Alien identification number

NIE is an abbreviation of Numero de Identificacion de Extranjero, translated from Spanish means Foreigner Identification Number. The major function of the number in Spain is tax control. Without it, the tax office could not charge non-resident owners of Spanish real estate annual taxes, such as income tax. Non-payment of taxes in Spain can, as a result, be subject to fairly large fines.

Who needs a Foreigner Identification Number?

1. Any foreigner who becomes a resident of Spain. He needs a NIE for tax.
2. Any non-resident foreigner who buys property in Spain. If a property is bought jointly by a group of people and registered to them, then all of them must receive a Number.

When do I need to get a Foreigner Identification Number?

If a certain property is purchased, then the Foreigner Identification Number must be already in place by the time the documents are signed by a notary.

Therefore, a request for a NIE must be submitted well before the signing of the sales contract if the purchase takes place in Spain, and at least 2 months in advance if the Foreigner Identification Number is requested abroad through the consulate. The time to complete the application depends on the place of application and the season of the year.

How to get a Foreigner Identification Number?

EU citizens have three options for obtaining an Identification Number in Spain:
The first way is a personal appeal in Spain;
The second way is a personal appeal to a foreign diplomatic consulate in Spain;
The third way is the transfer of the right to apply to a third party (by proxy).

Non-citizens of EU member states cannot transfer the right to process an application to a third party. Here, you must apply for a number in person, while either in Spain, or contact a foreign diplomatic consulate.

I. Personal appeal

Applying in person to issue an Identification Number to you is a straightforward and affordable procedure. The only inconvenience may be a long queue, the size of which usually depends on the location of the police station. In principle, the registration process can take you half an hour or less.

You will need:

First, prepare the documents. This is:

Original passport with copies of pages containing your photo, full name, address, by whom and when issued, etc.

Two color passport photos, with a plain background. This is not mandatory, but it is advisable to play it safe, given that some police stations may ask you to do so.

The original document with its copy, which confirms the validity of the submitted request for the provision of the Foreigner Identification Number. When buying a property, you need to take an official copy of the deed of purchase, provided and certified by a notary (the so-called copia simple). If the transaction has not been formalized by a notary, then a private sales contract signed by you and the developer or seller is provided. These documents are not required and are not always required, but of course it is better that you have them with you.

Non-citizens of EU member states need to provide a document that confirms the legality of their stay in Spain. Usually this is a visa stamp in a foreign country. Passport or entry declaration.

2 copies of the application form you completed. The Spanish name for the NIE form is Solicitud de NIE.(Ex-14).

After that, you need to submit all these documents.

To do this, you will need to contact the immigration office (oficina de extranjeros) at the place of purchase, which is usually at the police stations. If there is no such office there, then most likely your application will be accepted at the local police department.

In some regions, such as Andalucia, you may be charged a small fee (several euros) for submitting an application. Here, when submitting documents, you are given a form for paying for the application, on which the bank then stamps the payment.

And finally, you will simply need to collect the Alien Identification Number after 15 days.

After the application procedure, you will be issued a receipt (resguardo). You can pick up your NIE at the office where your documents were accepted within 15 days (maybe longer), unless otherwise specified. It is unnecessary for you to pick up the room personally. This can be done upon presentation of a receipt for the delivery of documents.

The period it takes to process and get a NIE may vary by region in Spain. It is necessary to wait about 15 days, but in some regions, for example, in Asturias, Oveido, in the north of Spain (Asturias, Oviedo), the submission and consideration of the application and issuing NIE takes only an hour and a half.

It is much more convenient to issue a Number at the local tax office. The entire process usually takes a couple of days. This implies that the tax office will know the applicant's status as a property owner in Spain.

II. Personal appeal to a foreign diplomatic consulate of Spain

This option means that you can apply for a Number at the Spanish consulate in each country.

The essence of the process is:

1) Prepare the documents.

- The original passport along with copies of its pages with your photo, full name, number, address, by whom and when issued, etc.

- Two color passport photos

2. Completed forms of the relevant application, but not yet signed. The application must be signed in the presence of an allowed consular officer. Please note that the Spanish consulate does not issue such forms. They are worth getting.

- Postal envelope filled in to your address

- Postal envelope addressed to:

Comisaria General de Extranjeria y Documentacion
Dirección General de Policia
C/General Pardinas, 90
Madrid 28006
Tel: +34 91 322 6824 / 26

Some consulates, but not all, charge a consular fee of €30. So it is better to have some money with you.

- You will need originals and copies of documents that serve as the basis for obtaining a NIE. If real estate is being purchased, then you will need to take an official copy of the purchase document, issued and certified by a notary (copia simple). If the transaction has not yet been formalized by a notary, then a private sale and purchase agreement signed by you and the seller or developer must be attached. Such documents are not always requested (depending on the consulate), but of course it is best that you have them available just in case.

Regarding the personal submission of documents to the Spanish consulate, all the required documents must be submitted by you, without intermediaries, to the consulate. The consulate does not issue NIE numbers, the consulate simply acts as an intermediary between the applicant (you) and the Spanish authorities. When applying through the consulate, they cannot provide you with any information on the status and status of the application. On account of these questions, one should consult at the above address of the General Commissariat.

If your application has passed and has been satisfied, then the Number will come to you by mail within 4-6 weeks.

III. Power of attorney for a 3rd person to apply

From 01.01.2004, any foreigner who wishes to get an Identification Number must apply in person or notarize a third party to complete the application. With a notarized power of attorney for a 3rd person, it is necessary to visit a public notary in the Kingdom of Spain (or a consulate abroad). With this power of attorney, the witness, on his own behalf, entitles a third party to submit an application and go through the procedures for issuing a Number. If a power of attorney is issued by a foreign notary, it requires an official translation and an apostille. As a result, the 3rd person will receive a notarized power of attorney recognized in Spain. But this option for obtaining a NIE can only be used by citizens of EU member states.

The 3rd party - in most cases this is a lawyer - will need the same documents that are submitted in person. For obtaining a Foreigner Identification Number, Spanish lawyers usually ask for around €150-250.