There are four ways to get a Spanish NIE: an appointment at a National Police station in Spain, an application at a Spanish consulate in your own country, a paid NIE service, or a power of attorney so your lawyer applies for you. The number itself is issued at the appointment. The time goes on getting the appointment, and that is what this guide is about: which route is fastest for your situation, exactly what to bring, and how to get a police slot when the booking site says there are none.
If you want the background first (what an NIE is, who needs one, NIE versus TIE), it is on our NIE number page. This page is the practical version.
Foxes is a Spanish mortgage and legal firm based near Malaga, working with international buyers across Spain. Our lawyers obtain NIEs for clients as part of every purchase, in person and under power of attorney.
Which route is fastest for you
It depends on where you are and when you need the number. A buyer who is in Spain this month should book the police appointment. A buyer at home with a purchase already agreed should sign a power of attorney and let the lawyer do it, because the same power covers the bank account and completion too. The consulate is the slow route and only makes sense when you need the number in hand before you travel and have time to wait.
| Route | Where you must be | Wait for appointment | Number in hand | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Police station in Spain | In Spain, in person | Same week to 3 weeks depending on office | Usually at the appointment | Anyone in Spain, or planning a viewing trip |
| Spanish consulate | In your country of residence, in person | Days to weeks for the consulate slot | 2 to 6 weeks after the visit; the file goes to Spain and back | People who need the number before travelling and are not in a hurry |
| NIE service | Anywhere; power of attorney signed by video or at a notary | None for you; they book it | 7 to 30 days depending on the plan you pay for | Buyers who want the number before engaging a lawyer, from any country |
| Your lawyer, under power of attorney | Anywhere; you sign the power once | None for you; your lawyer books it | 1 to 3 weeks after the power reaches Spain | Buyers with a purchase agreed, couples, anyone who cannot travel |
What each route costs
| Route | Government fee | Other costs | Typical total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Police station, yourself | €9.84 | Your time and travel | €9.84 |
| Spanish consulate | €9.84 equivalent in local currency | Travel to the consulate; return postage if collected by post | €10 to 40 |
| NIE service | included | Their fee, normally including notary and apostille | €300 to 800 |
| Your lawyer, under power of attorney | €9.84 | Notary for the power (about 60 to 100 euros in Spain, more abroad), apostille if signed outside a consulate, and the lawyer’s fee, often part of the conveyancing quote | varies, ask for the quote |
What you receive
The NIE is a letter, seven digits and a check letter, in the form X1234567A (older numbers start with X, newer with Y, and Z is next). It is printed on an A4 certificate, the Certificado de asignación de NIE, with your name, passport number and the date. There is no card. The number is assigned once and never changes, even if you later become resident, so keep the certificate: banks, notaries and the tax office all work from it.
Route 1: the police appointment in Spain
This is the route most people take, and it is free apart from the fee. The number is issued as a certificate on paper at the appointment itself, or within a few days at busy offices. The law gives the office five days to decide. The official description of the procedure, with the current forms, is on the Policía Nacional website.
Book the appointment on the official site
The booking system is the Spanish government’s, it is free, and it is the only place appointments exist. Choose the province where you are buying, then the procedure POLICIA-CERTIFICADOS Y ASIGNACION NIE. Enter your passport number and name, pick an office, and take any slot offered. Do not filter by your nearest office; any office in the province will do.
Fill in form EX-15
One page, in Spanish, downloaded from the Ministry of Inclusion (the version the police link to). Tick Asignación de NIE, give your passport details, your address abroad and a Spanish contact address (your lawyer’s is fine), and state the reason: por intereses económicos: compra de vivienda. Print two copies and sign both.
Pay the fee, Modelo 790 code 012
Generate the form on the police fee portal, choose “Asignación de Número de Identidad de Extranjero (NIE) a instancia del interesado”, print it and pay at any Spanish bank branch or ATM with the barcode. The fee is 9.84 euros at the 2025 tariff. Pay at least a day before the appointment and bring the stamped copy; the receipt is valid for about three months.
Attend with the documents
Arrive ten minutes early with the appointment confirmation. The officer checks the passport against the entry stamp, takes the forms and the fee receipt, and either prints the NIE certificate there or gives you a collection date.
Photograph the certificate and send it to your lawyer and bank
The number is yours for life. The paper is what banks and notaries ask for, and some want a copy issued within the last three months, so keep the original safe and know where it is.
What to bring
Filling in the EX-15
The form is in Spanish only and has four numbered sections. These are the fields that catch people out.
| Section | What to put |
|---|---|
| 1. Datos del extranjero/a | Name and surnames exactly as in your passport, sex, date and place of birth, nationality, marital status, your parents’ first names, passport number. |
| 2. Datos del representante | Leave blank if you attend yourself. If a lawyer or NIE service applies for you, their details and the reference of the notarial power go here. |
| 3. Domicilio a efectos de notificaciones | A Spanish address for correspondence: your lawyer’s office, the property you are buying, or your hotel. It is not a declaration of residence. Tick CONSIENTO que las comunicaciones y notificaciones se realicen por medios electrónicos and give an email. |
| 4.1 Tipo de documento | Tick Número de Identidad de Extranjero (NIE). “Certificado” is for a replacement certificate of a number you already have. |
| 4.2 Motivos | Tick Por intereses económicos and write the reason: compra de inmueble en España. |
| 4.3 Lugar de presentación | Comisaría de Policía if you are attending a police station, Oficina Consular at a consulate. |
| 4.4 Situación en España | Estancia for a non-resident buyer. Do not tick Residencia unless you hold a residence permit. |
| Signature | Sign both copies in ink, in the box at the end. An unsigned form is the most common reason for being sent away. |
Where to book: any office in the province
Every province has several National Police stations that issue NIEs, and you may book at any of them, not only the one nearest the property. The provincial headquarters usually has the most slots and the longest queues; the smaller town stations release fewer slots and are often quicker. As an example, these are the stations in Málaga province:
| Office | Town | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Comisaría Provincial, Brigada de Extranjería | Málaga, Plaza de Manuel Azaña 3 | Mon to Fri, 9:00 to 14:00 |
| Comisaría de Marbella | Marbella | Mon to Fri, 9:00 to 14:00 |
| Comisaría de Estepona | Estepona | Mon to Fri, 9:00 to 14:00 |
| Comisaría de Fuengirola | Fuengirola | Mon to Fri, 9:00 to 14:00 |
| Comisaría de Torremolinos – Benalmádena | Torremolinos | Mon to Fri, 9:00 to 14:00 |
| Comisaría de Vélez-Málaga | Vélez-Málaga / Torre del Mar | Mon to Fri, 9:00 to 14:00 |
| Comisaría de Antequera | Antequera | Mon to Fri, 9:00 to 14:00 |
| Comisaría de Ronda | Ronda | Mon to Fri, 9:00 to 14:00 |
Waiting times by province
| Province | Typical wait for a slot | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Barcelona | 2 to 4 weeks | The hardest province in Spain; slots go within minutes |
| Madrid | 2 to 4 weeks | Several offices; Aluche is the busiest |
| Málaga | 1 to 3 weeks | The smaller coastal stations move faster than the city |
| Alicante | 1 to 3 weeks | Alicante city, Benidorm, Torrevieja, Elche, Dénia |
| Valencia | 1 to 2 weeks | |
| Sevilla | 1 to 2 weeks | |
| Balearic Islands | 1 to 3 weeks | Palma is busy in summer |
| Smaller provinces | Same week | Almería, Murcia, Granada, Cádiz inland offices |
When the site says there are no appointments
“No hay citas disponibles” does not mean the office is full for months; it means the current batch of slots has been taken. New slots are released in batches, most often early in the working day, and in the busy provinces they go within minutes.
Route 3: an NIE service that applies for you
A number of companies will obtain your NIE without you travelling. The legal mechanism is the same one a lawyer uses: you sign a power of attorney, their representative in Spain books the appointment, attends and collects the certificate. The difference is that they do only this, at a fixed price, usually with the notary and apostille handled online from wherever you are.
One example is FastNIE, which runs the power of attorney signing by video call with a notary, includes the apostille, works with clients in more than 30 countries, and quotes 319 euros for a 30-day service, 539 euros for 14 days and 819 euros for 7 days (September 2026 prices). Other providers work the same way. We have no arrangement with any of them; it is another route, and for a buyer who has not yet engaged a lawyer, or who wants the number in hand before choosing a property or a lawyer, it can be the practical one.
What to check before you pay
If you already have a Spanish lawyer for the purchase, use them instead: one power of attorney then covers the NIE, the bank account and completion, and the NIE fee is usually part of the conveyancing quote rather than a separate 300 to 800 euros.
Route 2: the Spanish consulate in your country
Every Spanish consulate issues NIEs to people living in its district; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs directory lists them by country. You book a consular appointment, attend with the same EX-15 form, your passport and proof of the reason, and pay the fee in local currency. The consulate does not issue the number itself: the file goes to Spain, the number comes back, and you collect it or receive it by post. Allow two to six weeks from the visit, on top of the wait for the consular slot.
For UK buyers the consulates are London, Manchester and Edinburgh, each covering its own region; you must use the one for where you live. The route suits people who are not travelling to Spain for some months and want the number settled early. It does not suit anyone with an arras contract signed and a completion date fixed.
Route 4: power of attorney, so your lawyer applies for you
Spanish law allows a representative to apply for your NIE with a notarised power of attorney. In practice this is how most of our clients get theirs, because the same power lets the lawyer open your Spanish bank account, sign the arras contract and complete at the notary, so one signature removes every trip that is not a viewing.
We draft the power
A bilingual document listing exactly what the lawyer may do for you: obtain the NIE, open a bank account, sign the arras, complete the purchase, register the deed. Nothing else.
You sign it
At a Spanish consulate (no apostille needed), or before a notary in your country followed by an apostille. In Spain, at any notary in about 20 minutes.
The original reaches Spain
By courier, typically two to four days from the UK.
We book, attend and collect
Our lawyer books the police appointment, attends with your passport copy, the power and the forms, pays the fee and collects the certificate. One to three weeks from the power arriving, usually less in the coastal offices.
Fitting the NIE into your purchase timeline
A Spanish purchase with a mortgage runs about eight to twelve weeks from accepted offer to keys. You cannot complete without an NIE for every buyer, you cannot open the Spanish bank account the mortgage is paid into without one, and the bank cannot issue the binding offer without it. Start the NIE as soon as you are seriously looking; you do not need a chosen property, and having it ready when your offer is accepted saves weeks.
| Stage | Typical timing | NIE needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Viewing and offer | Week 0 | No, but start the application now |
| Reservation contract and deposit | Week 0 to 1 | No |
| Arras contract, 10% deposit | Week 2 to 3 | Not legally, but the lawyer will want it in progress |
| Spanish bank account opened | Week 2 to 4 | Yes |
| Mortgage binding offer (FEIN) issued | Week 5 to 8 | Yes, for every borrower |
| Completion at the notary | Week 8 to 12 | Yes, for every buyer on the deed |
Once you have the number
Three things follow from the NIE for a buyer. The Spanish bank account: every bank asks for the NIE certificate, your passport and proof of income or funds; a non-resident account takes a few days to open and a week or two for the bank’s compliance checks. The mortgage: the bank cannot issue its binding offer, the FEIN, until every borrower has an NIE on file. And the tax office: your NIE is also your Spanish tax number, so it is what goes on the purchase tax return and, later, the annual non-resident return.
Two optional extras are worth doing early. A digital certificate (the certificado digital from the FNMT) lets you or your lawyer file tax returns and deal with the administration online; it needs an NIE to apply for. And a padrón registration with the town hall is only for people who will actually live in the property, so leave it unless you are moving.
Other reasons you might need one
| Situation | NIE needed? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a property, any buyer on the deed | Yes | Before completion, and before the bank account and mortgage offer |
| Inheriting a Spanish property | Yes | Every heir needs one before the inheritance deed can be signed and the tax paid |
| Selling a property you own | You already have one | If the certificate is lost, request a fresh one at the same appointment type |
| Opening a bank account | Yes | Some banks open an account on a passport for existing clients, but not for a purchase |
| Buying a car, connecting utilities, insuring a home | Yes | All run on the NIE |
| Working or living in Spain for more than 90 days | Yes, plus more | EU citizens register for the certificado de registro; non-EU residents get the TIE card. Both carry the NIE |
| Buying through a company | The company needs a NIF | A different procedure through the tax office, and the directors need NIEs of their own |
Mistakes that cost weeks
Booking the wrong procedure
“Toma de huellas” and “Recogida de tarjeta” are for residence cards. You need POLICIA-CERTIFICADOS Y ASIGNACION NIE. Turning up with the wrong appointment means starting again.
Paying the fee on the day
Some offices refuse a receipt paid that morning, and the bank branch nearest the police station has a queue of people who made the same mistake. Pay it the day before.
Only one of a couple applies
Both buyers need a number before completion. Book both slots at the start.
Losing the certificate
The number never changes, but a replacement certificate means another appointment. Scan it the day you get it.
Waiting for the consulate with a completion date fixed
Four to ten weeks end to end is too slow once the arras is signed. Switch to the power of attorney route.
Common questions
How long does it take to get an NIE in Spain?
The number is issued at the appointment or within five days. Getting the appointment takes from days to about four weeks depending on the province. Via a consulate allow four to ten weeks end to end; via power of attorney one to three weeks after the power reaches Spain.
Can I get an NIE appointment online?
You book online on the Spanish government’s free appointment system, choosing the province and the procedure POLICIA-CERTIFICADOS Y ASIGNACION NIE. The application itself is in person, by you or by a representative with a notarised power of attorney.
How much does an NIE cost?
The government fee is 9.84 euros at the 2025 tariff (Modelo 790 code 012), paid at a bank before the appointment. The appointment itself is free. Lawyers charge a fee for applying under power of attorney; ask for it up front.
Can someone else get my NIE for me?
Yes, with a notarised power of attorney naming them. A friend cannot do it with a letter. Foxes lawyers do this for clients as part of the purchase.
Do I have to use the police station nearest the property?
No. Any office in the province where you are buying will issue the NIE, and the smaller stations are usually quicker to book than the provincial headquarters. The number is the same wherever it is issued.
Does the NIE certificate expire?
The number is for life. The paper certificate has no expiry printed on it, but banks and notaries often ask for one issued in the last three months, so you may need a fresh copy for completion if yours is older.
Buying in Spain? We get the NIE for you
Our lawyers obtain the NIE, open the bank account and complete the purchase under one power of attorney. Independent English-speaking Spanish lawyers; mortgage arm registered with the Bank of Spain (D470).
