About NIE and its relevance
In the context of the European Union the transit of people between member countries has become much easier; in general, any citizen of the Union may travel without major complications and without bureaucratic requirements.
However, once established in our country and if your stay will be longer than 3 months or if you want to perform legal transactions such as the sale/purchase of a property or the establishment of a company it is important to get the NIE (Foreigner’s Identification Number) as needed for various activities in our country.
What is it?
The Foreigner´s Identification Number is a personal, unique and exclusive number, granted by the Immigration Office. The identification number is the number which you will be given when you have permission to stay in Spain and will be indicated in all documents assigned to you. The format is similar to the Spanish national ID which is eight numbers plus a letter, NIE is same format but it has an additional letter.
The main purpose of this number is for tracking all financial and administrative activities held in Spain. This number is issued to any foreign regardless of whether they are citizens of the European Union or of a non-EU country.
How is the obtaining process?
Obtaining the NIE is not a complicated procedure; however you have to be aware that you will need a variety of documents that will be required to submit with the application.
To obtain the number there are two methods depending where you are at the moment of the application: the first, in the case you apply when being abroad, the place is at the Spanish embassy or consulate in your country; the second, when you already are in Spain, it is at the Comisaría (Central Police Office) that you choose.
The necessary documentation consists of:
- Application form EX15 filled “Solicitud de Número de Identidad de Extranjero (NIE) y Certificados” which can be found on the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation or by clicking here.
- Also, in terms of personal identification you can use any of the following documents: Passport, travel document or registration certificate.
- Documentation to justify the reasons for the request: For instance, if you plan to spend more than three months in Spain for living, if is only for specifics transactions like a purchase, etc.
- Finally, to apply for the NIE from Spain you must provide proof of you are not an irregular immigrant.
Where should I go to submit the documentation?
Once obtained all necessary documentation, it has to be submitted to the “Dirección General de la Policía y de la Guardia Civil”, directly on the central office or through the offices of Immigration or Police stations more close to you.
In the case you wish to make the application from abroad, remember to request in your country information about where are the spanish consular posts to process the NIE.
