# NIE advice



## carlnotts (Sep 13, 2012)

Hello all, 

Newbie here, partner and I are looking to purchase a bolt hole in Spain early next year (during the winter) am doing all the ground work now regarding lawyers, agents taxes, dos & don'ts pros & cons plus a load of other stuff. Was looking into going to the Spanish Consulate in London to apply for the NIE number (as we are not in a great rush and it would be another box ticked) but the info on their web site suggested we needed some kind of supporting documents as to why we were wanting to apply for the NIE number? Also seen some people suggesting you need a Spanish address when applying? "don't have one of those yet as that's what I want the NIE for"

Having been in touch with a Spanish law firm who we are going to interview next month regarding the conveyancing they suggest as we are UK nationals we can just apply for the NIE number.

Would consider applying at the police station when we are in Spain next month but don't want the docs to get lost as we may not be able to pick them up when they state. 

Any help advice suggestions would be helpful,


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

carlnotts said:


> Hello all,
> 
> Newbie here, partner and I are looking to purchase a bolt hole in Spain early next year (during the winter) am doing all the ground work now regarding lawyers, agents taxes, dos & don'ts pros & cons plus a load of other stuff. Was looking into going to the Spanish Consulate in London to apply for the NIE number (as we are not in a great rush and it would be another box ticked) but the info on their web site suggested we needed some kind of supporting documents as to why we were wanting to apply for the NIE number? Also seen some people suggesting you need a Spanish address when applying? "don't have one of those yet as that's what I want the NIE for"
> 
> ...




Absolutely correct - you can apply for an NIE very simply. (See stickies at top of page to find forms etc.) You do NOT need a residencia so don't have any one try and tell you otherwise.

To get an NIE, you do need a reason - it could be buying a car, buying a house or whatever. You certainly do NOT need an address!

Check where your nearest extranjaria office is - it may or may not be in your National Police Station. Perhaps your best route would be to pay a gestor to help you get the NIE . You would have to be with them but unless you speak the language it may be the easiest method.


There have been some rule changes recently and I'm not sure if you can get the NIE from the consulate any more - can any one confirm if this is true?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> Absolutely correct - you can apply for an NIE very simply. (See stickies at top of page to find forms etc.) You do NOT need a residencia so don't have any one try and tell you otherwise.
> 
> To get an NIE, you do need a reason - it could be buying a car, buying a house or whatever. You certainly do NOT need an address!
> 
> ...


yes you can still apply for a NIE from c+some consulates, but as teh OP said you have to have a reason for it - & I'm not surprised that you now need supporting documentation

that could be that you have paid a deposit on a property or that you stand to inherit one in a will I guess

I also understand that it can take a looong time for it to come through

as you say though, it's a simple enough process once in Spain & can even be arranged during a short visit

if the NIE isn't issued there & then you can give the lawyer power of attorney to collect it for you whenever it's ready


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## carlnotts (Sep 13, 2012)

Thanks for the info guys, I will take a look at the stickies.

The Spanish Consulate in London state on there website you can apply for an NIE number there they also allow you to download the forms in Spanish with an extra download of how to fill them in (in English) for those of us that are not that fluent in the Spanish tongue.

Think I will take a trip to the Officina de Extranjeros which is at the Comisaria de Policia in person while I'm there next month an see how it goes, I do have time on my side at the moment which is not a bad thing.

Just one more question, as we are only in Spain for a short time this trip and as i understand they don't issue the NIE there & then (can take a few weeks) will the police station hold the actual documents for you until you go back to pick them up? Say in 2 or 3 months time?

Will also look into giving a lawyer power of attorney if when I've interviewed them I find one I feel I trust & like.

Thanks again!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

carlnotts said:


> Thanks for the info guys, I will take a look at the stickies.
> 
> The Spanish Consulate in London state on there website you can apply for an NIE number there they also allow you to download the forms in Spanish with an extra download of how to fill them in (in English) for those of us that are not that fluent in the Spanish tongue.
> 
> ...


they certainly used to hold them until you could collect them - I don't see why that would have changed


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## Lolito (Aug 25, 2012)

Hola!

My partner (from UK), went to the local Police Station (with me, of course!) with his passport, his certificado de empadronamiento, nothing else. 

They give you a piece of paper you need to fill in, and that´s all about it. 

They didn´t ask us about anything else, reason to stay, etc. etc. Or maybe they asked in the paperwork we had to fill , but can´t remember very well. 

Oh! You have to pay, but they won´t take any money from you, they give you a piece of paper with the amount, you need to go to the nearest bank and pay there, and then go back to the police station with the ´ticket´ the bank gives you. 

... and you´ll walk out with the NIE in your pocket, they don´t send it to you or anything like that.  

That´s what happened last year in Valencia city. 

This year, we moved to Gandia and went to the Police Station in Gandia, just to let them now of our new address, and they gave him another NIE (same number but correct address) and didn´t have to pay for it. This time, it was a nice little card, same size as a credit card, which is very handy as the other one was an A4 document which makes things complicated (to take it with you everywhere). 

Anyway, that´s what happened to us in the last 12 months. If things have changed since May 2012, then I don´t know. 

If you move to this area, I can help you with your paperwork, but it is not a big thing really.

Good luck!


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## Lolito (Aug 25, 2012)

Ops! I did my DNI and Passport at the same time as Mark did his DNI (May12) and we both left the building with all the documents in our pockets. It took about half an hour for everything to be done. 

But the very first thing you need to do is to register with the Town Hall as a ´resident´ so they can give you the certificate that proves you are living at THAT address. For this, if you haven´t found a house to stay yet, you can ask a friend to write a little note saying ´these people lives with me at this address´and voila! (that´s what we did when we arrived, we stayed at some friends and they gave us a badly handwritten note saying we were living with them), and the Town Hall gave us 3 copies of that certificate for each of us. 

Then you can go to the Comisaria de la Policia and do the NIE. They won´t issue it to you without the above certificate.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Lolito said:


> Ops! I did my DNI and Passport at the same time as Mark did his DNI (May12) and we both left the building with all the documents in our pockets. It took about half an hour for everything to be done.
> 
> But the very first thing you need to do is to register with the Town Hall as a ´resident´ so they can give you the certificate that proves you are living at THAT address. For this, if you haven´t found a house to stay yet, you can ask a friend to write a little note saying ´these people lives with me at this address´and voila! (that´s what we did when we arrived, we stayed at some friends and they gave us a badly handwritten note saying we were living with them), and the Town Hall gave us 3 copies of that certificate for each of us.
> 
> Then you can go to the Comisaria de la Policia and do the NIE. They won´t issue it to you without the above certificate.


you do mean Mark got a green resident registration certificate & NIE combined, not DNI??

only Spanish nationals can get DNIs - do I remember that you're Spanish :confused2:

this poster only wants a non-resident NIE though - if he decides to live here at a later date he can get a resident cert

he won't need a padrón certificate for just a white NIE certificate

actually it might be worth mentioning that the non-res NIE certs have a 3 month expiry date - so it might not be worth the effort getting one until you NEED it


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## Lolito (Aug 25, 2012)

xabiachica said:


> you do mean Mark got a green resident registration certificate & NIE combined, not DNI??
> 
> only Spanish nationals can get DNIs - do I remember that you're Spanish :confused2:
> 
> ...


Yes Xabia, I meant DNI for me and NIE for him... soz!


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## chianti13 (Apr 3, 2012)

I went to the national police station last week thinking it would be a price of cake but they sent me away saying the system has changed and first I need a social security number, just been to the social security office and got a number, went back to the police station and got sent away saying I have to make an appointment. Once I make an appointment they will issue me with a temporary number valid for 3 months which will go on my contract and then my employer contacts them at the end of the three months to convert it to a permanent number...this may just be the Canaries but it's not as simple as it used to be!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Lolito said:


> Yes Xabia, I meant DNI for me and NIE for him... soz!


that's OK - I just thought I'd clarify for new people reading the forum who might not know the difference


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## carlnotts (Sep 13, 2012)

NIE UPDATE 

We applied for our NIEs today 04/10/12 at the Officina de Extranjeros at the Comisaria de Policia in Benidorm.

There were queues from 8am (the offices usually open 0900 - 1400) which is when we got there although they were not that bad, the first time we queued we were waiting about an hour and a half, there is no ticketing system in place at this Officina de Extranieros and after you are inside it could become a bit of a free for all, you just need to make sure you know what the people look like who were in front of you in the queue and as they are getting up to go jump in their seats.

Once we were dealt with we found that the 790 (payment forms) we had filled in we're of no use, the officer gives you a triplicate carbon copy of the 790 form which they right a unique number in the right hand side, it is this form you then have to take to a bank and pay the fee €9.18, the bank stamp all 3 copies and retain the yellow copy.

It's then back to the Officina de Extranjeros to queue again, we witnessed quite a few people in the queue twice holding their stamped copies of the 790 payment form, we racked our brains wondering if there was a way around not having to queue twice but could not think of any other way of doing it as you can only (we think) get the triplicate carbon copy of the 790 payment form from the Officina de Extranjeros. 

Anyway after another hour in the queue we were finally able to successfully apply for our NIEs they take 10 days to be processed from this office.

We did not need any supporting documents as to why we were applying for the NIE the address we used on the application form was the address of the apartment we are staying in at present (not permanent at all).

If you are applying for an NIE go to the Officina de Extranjeros in your area early leave yourself plenty of time and take a bottle of water with you.

You will also need: your passport plus a photo copy of your passport a passport size photo of yourself plus 2 copies of the NIE application form.

You will probably stand in the queue thinking everyone else has more paperwork than you and they must of filled everything out correctly, this is not the case we witnessed quite a few people running to the photo copying shop just up the road (good place to set up that kind of business) and then running back waving their photo copy of their document. 

Applying for the NIE alone really is quite a simple process, you will be fine doing it on your own.

Hope this is of some help to someone!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

carlnotts said:


> NIE UPDATE
> 
> We applied for our NIEs today 04/10/12 at the Officina de Extranjeros at the Comisaria de Policia in Benidorm.
> 
> ...


thanks for reporting back - it's good to hear that things really CAN be a simple as they should be


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