated, rather than that of indiividual consulates.

Número de Identidad de Extranjero (NIE) - Ministerio del Interior


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Lynn R said:


> Sorry, snikpoh, I've been out all morning so unable to read the link more carefully before replying. It really is confusing, because this link talks about the number itself being assigned for a period of 3 months, not just the certificate (in the case of applicants who are not resident in Spain).
> 
> However, I've just checked the Ministry of the Interior website regarding NIEs, and there is no mention of this system at all. Even if it is very new, you would think their information would be the first to be updated, rather than that of indiividual consulates.
> 
> Número de Identidad de Extranjero (NIE) - Ministerio del Interior


Thanks for that. I hadn't spotted that your previous link was from the Spanish Consulate in Rome - do you think that page is produced locally?

Why were you looking at Rome? If you have affiliations there, would you like to ask them why their rules are so different?

No wonder there's so much confusion then ... I'll hold off updating the FAQ just yet.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

snikpoh said:


> Thanks for that. I hadn't spotted that your previous link was from the Spanish Consulate in Rome - do you think that page is produced locally?
> 
> Why were you looking at Rome? If you have affiliations there, would you like to ask them why their rules are so different?
> 
> No wonder there's so much confusion then ... I'll hold off updating the FAQ just yet.


I wasn't looking specifically at Rome, I was just searching for any kind of official information with up to date details of how the NIE system works, and that one came up first in the list, plus it seemed very recent and detailed. I did say when I originally posted it that it was from that source. I didn't have time, until this afternoon, to compare it with other official sources. It's entirely possible, I suppose, that the information is produced locally - I wonder if, given that we know that NIE certificates stopped being issued with the 3-month expiry dates half way through last year, the Rome page is just describing how the system had been working before that time? However, it seems strange that the date on it is so recent, if that is the case. No, I certainly don't have any contacts there I could ask about it.

The website of the Spanish Embassy in Paris doesn't say anything like the Rome one, and nor does the London one, so it appears the Rome page could well be out of date. In which case I apologise for confusing everybody!

http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Embajadas/PARIS/es/InformacionParaExtranjeros/Paginas/NIE.aspx


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Lynn R said:


> I wasn't looking specifically at Rome, I was just searching for any kind of official information with up to date details of how the NIE system works, and that one came up first in the list, plus it seemed very recent and detailed. I did say when I originally posted it that it was from that source. I didn't have time, until this afternoon, to compare it with other official sources. It's entirely possible, I suppose, that the information is produced locally - I wonder if, given that we know that NIE certificates stopped being issued with the 3-month expiry dates half way through last year, the Rome page is just describing how the system had been working before that time? However, it seems strange that the date on it is so recent, if that is the case. No, I certainly don't have any contacts there I could ask about it.
> 
> The website of the Spanish Embassy in Paris doesn't say anything like the Rome one, and nor does the London one, so it appears the Rome page could well be out of date. In which case I apologise for confusing everybody!
> 
> Páginas - Número de Identidad de Extranjero (N.I.E.)


The Spanish consulates across the US all have slightly different info regarding visas , so I support it's too much to expect The EU ones to be any different


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## tonysplanb (Jun 22, 2017)

Does it make a difference which town hall you go to? I have my NIE on my new Visa but I still need the Pardon paperwork to get my residency.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

tonysplanb said:


> Does it make a difference which town hall you go to? I have my NIE on my new Visa but I still need the Pardon paperwork to get my residency.


Yes it can make a difference between Town Halls - though it isn't supposed to. Some are just more fanatical about the rules than others....... You simply have to go to your local one & see what they require.

It's also different for EU & non-EU citizens - for EU citizens registering on the foreigners' list is a simple procedure, is done on the spot & is supposed to be done before going on the padrón. 

For non-EU the visa procedure takes longer & being on the padrón is a requirement of the visa.


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