The Difficulty of Getting a NIE Number in Spain
The Difficulty of Getting a NIE Number in Spain
By D. Graham Hunt
NIE numbers in Spain are absolutely necessary now but getting one can be a long and tedious process. There are many bad things about the process but the worst thing seems to be that the steps change constantly. When you speak to the civil servants about it though they will insist that the system has always been the same and never changes.
Anyway this is the current system in Valencia, although the steps can be applied to other regions too to a greater or lesser degree. The process is done in six stages:
Stage 1. Avenida de Constitucion is a road on the outskirts of Valencia to the North. It is here where you need to apply with the online NIE number application form. You must fill out the form correctly without any sort of online translation tool to help you. Currently there is no need to have photos but take them just in case.
Stage 2. Get yourself a temporary NIE form from Hacienda, this is the tax office (Opposite FNAC in Valencia so at least this one is central). You need two pieces of paper to do this, the application form you have got previously and the copy of your deposit contract on your property (If you haven't yet got one then get one drawn up:-)). You then get your new temporary NIE number and the reason you need that is just in case your purchase goes through before your full NIE comes back. This NIE, that starts with an M, actually allows you to buy a property so if it is urgent this is the process unless the Notary tells you that you cannot buy the house with just that form which may happen sometimes.
Stage 3. About four weeks later go to Patraix in Valencia to pick up your NIE number. this one will start with an X and will be yours for the rest of your life. However to do this you need to have paid for it which you cannot do until you have the bill. You get this by asking for it in the same police station having queued for a long time. This you then take to the bank which is nowhere near this police station as it is in the middle of an industrial estate. You get your car and go to the bank to get it. Unfortunately you usually need an account to be able to pay the bill, therefore it must be a bank where you have an account already opened up. Set one up beforehand.
Stage 4. Go back to the Police Station in Patraix to pick up your NIE number. Remember you will need to queue and the best tip is to turn up at around 1pm. (Make sure you have let a month pass by though because if you don't you will find that the NIE is not yet there)
Stage 5. Go back to the Tax Office with your NIE. Show them your NIE number and ask them to cancel your temporary NIE.
Stage 6: (This one has just been added in) You now need to register your NIE number. Without doing this you cannot hand over your hard earned cash to the Spanish Government.
Look on this as a challenge by the way and you will have fun rather than being totally frustrated.
For more information about getting your NIE number in Spain go to the website below and look at the sidebar and you may well be able to get your NIE before coming to Spain.
Graham Hunt is an estate agent in the Valencia region of Spain. His website http://www.houses-for-sale-in-spain.net is a high quality website with great value properties and more importantly excellent information about the process of buying and selling property in Spain and also lifestyle issues in Spain.
The property website he runs is http://www.valencia-property.com. This complements the lifestyle aspects of the blog site and offers a huge variety of properties all around the Valencia region and also elsewhere.
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