Registration of a foreigner’s identification number makes it possible for an emigrant to:
1. Open bank accounts in Spain.
2. Sell, purchase and insure property.
3. Register property in the State Property Register of Spain.
4. Get mortgage approval (subject to other conditions).
5. Pay taxes.
6. Receive official salary.
7. Register and start your own companies.
8. Register in the Spanish social insurance system (unemployment compensation, health insurance, subsidies, pension contributions, etc.).
9. Get a Spanish driver’s license.
10. Buy vehicles.
For all official procedures, all foreigners need to have their own identification numbers (registering the financial documents in Spain, obtaining legal permissions, etc.). Moreover, NIE is one of the ways of personal identification for a foreigner, since it allows us to verify personal data when making any operations. Without the NIE, foreigners won’t be able to work with banks (create accounts, get loans, register businesses, purchase real estate and other property), as well as submit applications to governmental institutions and fulfill their tax obligations.
Legal Act No. 58 of the Spanish Code of Laws “On foreign citizens” regulates the procedure for obtaining NIE. This act states that any foreign citizen who makes money transactions within the country is obliged to have a unique identification number. At the same time, the status (whether a foreigner is a resident or not) is absolutely not important.
NIE is always indicated in a special field when a person registers official tax documents. If a financial transaction involves taxes, it won’t be possible to make it without the identification number.
There are no equal identification numbers. The type of visa doesn’t affect the procedure for obtaining NIE.
Even if you’re a tourist staying in the country (and you have a long-term visa – for over one month), you have the right to obtain an identification number. But there must be a suitable reason for that, for example, the purchase of a house or vehicle (car) or opening a bank account in Spain.
You have the right to obtain NIE, if you come to Spain with a tourist visa (for more than one month) and if there are relevant reasons for that, i.e. the purchase of real estate or a vehicle (car) in Spain, opening an account in a Spanish bank, etc. In terms of its significance, NIE is equal to other data that allow you to verify personal information, so it must be submitted in any official documents.
Instructions for obtaining NIE for foreigners
First of all, your stay in Spain must be completely legal – you must have a valid Visa. While staying in the country, you have the opportunity to contact governmental institutions and apply for a foreigner’s identification number by providing an appropriate reason for that.
If your stay in Spain is illegal, then your application for NIE may lead to a provocation and sanctions may be imposed on you (it can be a penalty or even deportation from the country).
The organizations that accept NIE applications are the Department for Work with Foreigners and the Police Department at the place of residence in Spain.
It’s not necessary to contact a lawyer to obtain NIE. You can independently provide an evidential basis for this purpose and submit an application.
Here’s the list of documents you need to prepare to apply:
1. EX15 form.
2. A receipt of payment of the state fee, certified by the seal of the Spanish bank;
3. Passport or other identity document (original and copy).
Foreigners must arrive at the relevant institutions in person if they’re in Spain at the time of submitting the application. At the same time, their visit must meet all official requirements, namely:
1. Resident’s stay in the country is completely legal.
2. The documents prepared by the residents must confirm their purpose of obtaining NIE.
Important!
Sometimes your personal data may already be entered into the registry for a number of reasons, for example, if you were taken to a police station or an offense was recorded, if you purchased property in Spain, applied for permanent residence in the country, etc. In such cases, the NIE could have already been assigned to the foreigner by the Main Police Department.
NIE can be changed. If you come to the organizations that issue NIE, you’ll be asked about the applications for a residence permit in Spain you submitted earlier. If you’ve applied earlier, that means you already have a unique foreigner’s identification number.
NIE is obviously available to those foreigners who have any documents permitting their residence, or a study visa issued for a long time.
There are different procedures for issuing NIE in different entities of the country. Sometimes authorities may ask you to leave the country to obtain NIE. In some institutions your application may be accepted only filled-in, in other organizations it’s possible to fill it in directly at the police station.
You can apply for NIE using the help of your confidants. They’ll also have to provide documents that confirm the legality and validity of your purposes.