Getting hold of an NIE number

We got our NIE numbers through our solicitor, by giving Power of Attorney. Apparently you need to queue up at a local police station at 5 or 6 in the morning to have any chance of getting one. If this is true or not I am not sure, but for convenience we got our solicitor to do it.

Westport

Hi Boland83 there is a special thread dedicated to NIEs - different people appear to have had different experiences with the NIE by using the consul. Someone even posted it as NIEasy.

As Westport says you can apply by POA via your lawyer and get him to deal with it or alternatively try the consulate again or present yourself to the National Police Station in the district you are staying next time you are over with all the relevant documents and apply in person. Westport is a little extreme about 5 in the morning. Marbella central police station is probably the worst on the Costa del Sol and as long as you are there at 8 in the morning you should be fine. Have arrived at Estepona at 8.45 and been third in the queue - I was then seen at about 9.20. Depends on the level of activity at the police station concerned. Just make sure you take the necessary papers and copies as they dont have copying facilities there and it will be hellish frustrating to be turned away after queuing all that time.

Rgds

Hi Boland83  I agree with Smiley comments. Make sure that you go to the right police station for the district that you live in, if you don't you will be turned away as I was after waiting 4 plus hours.  Don't expect anyone who speaks English to help you or application forms that are printed in English, there won't be any.  You will need a couple of good photocopies of your passport (the page with your photo and personal details on).  The application form is only a one page form requiring your personal details, name, dob, address in spain, parents name and dob etc. Its not difficult but unless you can read/speak Spanish can be a bit of a challenge.

Keith KC Property Services

Boland83.  As I read you are applying through the Spanish Embassy in UK.  Wouldn't it be better to ask them to send it your UK address?

We found the process extremely easy in Spain.  We went to the local ayuntamiento (make sure you get the right one) and waited about an hour, from 9 to about 10 in the morning.  People said they had been queuing since 6 but I couldn't understand why.  Provided the forms are filled in before you arrive (make sure you get a Spanish speaker to help you fill them in) and you had copies of your passports and a photograph,  it was pretty easy.  We collected the NIE cards when we next visited, about 8 weeks later.  Again we queued for less than an hour and it was all free.  Provided you are prepared to give up a morning of your visit it is fairly hassle free provided the forms are filled in correctly, otherwise you will be sent to the back of the queue with new forms to complete.

It should be noted that if the NIE is applied for here they will only keep it a set period of time. Not sure what that timeframe is but had a client about a year ago whose representative didnt return to pick up the certificate for about 9 months and they had ditched it so had to go through it all over again.

Rgds 

we were taken by by our agent to Alicanti to get our NIE we were first in the queue  cos we got there at 5am  by 5 15 the queue was quite big   was very quick and simple once they opened the doors   quite painless

    sheila and alan