Note
How to get a NIE number in Spain
Quick answer
Fill in form EX-15 twice, pay the fee on form 790 code 012, and apply in person at a foreigners’ office or police station in Spain, or at a Spanish consulate abroad. A representative can file with a power of attorney. The office has five days to decide once the request is registered.
Applies toAnyone who needs a NIE and is not receiving it automatically with a visa.
On this page: 7 sections
§ 1Before you start
Decide how you will apply, because the route changes the steps. You can go yourself, you can send a representative, or you can ask a consulate. If you are buying from abroad, the consulate or a representative is usually easiest. If you are visiting Spain for viewings, a short appointment at a foreigners’ office may fit into the trip. The general explanation of the number is in the NIE.
§ 2Step one: the form
The request is made on form EX-15, which must be filled in and signed and submitted in two copies. The form asks for your identity details, your address and the reason you want the number. Write the reason plainly: you intend to buy a property in Spain, and you need the number to sign the deed, pay the taxes and register the purchase. A short supporting document, such as a reservation contract, helps the office see that the tie to Spain is real.
§ 3Step two: the fee
The fee is paid on form 790, code 012, which the page describes as the assignment of the foreigner identity number at the request of the person concerned. It was €9.84 when we checked. You pay at a bank, savings bank or credit union and keep the proof of payment, which you attach to the request.
§ 4Step three: identity and documents
You need a valid passport, identity document or travel document, with a copy. If you present foreign public documents, they must be legalised or apostilled and translated by a sworn translator. The ministry publishes a list of sworn translators, and the office does not recommend one. The advice for a buyer is to bring only what the office needs and to keep copies of everything.
§ 5Step four: the appointment and the filing
In Spain you first ask for an immigration appointment online, and you file in person, or through a representative. Abroad you contact the consulate, which has its own system. Check the consulate’s own page, because some require an appointment and others take applications by post. A representative needs a power of attorney that expressly authorises the filing, so ask your lawyer to draft it in the right words.
§ 6Step five: the decision
The office must resolve the request within five days of registering it. If it does not answer, the request is treated as rejected. When it succeeds you receive a certificate showing the number, which is a paper document. Keep several copies and a scan, and give one to your lawyer.
§ 7After the number
Use the certificate for the notary, the tax office and the bank. If you later become a resident, you will receive a TIE card with the same number. The specific points for a buyer are in more on a NIE for buying property, and the appointment problem is in more on the NIE appointment.
The card that residents receive is explained in more on the difference between NIE and TIE.
FAQRelated questions
Where do I file the request?
At a foreigners’ office or a police station if you are in Spain, or at the Spanish consulate for your country of residence if you are abroad. Your lawyer can file for you in Spain if you give them a power of attorney.
Which documents do I take?
The completed form in two copies, proof that you paid the fee, your passport or identity card with a copy, and a statement of why you want the number. Foreign public documents need an apostille and a sworn translation.
What if I do not get an answer?
The page says that silence after the deadline counts as a refusal. If that happens, ask your lawyer to find out why and to apply again with a clearer statement of your reasons, such as the signed reservation for a home.
Sources
- Oficina de Extranjería (ONE): Application for NIE for international individuals (official source, opens in a new window), Where to apply, form EX-15, fee, documents, resolution timeLast checked 17 October 2026
- Ministerio del Interior: Documentation of foreign nationals (NIE and TIE) (official source, opens in a new window), The NIE as a personal number; the TIE card; automatic NIE with visasLast checked 17 October 2026
- Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores: Sworn translators and interpreters (official source, opens in a new window), The official list and the status of sworn translationsLast checked 17 October 2026
Legal note. How the process works in general. It is not legal advice, and it never replaces an independent Spanish lawyer acting for you.