NIE number Spain: how to get it to buy property (2026)

01Do I need an NIE to buy property in Spain?

Yes. The NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) is the number that identifies you to every Spanish authority. The notary will not sign the purchase deed (escritura) without it, the Land Registry records it, and the taxes on the purchase, the annual property tax and the non-resident income tax you will pay as an owner are all filed under it. Spanish banks also ask for it to open the account you need to pay the price, the taxes and the utility bills, and to grant a mortgage.

The NIE is only a number. It is not a residence permit and it does not let you stay in Spain for longer than a visitor. If you want to spend more than 90 days in any 180 in Spain, you need a visa or permit, which is a separate matter covered in our guide to the 90/180 rule.

Signing the purchase deed before a notary.
Opening a Spanish bank account and taking out a mortgage.
Paying transfer tax or VAT on the purchase, and later the local property tax (IBI).
Filing non-resident income tax as an owner, and paying capital gains tax when you sell.
Connecting electricity, water and internet in your name.

02Three ways to get an NIE: which one suits you?

There are three routes. Which one is best depends on where you live, how soon you need the number and whether you plan to travel to Spain before completion.

Route	Who attends	Typical timing	Best for
Police station in Spain (foreigners office)	You, in person, with an appointment	Often issued at the appointment or shortly after	Buyers already in Spain on a viewing trip, if an appointment is available
Spanish consulate in your country	You, or your representative, at the consulate	The London consulate quotes around three weeks	Buyers in the UK who are not in a hurry
Representative in Spain with power of attorney	Your lawyer or representative	Depends on appointment availability in the province	Buyers who will not travel, or who need the number quickly

Appointments at police stations in busy coastal provinces can be hard to find, so a weekend viewing trip is rarely the moment to rely on getting an NIE. If you already know you want to buy, start the NIE as soon as you agree a price.

03How to apply for an NIE from the UK through the Spanish consulate

Spanish consulates abroad accept NIE applications from people who live in their consular area and forward them to the National Police in Madrid. The Consulate General in London states that the NIE is normally issued within three weeks and is sent to the applicant by email, so you must include an email address on the form. The fee there is £8.65, paid by card at the appointment.

You or your representative must attend the appointment in person. Appointments are requested as explained on the consulate's NIE page, and each consulate has its own system. If you live in Scotland or the north of England, check which consulate covers your address before you book.

Form EX-15, completed and printed. The London consulate asks you not to sign it in advance.
Your valid passport and a copy of the photo page.
Evidence of why you need the NIE: for a buyer, the reservation agreement, the deposit contract (contrato de arras) or a letter from your Spanish lawyer or notary.
Proof that you live in the consulate's area, such as a recent utility bill or council tax statement.
The fee form, model 790 code 012.
If a representative attends for you, the power of attorney and their identity document.

04Getting your NIE through a power of attorney, without travelling

Many buyers who live abroad never queue for an NIE. They sign a power of attorney (poder notarial) that allows a representative in Spain, usually their lawyer, to apply for the NIE and to deal with the rest of the purchase. The EX-15 form has a section for the representative, and the representative must prove they have sufficient power.

You can sign the power before a Spanish consul abroad, or before a notary in your own country. A power signed before a UK notary must carry an apostille from the FCDO Legalisation Office and, unless it is drafted in both English and Spanish, a sworn translation into Spanish.

A practical tip: ask for one power that covers the NIE, opening the bank account, signing the deed, paying the taxes and registering the property. Granting several separate powers costs more and causes delays.

Be aware that practice varies between police stations. Some accept the representative without difficulty; others insist on the applicant attending. A lawyer who works with the police station in your province will know which applies.

05Can I apply for an NIE online?

Not in the way most people expect. There is no online form that lets a private buyer abroad obtain an NIE without an appointment at a consulate or a police station. Websites selling an online NIE are intermediaries: they book an appointment for you or act through a representative with your power of attorney. That can be a perfectly good service, but check who will actually present the application, what they charge on top of the official fee and whether they will hand over the original certificate.

What you can do online is fill in form EX-15 on your computer and print it, prepare the 790 code 012 fee form and, if you are in Spain, request the police appointment (cita previa) through the official appointment website.

06Filling in form EX-15: the details that cause rejections

The EX-15 is short, but small errors mean a wasted appointment or an NIE certificate that does not match your passport, which the notary will notice on completion day.

Tick the box for the assignment of an NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero), not the boxes for residence or EU certificates.
In the reason section, state the economic reason: the purchase of a property in Spain. Attach the reservation or deposit contract if you have one.
Write your names exactly as in your passport. British passports show one surname; do not invent a second one. Middle names go with the first name.
Give your address abroad, not the address of the property you are buying.
If your passport is about to expire, renew it first. An NIE issued on an old passport number is valid, but you will be asked to explain the change at the notary and the bank.

07NIE, TIE, NIF and certificates: what is the difference?

These terms are mixed up all the time, including by estate agents. For a buyer who lives abroad, only the first one matters.

Term	What it is	Do buyers need it?
NIE	Your personal foreigner number, a letter X, Y or Z, seven digits and a check letter	Yes, always
NIE certificate	The A4 paper that tells you your number	Yes, the notary and bank ask to see it
NIF	Tax identification number; for foreign individuals it is the NIE itself	Not separately
TIE	Physical residence card with photo and fingerprints, for non-EU residents	No, only if you move to Spain on a visa or permit
EU registration certificate	Proof of residence for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens	No, only if you live in Spain

If you later move to Spain, your TIE carries the same NIE number. You never get a new number.

08When to apply: a realistic timeline for a purchase

A typical resale purchase runs from a reservation, through a deposit contract, to signing the deed before the notary some weeks later. The NIE is needed at the latest for the deed and for the bank account, but in practice the bank wants it much earlier to clear its anti-money-laundering checks before your funds arrive.

Our advice is simple: apply for the NIE when you sign the reservation, not when the completion date is set. Through the London consulate that means allowing around three weeks plus the wait for an appointment. Through a representative in Spain, it depends on appointments in the province. Leaving it until the last fortnight is the most common reason for moving a completion date.

09Couples, companies and inherited property

Each person who will appear on the deeds needs their own NIE, including a spouse or partner who is buying jointly. If one of you will not own a share, check with your lawyer whether they need to sign at all, because Spanish matrimonial property rules can require the spouse's consent in some cases.

If you buy through a company, the company needs its own Spanish tax number and the directors who sign usually need an NIE. Heirs to a Spanish property also need an NIE before they can accept the inheritance before a notary and register the property in their names.

We prepare NIE applications and powers of attorney for buyers and heirs who live abroad, and we can coordinate them with the property lawyers handling the purchase.

10Frequently asked questions

Does my NIE expire?

The number itself is for life and does not change. The paper certificate is a different matter, and some banks or notaries ask for a recent one. Our NIE and TIE page explains when you might need to request a new certificate.

I had an NIE years ago but I have lost the paper. Do I apply again?

No. Applying again risks a second number, which causes real problems at the Land Registry and the tax office. You should ask for a certificate of your existing NIE, using the same form EX-15 and ticking the certificate option.

Can a friend or relative in Spain apply for me?

Only if they hold a power of attorney that covers the NIE application, and even then some police stations insist on the applicant attending. It is usually easier to give the power to your lawyer, who will also need it for the rest of the purchase.

Does having an NIE make me a Spanish resident or tax resident?

No. The NIE does not give you residence, and it does not make you tax resident. As a non-resident owner you will still file non-resident income tax returns on the property each year.

Do children need an NIE?

Only if they will appear on the deeds as owners or are heirs to a Spanish estate. In that case the parents apply on the child's behalf with the birth certificate, apostilled and translated.

Can I sign the deposit contract before I have an NIE?

In practice a private reservation or deposit contract is often signed before the NIE is issued. The deed before the notary and the mortgage cannot be signed without it, so make sure the completion date leaves enough time.

··Official sources

Information reviewed on 03.10.2026 against the law in force. This page is for general information and is not a substitute for advice on your own case.

NIE number for property buyers: how to get it from the UK or abroad

Short answer