NIE:
Britons and other EU nationals don’t need a visa to visit, live work or study in Spain. However, anyone staying for longer than a holiday break should get a NIE (a foreigner identification number) and a Tarjets de Residencia (residency card). Both can be obtained from an Oficina de Extranjeria. People from outside the EU need a visa (visado nacional) to live and work in Spain.
What is a Spanish NIE number? This will be one of the first questions you will be asking yourself when you move on over to Spain. The NIE is a tax identification number in Spain, known in Spanish as the NIE, or more formally the Número de identidad de extranjero. The Spanish Government have linked the NIE number to residence, where the NIE appears on the tarjeta de residencia (residence card), and to social security in Spain.
​
Why is a NIE number needed?
For any activity in Spain that requires you, as a foreigner, to pay taxes will need you to apply for a NIE number. A NIE number does not preclude your tax residency. The list supplied below is an example; it is by no means a closed list.
-
Buying property.
-
Selling property.
-
Connecting your property to utilities.
-
Inheriting assets in Spain.
-
Opening a bank account.
-
Taking out insurance.
-
Buying a car.
-
Buying a boat.
-
Working in Spain.
-
Studying in Spain.
-
Obtaining a mortgage or any other type of loan.
-
Can be used to enrol in a town hall census.
Some schools require a NIE number from parents and/or new (foreign) pupils to enrol them.
If you are here for a total of 183 days (not consecutive) then you are classed as being a tax resident of Spain. You should apply for Residency (Residencia), your padrón and a SIP card (Health card) or private medical insurance, and investigating paying taxes in Spain.
What does a NIE number look like?
A NIE number is issued by the National Police on a standard A4 size of paper which also has your name, surname, date of birth and nationality (see photo below for more details). Example: X-12345678-R.
​
​