# NIE heeeeeelp!



## kouklamou (May 20, 2009)

Please can someone help, as I am reading so much conflicting information online and am confused. 

In May my boyfriend and I applied for what we thought was an NIE but we now discover that this (whatever it is) expired after three months. 

I know the law has changed but the information online seems to be incorrect (or not dated, so I suspect it doesn't apply any more). 

My boyfriend went to the office in Balmes and they gave him a tiny piece of paper saying they need his work permit and employer's details etc but neither of us is working yet as he is still based in another country and we are planning to move lock stock and barrel when we get married next year. Nobody there seems to speak English, his Spanish is not great, so he came home with the little slip of paper and we are no further on. Now we want to buy a house and have no NIEs. 

If anybody knows of an English speaking gestor who can help - or, better still, knows definitively what the "new" process is, I'd be so grateful. We're against time as we have so much to do with the potential house purchase and not much time in which to do it all! Thank you so much in advance.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

kouklamou said:


> Please can someone help, as I am reading so much conflicting information online and am confused.
> 
> In May my boyfriend and I applied for what we thought was an NIE but we now discover that this (whatever it is) expired after three months.
> 
> ...


yes the NIE certificate does expire after 3 months

if you are living here you need to register as resident & for that you have to prove that you can financially support yourselves - so you need a work contract or you have to show a healthy bank balance or regular income into a Spanish bank account. You also have to show that you have healthcare provision in place.

however - if you aren't living here you should be able to get a replacement NIE certificate - just explain to them that don't live here, but want to buy a house to move into at some future date

incidentally - the NIE number doesn't change - so you do actually still have it


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

kouklamou said:


> Please can someone help, as I am reading so much conflicting information online and am confused.
> 
> In May my boyfriend and I applied for what we thought was an NIE but we now discover that this (whatever it is) expired after three months.
> 
> ...


What they are asking for is proof of income and healthcare provision. Before you can become a resident you must prove that. Initially, you are given a temporary NIE, but that must be replaced with a permanent NIE/residencia after 90 days! So you effectively have 90 days to find contracted employment or to prove an outside income source and healthcare provision 



Jo xxx


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## kouklamou (May 20, 2009)

Thanks so much for your replies.

We are not looking for work but are happy to provide bank statements that prove we are financially secure in Spain. 

However how do we go about replacing the "expired" NIE? More than 90 days has elapsed, unfortunately, as we had understood it to be a document which doesn't expire.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

kouklamou said:


> Thanks so much for your replies.
> 
> We are not looking for work but are happy to provide bank statements that prove we are financially secure in Spain.
> 
> However how do we go about replacing the "expired" NIE? More than 90 days has elapsed, unfortunately, as we had understood it to be a document which doesn't expire.


As stated, the number does not expire, just the piece of paper.

Why do you need a new piece of paper? Just quote your NIE when asked for it and that's it. If you need to prove that are resident here, then that is completely different.

Once you have an NIE number you will always have it so I don't really (personally) see the point of temporary NIE's


Anyone else agree with where I'm coming from? The OLD NIE document only informed you of your number - in itself the piece of paper was of no real use. So just quote your number when asked!


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## kouklamou (May 20, 2009)

This got discovered last week when I tried to change the name on an Orange bill, from the previous occupant of my apartment to my own name. The lady in the Orange shop said "this NIE has expired" and sent me packing.

I certainly don't want to go through the process again unless absolutely necessary but assumed a native Spaniard wouldn't point out an "expired" NIE unless it was a problem.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

kouklamou said:


> This got discovered last week when I tried to change the name on an Orange bill, from the previous occupant of my apartment to my own name. The lady in the Orange shop said "this NIE has expired" and sent me packing.
> 
> I certainly don't want to go through the process again unless absolutely necessary but assumed a native Spaniard wouldn't point out an "expired" NIE unless it was a problem.


Legally you need a valid NIE number and to live in Spain for over 90 days you need to be a resident. So you need to take your proof of income and healthcare and go and get the correct paperwork. The number will be the same, but it will be on a valid residencia card

Jo xxx


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## RichTUK (Oct 15, 2012)

I went and got my NIE number yesterday, which was also 3 months. My girlfriend got in touch with the police at the same station today to see if I could get a longer one and they have said that, until you have a social security number..which you can only get once you´re working, you can only get a 3 month NIE... they also said its prob best to leave it and just get one once your working...also even then you can only get a 5 year one before it expires again. It has all changed since the crisis.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

RichTUK said:


> I went and got my NIE number yesterday, which was also 3 months. My girlfriend got in touch with the police at the same station today to see if I could get a longer one and they have said that, until you have a social security number..which you can only get once you´re working, you can only get a 3 month NIE... they also said its prob best to leave it and just get one once your working...also even then you can only get a 5 year one before it expires again. It has all changed since the crisis.



Although I've heard (forgive me if I'm wrong) that this is how it was always supposed to be. Other European countries operate the same sort of system (even the UK!!), Spain has simply been a bit lax, but is now falling in line. I guess too many foreigners in the past have gone to Spain, worked on the black and been able to disappear off the radar but still use Spains healthcare etc

Jo xxx


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## RichTUK (Oct 15, 2012)

jojo said:


> Although I've heard (forgive me if I'm wrong) that this is how it was always supposed to be. Other European countries operate the same sort of system (even the UK!!), Spain has simply been a bit lax, but is now falling in line. I guess too many foreigners in the past have gone to Spain, worked on the black and been able to disappear off the radar but still use Spains healthcare etc
> 
> Jo xxx


Yea it seems reasonable to me, I know its a pain queuing up for it but id still rather do that and stay in Spain, than go back to live in the UK. Its not really much of a problem.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

RichTUK said:


> Yea it seems reasonable to me, I know its a pain queuing up for it but id still rather do that and stay in Spain, than go back to live in the UK. Its not really much of a problem.



As long as you have the finances and healthcare in place then its not a problem, you'll get your residencia. The queues vary from town to town. Our foreigners office used an appointment system. You went there and were given the paperwork and an appointment to return. So no real queue.

Jo xxx


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## RichTUK (Oct 15, 2012)

jojo said:


> As long as you have the finances and healthcare in place then its not a problem, you'll get your residencia. The queues vary from town to town. Our foreigners office used an appointment system. You went there and were given the paperwork and an appointment to return. So no real queue.
> 
> Jo xxx


That sounds awesome, ours is in Alicante just a few streets from the city centre. You have to get there at at least 7am to join the queue, even though the office doesn't open until 9am. I got there at 7 on Friday and there were already 20+ people, a lot of the time they will turn you away if you are too far back in the line, but it was really quick once i had got in there, and only had to wait for maybe 15 mins to pick up the N.I.E yesterday. 

Its gone up loads, my girlfriends cost her around 3 Euros, 2 years ago and now it's just over 9 Euros.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

RichTUK said:


> I went and got my NIE number yesterday, which was also 3 months. My girlfriend got in touch with the police at the same station today to see if I could get a longer one and they have said that, until you have a social security number..which you can only get once you´re working, you can only get a 3 month NIE... they also said its prob best to leave it and just get one once your working...also even then you can only get a 5 year one before it expires again. It has all changed since the crisis.



Just in case others come along and read this thread, I'd like to clarify.

Strictly speaking the policeman was WRONG. I think what he was trying to say was that unless you are either a pensioner or of independent means, then you need to be working and paying into the system to be able to get a residencia which will include your NIE.

The residencia does not actually expire after 5 years. After 5 years you are considered to be permanently resident here unless you ticked the box on the residencia application form asking for it to be permanent.

In practice, because the residencia does NOT have a date on it, it never expires.


Hoping this clarifies matters a little.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> Just in case others come along and read this thread, I'd like to clarify.
> 
> Strictly speaking the policeman was WRONG. I think what he was trying to say was that unless you are either a pensioner or of independent means, then you need to be working and paying into the system to be able to get a residencia which will include your NIE.
> 
> ...


yes, that's why I always say to people to tick the 'permanente' box


I suppose it's possible that they are now issuing temp 5 year resident certs as a matter of course now though - but this is the first I've heard any hint of it & I suspect you are correct in your interpretation


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