# NIF number



## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

I’ve been fiscally resident, paying taxes, social security etc for nearly six years now.

I think my gestor has a new girl working in the office. I’ve sent all my returns for 2018 off to her. She’s emailed me to ask for my NIF number and expiry date. 

I’ve copied and sent to her the numbers on my tax returns, which is my NIE and a few other letters , I cannot find anywhere an expiry date?

Any ideas, I’m unsure why she suddenly needs this now. 

T


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Megsmum said:


> I’ve been fiscally resident, paying taxes, social security etc for nearly six years now.
> 
> I think my gestor has a new girl working in the office. I’ve sent all my returns for 2018 off to her. She’s emailed me to ask for my NIF number and expiry date.
> 
> ...


Tell her there are two types of NIE (you have NIE, not NIF. Only Spaniards have NIF). One is temporary and one is permanent, and yours is permanent and therefore has no expiry date.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Tell her there are two types of NIE (you have NIE, not NIF. Only Spaniards have NIF). One is temporary and one is permanent, and yours is permanent and therefore has no expiry date.


I understand what you are trying to say but this is not quite correct.

We ALL have NIF's. For foreigners, their NIF is their NIE. That is;

NIF == NIE

All NIE's are permanent - why do you think otherwise? As such, they don't have an expiry date.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Tell her there are two types of NIE (you have NIE, not NIF. Only Spaniards have NIF). One is temporary and one is permanent, and yours is permanent and therefore has no expiry date.


Thanks PW. That’s what I told her, six emails later and I await..... sometimes I just start to doubt myself, even though, I know the difference she just would not listen. I’ve copied the boss in on the last email.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> I understand what you are trying to say but this is not quite correct.
> 
> We ALL have NIF's. For foreigners, their NIF is their NIE. That is;
> 
> ...


 Because of this snikpoh


> Para permanecer en España por *menos de 3 meses* los *ciudadanos comunitarios* necesitan *únicamente* estar en posesión de su *pasaporte o documento de identidad* en vigor.
> 
> Si la estancia es superior a 3 meses el ciudadano está *obligado* a solicitar su inscripción en la Oficina de Extranjeros de la Comisaría de Policía más cercana a su residencia.
> 
> ...


From El Ministerio del Extererior, Gobierno de España
N.I.E. Número de Identidad Extranjero y Certificado Extranjeros

It's not what I think, but what the government thinks!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Megsmum said:


> Thanks PW. That’s what I told her, six emails later and I await..... sometimes I just start to doubt myself, even though, I know the difference she just would not listen. I’ve copied the boss in on the last email.


 Best thing to do. 

6 emails are way too many!!


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Because of this snikpoh;
> Para permanecer en España por menos de 3 meses los ciudadanos comunitarios necesitan únicamente estar en posesión de su pasaporte o documento de identidad en vigor.
> 
> Si la estancia es superior a 3 meses el ciudadano está obligado a solicitar su inscripción en la Oficina de Extranjeros de la Comisaría de Policía más cercana a su residencia.
> ...


So, as I said then, our NIE is our NIF (doesn't mention NIF's only being for the Spanish).

What I don't understand is the bit I've highlighted in blue unless they are referring to the "signing on the list of foreigners" which can be permanent (after 5 years) or temporary (before that).


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

UPDATE

Eventually, the penny dropped. Declaration de Renta done and dusted and a rebate on its way


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

I think the requirement to produce the original NIE certificate is new. We had to do this for the first time this year. (The staff in the gestoria all refer to it as NIF.)


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Alcalaina said:


> I think the requirement to produce the original NIE certificate is new. We had to do this for the first time this year. (The staff in the gestoria all refer to it as NIF.)


Yes. I think that’s what she wanted but she kept saying your NIF number and expiry date

I’m going to send her our certificates for the next time

Does yours have an expiry date on it? I’m told they no longer expire. Mine, having just looked at it says 

Este certificado tiene una validez de tres meses?


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Megsmum said:


> Yes. I think that’s what she wanted but she kept saying your NIF number and expiry date
> 
> I’m going to send her our certificates for the next time
> 
> ...


That sounds like a white one and is only a temporary certificate. Those who register as a resident get a green one which has no expiry date.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

baldilocks said:


> That sounds like a white one and is only a temporary certificate. Those who register as a resident get a green one which has no expiry date.


Yes I know, that I also have, but this individual also insisted on the original NIE certificate. Foreigners are a rare commodity here, so most gestor etc just think we have the same cards and certificates as Spanish nationals.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Megsmum said:


> Yes I know, that I also have, but this individual also insisted on the original NIE certificate. Foreigners are a rare commodity here, so most gestor etc just think we have the same cards and certificates as Spanish nationals.


And I thought *I* lived 'in the sticks'


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Megsmum said:


> Yes. I think that’s what she wanted but she kept saying your NIF number and expiry date
> 
> I’m going to send her our certificates for the next time
> 
> ...


No. Ours were issued in 2005 when we bought the house, but we didn't become resident till 2008. No expiry date on the residencia certificates either.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Alcalaina said:


> No. Ours were issued in 2005 when we bought the house, but we didn't become resident till 2008. No expiry date on the residencia certificates either.


No expiry date on our residencia certs either. I’ve read that the green overrides the white so there is actually no need for anyone to ask for the white ones


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Megsmum said:


> No expiry date on our residencia certs either. I’ve read that the green overrides the white so there is actually no need for anyone to ask for the white ones


Our white ones are just the NIEs, and have nothing to do with residencia. These are what the gestor needed. But as I said, they were issued in 2005 and it's probably all different now!


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Alcalaina said:


> Our white ones are just the NIEs, and have nothing to do with residencia. These are what the gestor needed. But as I said, they were issued in 2005 and it's probably all different now!


As @megsmum stated, the green paper/card override the white A4 sheets so there's no need to show the white ones.

Many, many people don't have the white sheets as you get an NIE/NIF when you get the green sheet/card.

by-the-way, it hasn't really changed in that respect. White A4 NIE's then and now, green sheet then green card now


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

I still have the white NIE. I was confused as I thought a NIF number was only for businesses. Grandad's company had a subsidiary in Bilbao and I remember many years ago the letterhead and invoices had the NIF number on. Do Spaniards not have a DNI now?


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Isobella said:


> I still have the white NIE. I was confused as I thought a NIF number was only for businesses. Grandad's company had a subsidiary in Bilbao and I remember many years ago the letterhead and invoices had the NIF number on. Do Spaniards not have a DNI now?


Yes, Spaniards have always had DNI's and still do.

Spanish companies have CIF's - whereas in UK, companies have a separate VAT number, this CIF is used for that as well as being a fiscal certificate.


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## vincent1888 (Jul 1, 2019)

Do NIE's have an expiry date? I have had mine for 6 months now


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

vincent1888 said:


> Do NIE's have an expiry date? I have had mine for 6 months now


No. If you had one of the old white ones, they were only valid for three months but they changed that. If you have the green resident's document, then those don't expire, in any case, the number is yours, the documentary proof of it is what has expired in the past.


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## vincent1888 (Jul 1, 2019)

baldilocks said:


> No. If you had one of the old white ones, they were only valid for three months but they changed that. If you have the green resident's document, then those don't expire, in any case, the number is yours, the documentary proof of it is what has expired in the past.


Great,

Thanks for your help


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