How to Get a NIE Number for Buying in Spain

What the NIE is for

The NIE is not a residence permit but a personal identification number for anything with tax relevance in Spain (legal basis: Art. 206 of Real Decreto 557/2011). For a property purchase it is indispensable: no Spanish notary will complete a sale without it, the transfer tax cannot be filed without it, and bank accounts, utility contracts and the annual non-resident income tax all run on this number. If two people buy together, each needs their own NIE.

The three application routes

In Spain at the Policía Nacional

The fastest route: applying in person at a foreigners’ office (Oficina de Extranjería) or a Policía Nacional station — in Mallorca, in Palma. You need a pre-booked appointment (cita previa, online via the Sede Electrónica), form EX-15 completed in duplicate, your passport with a copy, the reason for the application (here: an intended property purchase) and proof that the fee has been paid. The authority is meant to decide within five days of the application entering the registry; in practice the bottleneck is the appointment, not the processing.

At a Spanish consulate in your home country

If you prefer not to travel, you can apply at the Spanish consulate responsible for your place of residence (in the UK, for instance, in London, Manchester or Edinburgh) — with the same documents. The consulate forwards the application to Spain; allow several weeks.

Through an authorised representative in Spain

A lawyer or gestoría can apply on your behalf with a notarised — and where required, apostilled — power of attorney. This is the usual route once a purchase is concrete and the firm is handling the conveyancing anyway; appointments and office visits are taken off your hands entirely.

Fee and forms

The application carries the administrative fee of Tasa 790, Código 012 — €9.84 for the assignment of a NIE (as of 27 September 2026 under fee order Orden PJC/617/2025; the amount is adjusted periodically, and the official payment form is what counts). It is paid before the appointment at a bank in Spain, or per the consulate’s instructions. Form EX-15 and the payment form are provided free of charge online.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get a NIE?

In Spain the authority decides within five days of registry entry; the real lead time is the appointment, which can run weeks ahead in high season. Via a consulate, several weeks are realistic; via a power of attorney through a law firm, usually a few weeks with no effort on your side. For a planned purchase we recommend applying for the NIE in parallel with the property search.

Is the NIE a residence permit, or does it create obligations?

No. The NIE is only an identification number and grants neither residence rights nor, by itself, tax obligations. Non-residents who own Spanish property do, however, file the annual non-resident income tax — using this number.

Does the NIE expire?

The number itself never changes. The paper certificate is treated by some offices as “current” for only three months; in practice the number plus a valid passport is enough for completion — your notary or lawyer will tell you whether a fresh certificate is needed.