# Another NIE bureaucracy headache



## ssornaelcm (Jun 25, 2020)

Good afternoon to all!

I am new to the forum and I'm sure most of you have heard this a hundred times, but I feel like I need some information from people who have actually gone through the process.

I am a UK national and will be moving to Barcelona in August. I do not have a job offer currently as I am actively looking for employment in Spain, but I do have proof of sufficient funds and have chosen a private health insurance plan (but not yet signed up). I am sub-letting an apartment from a friend for the month of August but will be looking for my own apartment from September onwards. 

If anyone could provide some information or amendments to my 'flow chart' outlining which order to tackle the bureaucracy I would be forever in your debt!

So;

1. Arrive in Spain
2. Request a cita previa and fill out necessary info for my NIE card, showing sufficient funds and health insurance or job contract (if offered a job by then)
3. Obtain NIE card
4. Find apartment to move into and have rental contract signed
5. Take signed rental contract to show for the empadronamiento
6. Be registered in the padron


One last question if anybody has experience - Do you need an NIE number to secure an apartment in Barcelona? I have read mixed reviews with some saying you definitely need one and some saying certain rental companies don't ask for one until you sign the contract. 

Any help would help alleviate a lot of anxiety. Thanks for reading.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

That looks about right. Strictly speaking obtaining an NIE (which is just a tax ID number) and registering as a resident EU citizen (the bit that you need to prove income and health insurance for) are separate things, but if you can get them done at the same time all well and good. 

I don't think it's a legal requirement to have an NIE before you can rent a flat, but I'm sure most agencies will want one. Thanks to the Covid pandemic it's probably a lot easier to get a flat in Barcelona than it used to be, so they might be more flexible. If you can show you've got your cita previa booked that might suffice.

Requirements do vary from place to place, which is why it's hard to give definitive answers, but that's Spain for you.


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## davexf (Jan 26, 2009)

Hola 

You don't have to wait until you arrive in Spain to get an NIE. A Spanish embassy will give you an NIE there have been threads on this 

Davexf


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## Mforster (Mar 27, 2019)

If you have your NIE number then you can do lots of things. Mobile phone, car rental, spanish bank account. As mentioned in an earlier post, it does depend on which region you're in in order to comply with all requirements, but the NIE seems to be the most important. And, also mentioned before, you can get this at the Spanish Embassy before you actually even arrive in Spain.
Good luck! My advise is just go with the flow...... all will work out eventually. The Spanish people in my area (Extremadura) are so unbelievable friendly and patient.


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## MataMata (Nov 30, 2008)

You do not need to be on a padron and in fact as a non resident it's illegal to be.

Do not mistake the fact of a town hall permitting you to sign on as it being right and proper, it's fraudulent and there are potential fines both for town halls and for the people themselves. 

Although it does vary for most a padron will be demanded for a residencia application so that is the only legitimate justification for signing on.

Regarding finding work; in the best of times jobs are hard to come by and if you don't have a reasonable command of the language you can multiply that by 'n'.

In the current climate unless you have some exceptional and sought after skill to offer then I'd rate your chances of finding work - and that's ANY work never mind contracted - as substantially less than zero.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

MataMata said:


> You do not need to be on a padron and in fact as a non resident it's illegal to be.
> 
> Do not mistake the fact of a town hall permitting you to sign on as it being right and proper, it's fraudulent and there are potential fines both for town halls and for the people themselves.
> 
> ...


As you say, it does vary from area to area, but the 'rule' set by the govt for EU citizens to show resident registration when signing onto the padrón, not the other way round. 



When this change first came into being a few years ago there were problems in my area, with towns insisting on resident registration before padrón, but one official at the extranjería wanting to see padrón when registering. (Although that has never officially been a requirement for EU citizens)

It was all sorted out in the end. 


Non-EU citizens DO need padrón before they are issued a TIE though.


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## MataMata (Nov 30, 2008)

xabiaxica said:


> the 'rule' set by the govt for EU citizens to show resident registration when signing onto the padrón, not the other way round.
> 
> .



It may be the rule but unfortunately it does not seem to have filtered down to town halls still dishing them out on demand nor police stations dishing out residencias.

I can speak personally for Orihuela in that regard and know of many other instances both there and at other local police stations.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

MataMata said:


> "the 'rule' set by the govt for EU citizens to show resident registration when signing onto the padrón, not the other way round"
> 
> It may be the rule but unfortunately it does not seem to have filtered down to town halls still dishing them out on demand nor police stations dishing out residencias.
> 
> I can speak personally for Orihuela in that regard and know of many other instances both there and at other local police stations.


Therein lies the issue. We could NOT get residency seven years ago until we had signed on the padrón. It’s spain, depends whether it’s Monday p, or Saturday , April, June or December, Jose, Pedro or Maria!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

MataMata said:


> It may be the rule but unfortunately it does not seem to have filtered down to town halls still dishing them out on demand nor police stations dishing out residencias.
> 
> I can speak personally for Orihuela in that regard and know of many other instances both there and at other local police stations.


You conveniently left off the beginning of what I wrote 



> it does vary from area to area


I fully acknowledge that. 

I'm simply stating how the government says that it should be done, & that to say that padron has to be done before registering as resident simply isn't true. It's against govt guidelines, & I say again




> it does vary from area to area


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Megsmum said:


> Therein lies the issue. We could NOT get residency seven years ago until we had signed on the padrón. It’s spain, depends whether it’s Monday p, or Saturday , April, June or December, Jose, Pedro or Maria!


Seven years ago that was the norm, although not meant to be a requirement. The rules changed after that iirc.

You forgot to add that it also depends which way the wind is blowing, on which side of bed the funcionario woke up - & the worst of all - if he couldn't get his favourite brand of staples you're in deep trouble!


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

xabiaxica said:


> Seven years ago that was the norm, although not meant to be a requirement. The rules changed after that iirc.
> 
> You forgot to add that it also depends which way the wind is blowing, on which side of bed the funcionario woke up - & the worst of all - if he couldn't get his favourite brand of staples you're in deep trouble!


Or as happened with my Mother when told she needed to be on the Padron to buy a car. The Funcionario turned out to be her neighbour who she was on good terms with


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

xabiaxica said:


> Seven years ago that was the norm, although not meant to be a requirement. The rules changed after that iirc.
> 
> You forgot to add that it also depends which way the wind is blowing, on which side of bed the funcionario woke up - & the worst of all - if he couldn't get his favourite brand of staples you're in deep trouble!


Come on, you are asking for “THAT” video to be linked to!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

megsmum said:


> come on, you are asking for “that” video to be linked to!:d


¡¡¡nooo!!!


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## Phil Squares (Jan 13, 2017)

xabiaxica said:


> Non-EU citizens DO need padrón before they are issued a TIE though.


I am not sure where you are located but I am an EU citizen (Ireland) and my wife is American. She had her TIE long before we registered on the Padron. So, it would appear there is some variance in what is really the procedure.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Phil Squares said:


> I am not sure where you are located but I am an EU citizen (Ireland) and my wife is American. She had her TIE long before we registered on the Padron. So, it would appear there is some variance in what is really the procedure.


Now *that* is *very* unusual!


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

xabiaxica said:


> ¡¡¡nooo!!!


The OP hasn't made any more posts either or this thread or elsewhere perhaps it is a fear of getting this:


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