How to get an NIE number for buying property in Spain
Who this is for: For buyers from the UK and Ireland. A note for EU citizens is given separately.
You cannot buy a home in Spain without an NIE. It is the first piece of paperwork in every purchase, and the one most likely to hold up a completion date if it is left too late.
The good news: it is a short, cheap procedure, and you can start it from the UK.
What an NIE actually is
The Número de Identidad de Extranjero is a personal, unique number assigned to foreigners who have economic, professional or social interests in Spain. It identifies you to Spanish institutions — the tax office, the land registry, the notary, the bank.
Two things it is not:
It is not a residence permit. The Spanish consulate in London puts this plainly: an NIE obtained through a consulate lets you deal with Spanish public administration, but it does not allow you to live in Spain and does not prove residence. If you want to live there, you need a visa, and that is a separate application.
It is not a TIE. The TIE is the physical identity card issued to foreign residents in Spain. Asking for the wrong one is a common mistake — and booking the wrong type of appointment means being turned away.
Who needs one, and when
Every buyer named on the deed needs their own NIE. A couple buying jointly needs two. You also need it to open a Spanish bank account, pay the purchase tax, register the property, and sign up for utilities.
Three ways to get it
1. At a Spanish consulate in the UK. If you are not in Spain, the application goes to the immigration authorities through a Spanish consular office. Spain has three consulates general in the UK — London, Edinburgh and Manchester — and each covers its own area, so the one you use depends on your address, not your preference. Edinburgh covers Scotland, Northern Ireland and the north-east of England; Manchester covers the north-west, Yorkshire, the East and West Midlands, Wales and the Isle of Man; London covers the rest, including the Channel Islands. The London consulate takes appointment requests by email.
2. In person in Spain, at a National Police station or an immigration office, normally with a pre-booked appointment.
3. Through a representative. Someone in Spain can apply on your behalf — usually the lawyer handling your purchase — with a properly documented power of attorney. Note that the applicant or the representative must appear in person: the application is never processed entirely by post or online.
What you need
- Form EX-15, the official application. Fill it in on screen, then print and sign it. The consulate asks for the original and one copy.
- Your passport, original plus a copy of the relevant pages.
- Proof of the fee — tax form 790, code 012, choosing the entry for assigning an NIE at the applicant's request. The official fee listed is €9.84; check the current figure when you generate the form.
- A stated reason. The form asks you to set out the economic, professional or social grounds for the request. "Buying a property in Spain" is exactly such a ground. Some offices ask for supporting evidence, such as a reservation contract.
The fee is paid at a Spanish bank — you do not need an account there — or online through the police service's website.
How long it takes
By law the application must be resolved and notified within five days of reaching the competent office. In practice the wait is not the decision — it is getting an appointment, and that varies by consulate and by province.
Plan on weeks rather than days, and start early.
If you are an EU citizen
An Irish buyer follows the same procedure for the NIE itself. The difference comes later: EU citizens who intend to live in Spain register with the Central Register of Foreigners once they are there, rather than applying for a visa.
After the NIE: what it unlocks
With the number in hand you can open a Spanish bank account, though for buying a new build you do not have to — you can pay from your own bank abroad. For a resale property it is not a legal requirement, but in practice you will need one: at the notary the seller is paid with a banker's draft that only a Spanish bank can issue. You can sign the deed, pay the purchase tax, and register the property in your name.
In short
The NIE is a personal number, not a residence permit and not an ID card. Every buyer needs one. Apply on form EX-15 with your passport and the €9.84 fee, at a Spanish consulate in the UK, in person in Spain, or through a representative with power of attorney. The decision is due within five days; the appointment is what takes time. Start early.