They say the first step to becoming an expat in Spain is falling in love with a plate of jamón. The second? Getting your NIE — the Número de Identidad de Extranjero.
Which sounds kind of romantic. It’s not. It’s paperwork. With fluorescent lighting. Possibly a crying baby in the waiting room. But listen — you need it. It’s your key to everything.
What the Heck Is an NIE?
Think of it like your Spanish identity barcode — but for foreigners. It’s a unique number assigned to non-Spanish nationals so they can legally do things in Spain. You get it once. It sticks with you for life. Even if you dye your hair, move to Galicia, marry a flamenco guitarist, and return fifteen years later — same NIE.
You’ll need an NIE to:
- Buy property
- Open a bank account
- Get a job or register as self-employed
- Sign up for utilities
- Pay taxes (yay?)
- Import a car, adopt a dog, join a pickleball club… basically function
Without it, you’re a shadow. A jamón-loving ghost drifting between notaries and confused bank tellers.
Why It’s Confusing
Because there’s the NIE certificate and then there’s residency, and people — even people who work at the police station — will confuse the two. You can have an NIE and not be a resident. That’s legal. In fact, property buyers often do this.
But if you’re moving here? You’ll want both. NIE first, then apply for residency.
One’s a number. The other’s your official “I live here now” badge.
How to Get One (Brace Yourself)
There are three main ways. One involves patience. The others involve… patience, but with a twist of chaos.
Option 1: Apply in Spain
You’ll need to book a cita previa (appointment) online through the sede electronica. Warning: this portal looks like it was designed in 2002 by someone angry.
Steps:
- Book your cita previa online.
(Search: “cita previa extranjería NIE [your province]”) - Fill out EX-15 form (downloadable from the Policia Nacional website).
- Pay Modelo 790 Código 012 tax form at a bank (around €10).
- Bring all the above to your appointment + passport copy, passport-size photo, and a written reason you need the NIE (like “I’m buying a house” or “I’m self-employed” — be specific but boring).
- Wait in a chair that feels like a leftover from a Soviet waiting room and pray your documents are “correct.”
Pro tip: Make two copies of everything. They love copies.
Option 2: Apply via a Spanish Consulate in the UK
This one’s useful if you’re planning the move but aren’t in Spain yet.
- Contact your nearest Spanish consulate.
- Fill in the same forms: EX-15, Modelo 790.
- Show up in person with your passport, reason, etc.
- Wait a few weeks and hope it turns up before your EasyJet flight.
Note: Not all consulates offer this service. Some just shrug and tell you to do it in Spain.
Option 3: Hire a Gestor
This is the “I can’t be bothered” route. Pay someone local (usually €100–€200) and they’ll do it for you.
They know the backdoors. They know which police station to avoid. They sometimes bring churros. If you’ve got cash to spare, honestly, it’s the least soul-destroying option.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Thinking NIE = residency (nope).
- Showing up without your Modelo 790 stamped by the bank (they’ll send you home).
- Not having photocopies. Spain is the land of the photocopy.
- Booking a cita previa in a province you don’t live in — they’ll reject it.
- Trying to joke with the funcionario at the desk. They do not smile.
One Last Weird Thing
Sometimes, you’ll get a green NIE certificate. Sometimes it’s white. Sometimes they hand you a scribbled number on a crumpled printout. Don’t panic. The number is what matters. Frame it if you want. It’s your key to the Spanish kingdom.
You’ll hate the process while you’re in it, but love it the next time you go to sign up for fibre internet and they just nod at your NIE and move on. That number is your golden ticket, your identity in this mad beautiful bureaucracy called Spain.
Just… don’t laminate it. They get weird about that.
