Wer braucht eine NIE?
Spanien issues an NIE to any foreigner with economic, professional or social interests there. That covers most reasons people deal with Spanien at all.
Buying, earning, owning or inheriting anything in Spanien means you'll be asked for an NIE. It is the number that identifies you to Spanish banks, notaries and the tax office.
Britische Staatsbürger: since Brexit you are a third-country national in Spanien.
You need an NIE for the same reasons as before, but the forms and routes changed. Picking the right one matters more than it used to.
Die häufigsten Gründe
Each is a legitimate economic, professional or social reason, which is what Spanien asks you to demonstrate.
Buying property in Spanien
A notary won't complete the deed without an NIE for every buyer named on it. You'll need it again for the transfer tax and the non-resident return.
Üblicherweise akzeptierter Nachweis
reservation contract, deposit contract (contrato de arras), or a letter from your estate agent or lawyer.
Selling property in Spanien
Sellers need one too — for the deed, and for the capital gains withholding that applies to non-resident sellers.
Üblicherweise akzeptierter Nachweis
the title deed (escritura) or a letter from the lawyer handling the sale.
Ein spanisches Bankkonto eröffnen
Banks ask for an NIE on resident and most non-resident accounts. Where one can be opened without it, the first direct debit will stop you.
Üblicherweise akzeptierter Nachweis
a letter or email from the bank confirming they need it.
In Spanien arbeiten
Arbeitgeber brauchen sie für Sozialversicherung und Lohnabrechnung.
Moving to Spanien to live and work? The residency route usually applies instead — a consulate certificate is not valid for work.
Üblicherweise akzeptierter Nachweis
a signed employment contract or job offer.
Ein Unternehmen gründen oder führen
Company formation, going autónomo, signing a commercial lease or acting as a director all require one. So do non-resident shareholders.
Üblicherweise akzeptierter Nachweis
notary appointment letter, draft company documents, or a lease agreement.
Ein Fahrzeug kaufen oder anmelden
Needed to register a car in your name, transfer ownership, insure it and pay road tax. Dealers ask for it before starting anything.
Üblicherweise akzeptierter Nachweis
the sale contract or a letter from the dealer or gestoría.
Steuern, Erbschaft und Kapitalanlagen
Non-resident property tax, Spanish investments and inherited assets all depend on it. Executors and beneficiaries each need their own.
Üblicherweise akzeptierter Nachweis
a letter from your tax adviser, notary or the tax office.
Moving to Spanien
Relocating is different. Your NIE usually arrives through the residency application, or EU registration. We'll say so rather than sell you the wrong service.
Gut zu wissen: EU citizens registering as residents are assigned an NIE as part of that registration.
Braucht jedes Familienmitglied eine?
Jede Person braucht eine eigene. It can't be shared between spouses, and children named on a deed need one too.
For a minor, a parent or guardian applies, with the birth certificate and their own ID.
Was eine NIE nicht ist
- Sie ist kein Aufenthaltstitel. Having an NIE gives you no right to live in Spanien.
- Sie ist kein Visum. Your right to enter Spanien depends on your nationality and, where relevant, your visa, not on your NIE.
- Sie ist keine TIE. That is the residence card for non-EU nationals granted residency. An NIE certificate does not make you resident.
- Sie ist kein Nachweis der Steueransässigkeit. Die Steueransässigkeit richtet sich danach, wo Sie tatsächlich leben und wie lange Sie dort sind.