NIE in Spain. Instructions for obtaining

NIE in Spain, why it is needed

If you google this three-letter abbreviation, then you already know that this paper is very important, especially in the first time after moving here. After all, it is impossible to do almost anything without NIE: to open a bank account you need NIE, to buy a car or a house you need NIE, to work or open a business here you need it too! Not to mention that for the most important process after moving to Spain - obtaining a residence permit, the NIE is one of the main documents for application. So what exactly is the NIE?

What is the NIE in Spain?

The NIE is an identification document with a unique number that is permanently assigned to every foreigner who wishes to stay in Spain.

Número de Identidad de Extranjero - literally translated from Spanish, the identification number of a foreigner, consists of 2 letters (one at the beginning, one at the end) and 7 digits, for example Y1234567D. Regardless of what country a person comes from, the NIE is the first thing to do when moving, or at least as soon as you arrive in sunny Spain. Apart from other ongoing issues, unfortunately one also has to deal with the confusion of documents. But actually it is not very difficult, now you will understand everything yourself: When filling in the next papers, besides NIE, you may come across such mysterious letters as NIF and DNI.

What is NIF

NIF is 8 digits and a letter at the end. NIF - Número de Identificación Fiscal, the same as NIE, but only for people with Spanish citizenship. This does not apply to us yet, so we use the NIE. So, if you, when filling in any forms or documents, see NIF in the box, feel free to write your NIE number.

What is DNI

DNI (Documento Nacional de Identidad) - National Identification Document, where the NIF appears. Simplified, it's an ID card that shows a tax identification number. It's kind of simple with this one. That document/ID also has a NIF on it, and if someone with Spanish citizenship is asked for their NIF, they can say their DNI. And vice versa.

How to get NIE in Spain

There are two options: at the Spanish Consulate of your country or directly in Spain. 

In fact, the first option is more preferable because the application processing time is 10-20 days, but sometimes longer. During this time, many questions about the move can be solved. Therefore, if there is such an opportunity, it is better to apply in advance. It will be much easier that way. What you need for this:

Obtaining NIE at the Spanish Consulate in the country of residence

The application must be submitted in person or through a representative. Important. If you are unable to be present at the Spanish Consulate, the representative must bring a power of attorney and an identity document (copy and original).

Procedure for applying for NIE at the Spanish Consulate

You should start by calling the consulate and making an appointment to receive and submit your documents for NIE.

There are two options here, the first one works most often. You will be asked to email them and send them a completed application form and a photo of the first page of your passport. In the reply letter, if everything is filled out correctly, they will send you a link to the online appointment or a phone number to make an appointment. They may also offer you a date and time and tell you what you need to bring with you.

Documents required to apply for NIE:

The list is short, and these documents are needed both for filing at the Spanish Consulate and within Spain itself.

- Filled application form EX-15

It is very easy to find, just type in google or other search engine EX-15 NIE, it is a standard pattern. The reason for issuing an NIE is important - it can be economic, professional or social reasons. For example, the intention to buy a property or to open a bank account is not a bad reason for issuing an NIE.

- Photocopy of passport and the original

- Document confirming the necessity to obtain an NIE

If there is an opportunity to confirm the reason for opening an NIE, it would be great to show it. It could be a certificate from a course you want to attend, a contract to buy a property or a car...

- Receipt for payment of the fee

The fee is to be paid as follows: download a standardised payment form from official sources - Modelo 790, código 012. You will be presented with a form in which you just need to fill in your details and choose from the offered options to pay for the assignment of the identification number NIE - Asignación de Número de Identidad de Extranjero (NIE) a instancia del interesado. After that, the amount will be entered automatically. At the moment it is 9.84 euros.

In fact, it is a very simple and quick procedure. You come to the consulate on a given day, submit the documents, and as soon as the NIE is ready, they send you a sheet with your unique identification number directly to your home address. And there, you are already a happy owner of the NIE.

What should you do if you have not done so while you were in your country of residence? You need to do it as soon as possible here in Spain. Being in a legal status is a prerequisite for filing an NIE.

Step-by-step instructions for obtaining NIE in Spain

NIE in Spain is also not difficult to obtain, but to begin with you will have to ‘catch the citas’ - this means you will have to spend some time to catch a vacant window for filing documents. Or maybe you will be lucky and you will get it very quickly.

The first thing to do is to sign up for an application. This is done online on the official website of the government administration. But since this is the first time for us and we don't really want to scour the site for the coveted words, we just type NIE cita previa in the search engine, which means NIE appointment.

Click on this result in the output and you are taken to the page of the official government website. At the top you can select English, maybe it will be a bit clearer. You need to scroll down a little bit, where there will be a button to go to the process - acceder al procedimiento.

Once clicked, you are taken to the selection of the province in which you will apply. 

For example, we've chosen Alicante and move on to the next step: choosing where to get it.

NIE is issued at police stations, so choose TRÁMITES POLICÍA NACIONAL, and after that the first option is asignacion de NIE. Choose it and click on aceptar.

We get such a window with the necessary documents (see the list above), which we needed in case of applying for NIE in our home country. We press the ‘Entrar’ entrance, enter our data and press aceptar. Now the page with our data is in front of us, click on Solicitar cita. 

As you'd expect, there are no ‘citas’, they write that they're sure to appear soon.

This is where the difficulty comes in. You have to repeat the whole process until they appear.

You'll realise this immediately: instead of the usual ‘En este momento no hay citas disponibles’, you'll be prompted to enter your phone number, after which you'll be presented with a list of dates and times of free appointments.

The main thing here is not to hesitate and take what you have at once. That's all, at the appointed time you come to the specified address (it will be in the cita confirmation), hand over your documents and there you will be informed how and when you can pick it up.