What’s the NIE?
According to official Spaniard sources, the NIE is a personal, unique, and sequential ID number meant to identify foreign citizens with economical, professional, or social ties to Spain. This number is meant to be used on any document issued in Spain, as well as any legal errands that might be stamped in their ID or passports. To simplify this, the NIE is a number used to identify you whenever you do anything within Spain’s borders.
Uses of the NIE
You need the N.I.E to:
- Be properly identified in Spain
- If you’re going to stay longer than 90 days. If you’re going to stay for less than 90 days, your passport is enough.
- To be able to proceed with a major purchase, such as real estate. (link del blog)
When it comes to purchasing a property, real estate agencies might take care of this. After the property search, a real estate agent might write a contract or signal to help accelerate the process of this document. It is also very important to check the tax history.
- To open a bank account in a Spaniard bank (link cuenta bancaria)
- To be able to do any other legal errands with the Spaniard public administration, such as paying taxes.
- To be able to benefit from social security
If you come with your family to live in Spain, all of your family members need the N.I.E
Differences between NIE and TIE
- N.I.E is the number of your ID. This number usually starts with an X or a Y.
- T.I.E it’s the plastic ID card. A document with all of your personal information, as well as your N.I.E number, and the type of residence in Spain.
Differences between NIE, NIF and DNI
- D.N.I it’s the “Documento nacional de identidad para Españoles” (the National Identification Document for Spaniards) this is the document Spaniards carry at all times to identify themselves. They can travel throughout the European Union with just this document but many choose to carry both passport and DNI in case one of the documents gets lost.
- N.I.F it’s the “Numero de Identificación Fiscal para Españoles” (Tax ID number for Spaniards) this is the control number used to oversee economical activities and taxes performed by spaniards.
How to get the NIE
Who can solicit it and where
- It can be solicited personally in Spain at the Foreign Affairs Office or the Police Station.
- Through a representative that is able solicit said document in Spain.
- Through the Spaniard Consular Offices or any other Spaniard Diplomatic Representations at the solicitant’s country of origin.
Documents required for soliciting the N.I.E
To solicit this document, a number of documents are required, such as:
- Physical copy of the normalized solicitude (EX – 15 form) correctly certified and signed. Press here to download.
- Original and copy of passport
- Economic, professional, or social justification for soliciting said document.
- When the N.I.E is solicited by a third party, said person will have plenty of power over the process.
Applying for NIE in Spain
You can solicit the NIE personally or through a third party representing you in Spain, at the Foreign Affairs Office or the local Police Station.
At the foreign affairs’ office
If you decide to do this through the Foreign Affairs Office you will need to schedule an appointment beforehand. Click here to do it https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/icpplus/index.html
NIE Application form
Step by step how-to:
1º. Select the correspondent province:
2º. Select “Solicitud de Autorizaciones” (Authorization Requests)
3º. Select “este enlace” and then “modelos generals” (General forms)
4º. Download the EX-15 Form.
5º. Please enter your personal information. (Select the “passport” and write your passport number + Your first and last name + Date of birth)
Example:
6º. “To ask for a date”
7º. Select the office and “next”
8º. Enter data
9º y 10º. Select day and time
11º. Select “I am conforming to the information shown on the screen” and then “confirmation”.
12º. This number must be shown on the day of entry. The registration process was completed
13º. Select “modelos generales” and “modelo ex-15”
The day of the appointment, don’t forget to bring the copy and original of the EX-15 form. Original and copy of your passport and the economical, professional, or social cause to justify the solicitation of this document.
At the police station
If you decide to solicit this document through the local Police Station, you will also need the documents aforementioned.
How to get the NIE outside of Spain
If you are outside of Spain you can solicit your N.I.E through a third party. The documents this third party would need to solicit this document are:
- Original and copy of the EX-15 Form, correctly certified. Must be filled in with a typewriter, in Spanish, using only capital letters.
- Recent copy of all passport pages apostilled by the Spanish Consulate
- Economical, professional, or social cause to justify the solicitation of this document
- Accreditation by the representative of sufficient power. The power is made by the foreigner in the country of origin in two ways:
– At the notary, you must make a legal power to the person who will represent you in Spain, with all the personal information of this person and naming the documents to be sent to Spain. This power must be apostilled and translated into Spanish.
– You could also stop by the Spanish Consulate to make and apposite the legal power. In this case you would not need to translate it because it would already be written in spanish.
In both cases you would need to send the certified copies of the documents that appear in the legal power, passport along with the legal power.
How to get the NIE at any Spain Consular Office in a foreign country
To acquire the N.I.E at a foreign country you must present the following documents to the nearest Spanish Consulate:
- Original and copy of the EX-15 form, certified. Must be filled in with a typewriter, in Spanish, using only capital letters. Press here to download this form.
- Original and copy of the biographic page of the passport in which should be visible the personal information of the solicitant.
- Pay the fees at the consulate.
If the solicitant is underage, the following documents must be presented:
- Original and copy of the EX-15 form, certified. Must be filled in with a typewriter, in Spanish, using only capital letters. This will be signed by the legal guardian of the minor in front of a consular agent. Press here to download this form.
- Original and copy of the biographic page of the passport in which should be visible the personal information of the solicitant.
- Original and copy of the birth certificate of the minor.
- Pay the fees at the consulate.
All “solicitudes” will be sent to the General Directorate of Immigration and Borders via e-mail from the consulate, and the N.I.E will be sent back in PDF format to the solicitant’s e-mail address in a 5-7 days notice. The term of validity of these certificates is 3 months from the date of issue.
List of Spain Consular Offices
Spain Consular Office in Munich
Oberföhringer Str. 45, 81925 München, Germany
Phone number: 089 9984790
Consular emergencies phone number (24h): 0049.89.9984790
Fax: 089 9810206
E-mail: cog.munich@mae.es
Web page: http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/Munich/es/Paginas/inicio.aspx
Spain Consular Office in Berlín
Lichtensteinallee 1, 10787 Berlin
Phone number: :030 / 254 007 161
Consular emergencies phone number (24h): 0049.30.254007161
Fax: 030 / 254 007 420
E-mail: emb.berlin.sc@maec.es
Web page: http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Embajadas/Berlin/es/Paginas/inicio.aspx
Spain Consular Office in London
Phone number: 020 7589 8989
Fax: 020 7581 7888
E-mail: Londres@maec.es
Web page: http://www.exteriores.gob.es/consulados/londres/es/Paginas/inicio.aspx
Spain Consular Office in Moscow
No appointment required beforehand, opens from 09:00 to 13:30.
Contact number: +7 495 232 21 22
Stremyanni pereulok 31/01; 115054 – Moscow
+ 7 (495) 234 22 98 (asistant)
+ 7 (495) 234 22 97 (automatic service)
Consular emergencies phone number (24h): +7 499 136 39 02
Fax: +7 495 234 22 86
e-mail: cog.moscu@maec.es
web page: http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/Moscu
General Consul: Miguel Bauza More
Deputy general consul: Julio Diaz Sevillano
Consul: Juan Pedro Perez-Gomez Delaunay
Chancellor: Francisco de Asis Garnica Siles
Spain Consular Office in Sant Petersburg
Furshtatskaya, 9; 191028, Sant Petersburg
Phone numbers: +7 812 62 66
+7 812 702 62 84
Consular emergencies phone number (24h): +7 912 551 30 86
Fax: +7 812 702 62 65
+7 812 62 65
e-mail: cof-sanpetersburgo@maec.es
web page: : http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/SanPetersburgo
General consul: Juan Antonio Martinez-Cattaneo Y Hingston