Hi Terry
We used POA for our NIe's , but it was alongside a house purchase and it saved on journeys to spain. We found it very efficient and time saving. But it was 5 years ago, so things may have changed. Hope that is of some help. Good luck for the future.
Luv Eve

It took us one day and 12 euros to get an nie number, this was done in Spain.

We needed:

- Forms from the local council to prove we were living in Spain,1 photocopy of each.

- Photographs of ourselfs but we had to get spanish sized ones which are smaller [oddly]

- Forms that you fill in which the embassy gives you, 1 A4 Sheet

- A photocopy of our passports and our passports with us.

We then had to go and pay the fee, 6,70€ each. This was done by going to a bank and paying at the counter.

It only took us around 3 hours including travel there and back. In conclusion go to Spain and do it, you'll save your self alot of cash.

I think that if you live in England, then surely it's cheaper to do it in the UK... you'll save an airfare, car hire and probably at least 2 days of your life.... I wouldn't go to spain JUST to do the NIE.

But if you are already living in spain, sure, of course it will be cheaper and less time consuming to do it there.

Horses for courses...

Maybe things have changed, but in Spain when I got mine there was no payment due, it was a free service.
There were no photos needed, there is nothing on the paperwork asking for or even where you can put a photo.
All I had to produce was the form and copy, passport and two copies, and a smile for the lady as she scrutinized my face against the one on the passport.

If it is done by power of attorney, how is the passport bit done ?

We took our form to the police station, no photo's, no money just passport and smile as JDR says, but that was a couple of years ago.

Recently we had to pay 6.70 euro's each when we went for our residencia certificates so I wonder if this a way of recouping some of the cost.

Rosemary

if you are after an nie you obviously want to work in spain, so why not just wait until you move over anyway?

and if you are after one to get a house im sure no one buys houses/flats blindly so surely you would come over for a week to check it out?

thats just my thoughts anyway

Its not only to work that people need an NIE, its to buy a house, open a bank account, get your electricity and phone connected .... opening an account at the local builders yard ....... registering a car .......

If you read my post I said and if it's to buy a house, and if you were going to buy one i would assume you would go to spain to look at it - you could then get the N.I.E (D.N.I).

It is needed for the things you have mentioned but surely the logical step would be to get a property first - as per my post :-) - Anyway, just trying to help, don't take it as an argument!

Errrr ........ I wasn't, although you seem to be
It was just a statement of fact