NIE number explained


By Larraín Nesbitt Abogados

What is a NIE number?

This will be one of the first questions you will be asking yourself when you move over to Spain. Succinctly, a NIE number is a tax identification number for foreigners which identifies you before the Spanish Tax Office and allows you to file and pay taxes in Spain.

Why do you need a NIE number?

Any activity in Spain that requires you, as a non-resident, to pay taxes will need you to apply for a NIE number. A NIE number does not preclude your tax residency. The below is an open list on why it is required:

  • Buying & selling property.
  • Renting out property.
  • Connecting your property to utilities.
  • Inheriting assets in Spain.
  • Opening a bank account.*
  • Taking out insurance.
  • Importing/buying/selling a car.
  • Importing/buying/selling a boat.
  • Working in Spain (short-term jobs under 3 months only)
  • Studying in Spain.
  • Claiming benefits.
  • Obtaining a mortgage or any other type of personal loan.
  • Can be used to enrol in a town hall census.
  • Some elite private foreign schools require a NIE number from parents and/or new (foreign) pupils to enrol them!

Who needs a NIE number?

  • Any foreigner who becomes resident in Spain for tax purposes.
  • Any non-resident who plans to own assets in Spain i.e. real estate, car, boat etc.
  • Any foreigner who plans to work, study or start a business 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. Example: Y-12345678-R.

How to apply for a NIE number

  1. Apply abroad in person, through a Spanish consulate.
  2. Apply in person in Spain before a Spanish National Police station or Oficina de Extranjería.
  3. Apply by representative. You can appoint a law firm, such as us, to act on your behalf as proxy using a Power of Attorney specific to NIE numbers.

What is required to attain a NIE?

  • Passport.
  • Fill in the relevant application form in Spanish.
  • Pay the administration fee.
  • Justification on why you need it e.g. contract

 

Legal services Larraín Nesbitt Lawyers can offer you

 

Please note the information provided in this blog post is of general interest only and is not to be construed or intended as substitute for professional legal advice. This article may be posted freely in websites or other social media so long as the author is duly credited. Plagiarizing, whether in whole or in part, this article without crediting the author may result in criminal prosecution. VOV.

2.017 © Raymundo Larraín Nesbitt. All rights reserved.

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