The NIE is the personal identification number Spain issues to foreign nationals, and there are two ways to obtain one: in person at a police station in Spain, by prior appointment, or through the Spanish consulate in the country where you live. You submit form EX-15 and pay the fee using Modelo 790 código 012, the standard government fee form — in 2026 that is €9.84. By law the police must decide within five days. In practice, what determines the timing is not the procedure itself but the availability of an appointment (cita previa).
What is the NIE, and why do you need one?
The NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) is the number under which the Spanish authorities see you in any procedure. It is issued to foreign nationals who have economic, professional or social interests in Spain — that is exactly how the grounds are worded on the Policía Nacional website.
Without an NIE it is effectively impossible to:
- buy property — the notary will not sign the deed, and the transfer tax (ITP, or VAT) cannot be paid without the number;
- open an account at a Spanish bank;
- take out a mortgage;
- sign contracts for electricity, gas, water and internet;
- sign a long-term rental contract and lodge the deposit with INCASÒL (in Catalonia, rental deposits are held there).
If you are planning a purchase, the NIE is the first practical step: how it fits into the overall sequence is set out in my step-by-step guide to buying property in Spain.
What documents do you need for an NIE?
The basic set is the same for the police and for the consulate:
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| Form EX-15 | Completed and signed; the form is on the Ministry of Inclusion's website and on consulate websites |
| Passport | Original and a copy of every page |
| Receipt for the 790 código 012 fee | Under the heading "Asignación de NIE a instancia del interesado", €9.84 in 2026 |
| Evidence of your reason | A document explaining why you need the number: a deposit contract (contrato de arras), a letter from a bank or from a notary, for example |
The 790 código 012 fee is paid at a bank, without needing an account there, or online; the form itself is generated in the Policía Nacional's electronic office (sede electrónica). What counts as adequate evidence of your reason varies in practice from one office and one consulate to the next, so it is worth checking in advance which supporting document will be accepted in your case — with the office, with the consulate, or through a gestoría (a licensed administrative agency).
Where do you get an NIE in Barcelona?
In Spain the NIE is issued by the Policía Nacional, either at an Oficina de Extranjería (foreigners' office) or at a police station (comisaría). The procedure runs as follows:
- The appointment (cita previa) — booked through the government's immigration appointment portal, selecting the province of Barcelona and the NIE assignment procedure.
- Submitting the documents in person on the day you are given.
- Collecting the certificate — in my experience in Barcelona it is often handed over on the day of submission, but sometimes you have to come back for it a few days later; allow for that in your plan.
By law the decision must be made within five days of the application being received; if there is no answer, the application is deemed refused and can be appealed.
Can you get an NIE remotely, through a consulate?
Yes. If you are not in Spain, the application is made through the Spanish consulate in your country of residence, which forwards it to the Comisaría General de Extranjería y Fronteras, the national immigration and borders directorate. This is stated explicitly in the description of the procedure on the Policía Nacional website.
How appointments are booked, how the fee is paid and how long the answer takes are set by each consulate individually: in some places it is a matter of weeks, in others longer. Check the current timings with the particular consulate before you apply. The consular route suits you well if no completion date has been set yet and you have time in hand.
Can you get an NIE through a power of attorney?
In many cases, yes: in Spain a representative acting under a notarised power of attorney (poder notarial) — usually a gestoría or a lawyer — can file the documents for you. In practice this is the most common route for buyers who cannot travel.
Points to bear in mind:
- The power of attorney must expressly state the right to apply for the NIE and to collect the certificate.
- A power of attorney drawn up abroad must be apostilled (or legalised) and translated into Spanish by a sworn translator.
- It is often more convenient to have a single power of attorney cover the NIE, the opening of a bank account and the signing of the purchase at once — it saves both time and money.
Whether police offices in the province of Barcelona will accept an EX-15 from a representative without the applicant appearing in person depends on the particular office, and the practice changes over time. Check this with the office, or through a gestoría, before filing.
How long does it take to get an NIE?
The procedure itself is short: five days by law. What stretches the timeline is the appointment:
| Route | What the timing depends on |
|---|---|
| In person at the police in Barcelona | Whether cita previa slots are free — anything from a few days to several weeks |
| Through a consulate | The consulate's own internal timings and the time in transit |
| By power of attorney, through a gestoría | The time needed to draw up, apostille and translate the power of attorney, plus the police appointment |
My advice: start on the NIE as soon as you have decided to buy or rent — do not wait until you have found a property.
The NIE certificate and the TIE card — what is the difference?
The NIE is a number. It is assigned once and never changes, even if you later obtain a residence permit. It is evidenced by the NIE certificate, a sheet of paper carrying the number. It does not give you the right to live in Spain.
The TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero) is a plastic card for people who hold a residence permit — under a non-lucrative visa or a digital nomad visa, for instance. It shows the same NIE number. The fee for a first TIE in 2026 is €16.08. If you are relocating rather than only buying, I go through the residency routes in my article on residency in Spain after the Golden Visa.
EU citizens living in Spain for longer than three months receive, instead of a TIE, an EU citizen's registration certificate, which also carries their NIE.
What are the most common problems with the NIE?
- No appointment available. In Barcelona, slots are released unevenly. Checking the portal regularly helps, as does working through a gestoría.
- The wrong heading on the 790 form. The fee has to be paid all over again.
- No document to evidence your reason. Without a clear reason — a deposit contract, a letter from a bank — the application may not be accepted.
- The bank asks for a "recent" certificate. Some banks and notaries want to see a recently issued NIE certificate; check what yours require in advance.
- A misspelling in your name. The name on the certificate must match your passport letter for letter, otherwise there will be problems at the notary and at the Land Registry.
How I help with the NIE
The paperwork is done by a gestoría or a lawyer — that is their professional territory. My job is to make sure the NIE does not become the bottleneck: I tell you when to start it, put you in touch with the gestoría I work with, and align the timings with the notary and the bank. This is part of the support I provide on a purchase or a rental; how the search for a home to rent in Barcelona works is set out on a separate page. The terms are agreed in writing before any work begins.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need an NIE to buy a flat in Spain?
Yes. Without an NIE the notary will not witness the purchase deed, and you will not be able to pay the taxes on the transaction. If two people are buying, each of them needs an NIE.
How much does an NIE cost in 2026?
The government fee on Modelo 790 código 012 is €9.84. If you work through a gestoría, its fee is added on top, and if a power of attorney is involved, so are the notary, the apostille and the translation.
Can you get an NIE without coming to Spain?
Yes — through the Spanish consulate in your country of residence, or through a representative in Spain acting under a notarised power of attorney. In both cases the timing depends on the particular consulate or police office.
Is the NIE a residence permit?
No. The NIE is only an identification number. The right to live in Spain comes from a separate permit, which is documented by the TIE card.
Does the NIE expire?
The number itself is assigned permanently. Banks and notaries sometimes ask for a recently issued certificate, so check their requirements in advance.
If the NIE is your first step towards buying or renting in Barcelona, let us start with a short conversation about your plans.
Sources
The official documents and data this article rests on. Links checked on 20 September 2026.
- Asignación de NIE a instancia del interesado — Policía Nacional
- Tasas de trámites de extranjería — Policía Nacional
- Tasa modelo 790 código 012 — Policía Nacional
- Orden PJC/617/2025 — importe de las tasas de extranjería — BOE
- Real Decreto 1155/2024 — Reglamento de extranjería — BOE
- Dipòsit de fiances de lloguer — Incasòl
This information is current as of September 2026 and is not legal advice. Procedures, fees and the practice of individual police offices and consulates change; confirm the details with a gestoría or a lawyer before you file.
