My Husband and I are moving to Spain and I am going through point by point of what we need to do. According to Tumbit the first and most important thing to do is to get your NIE number as this will mean you can't rent a house, get electricity / phoneline etc. So, my first question is, as it can take anywhere from days to weeks to receive the number then what do we do in the meantime when it comes to renting a house?
Is it recommended to maybe take a holiday let for a month and then once we have received the number we can then rent our own place?
Secondly, the form is in spanish so do we have to complete it in spanish? I am currently learning spanish but just wondered?
Lastly, how much does it cost to get an NIE number?
I look forward to hearing from anyone who has done this and can help.

To answer some of your questions;

It's best to get an NIE as soon as possible but if you intend staying here for the foreseeable future, then get a Residencia instead (will contain NIE anyway). All forms will need to be completed in Spanish (obviously) but they are really quite simple.

The cost is merely nominal - about 10 euros I think.

You can rent properties with your passport - especially if you explain your situation. As a landlord, this would not be a problem for me.

Come out on a holiday and find a place to rent..your Passport will do..but make shure you have plenty of photo copies of it.. most rents here 450 euro a month with a months deposit 900 in all..water and electric included. you can get your Nie as you have an address to put on the forms..

Residencia renewal changes since the 1st of July:


Read more about the recidencia changes here

well they accepted the EX16 in Benidorm last week..............

but useful info - ta

Hi, You do not need to get an NIE to be able to rent a property, get the utilities or even a phone line. you really do not need to make it your first port of call, as many have said you can do this with your passport. When you go to get an NIE from your local main police station, take a good Spanish dictionary with you although it is reasonably straight forward you will still need to know what the words are, take at least 3 copies of everthing rental agreement, copies of the padron if you have signed on to that, this is probably more important to do than an NIE number (it is a case of going to the council office, go early as it can be very busy and shuts at about 1ish), Birth certificates, passport just take copies of the lot, marriage certs, divorce papers, how ever minor sods law some office somewhere will want copies. . You also need your parents details as for some reason this is added to the NIE.

You are far better coming over for a holiday and looking, have a good scout around for rental properties it is most def a renters market. Do not be taken in with what agents say to you, most are looking after their own interests or that of the owner and not yours, so never believe what they say, under no circumstance sign a contract while you are in the UK and as only the Spanish version is legally binding what ever the English version may say is irrelevant, some people have had their contracts in both languages only to find what it says in English is different to what the Spanish one says. When getting your contract it might be worth having someone with a good grasp of Spanish with you so they can read over it, some are very good at missing clauses out like, when they make you responsible for the payment of council rates although it is often a smallish charge, why should you pay it unlike the UK it remains the responsibility of the house owner not the tenants.

The best bit of advice I can offer is enjoy your move, do not stress yourself with what you think you need to do to be here, this is Spain and the term tomorrow tomorrow is very much alive and kicking. Just find a place to live, move and then think about all the other bits that you can do, thousands live here with no NIE, No Padron and have been here for donkey's years so a few weeks will not be a problem.

After 2 years here my mate just got his NIE Number..yesterday..

Took me 8 years and only because I wanted to run a bar. Now closed that bar and regret the day I ever got it.

You can open a non resident bank account with your passport, do it whilst you are still a UK resident, no one will ever ask you to update the information (or chase up to find out why you ignore any questions they do ask). With a bank account and a passport you can open accounts with any utility company and live here quite happily.

When we arrive we will be in a holiday let with a hire car. Our priorities will be to find a long term let (11 months), set up utilities and buy a car. From advice on this forum the long term let and utilities won't be a problem, we can use a passport but from what I can gather buying a car will be a problem as we will need NIE and address. I guess the car seller will need proof of a more permanent address than a 5 week holiday let and would we get an NIE with a holiday address? Do we have to provide a rental contract to back up an NIE application?

Ideally we would like to make an NIE application via the Spanish Consulate in the UK but we haven't got any proof that we intend to live or purchase assets in Spain.

Not being able to buy a car quickly is our major concern.

No you do not ned a rental contract for a NIE application. But if you intend to get on the padron you will need it. Better start with the NIE soon as possible and take care of other things later.

I know that many people live here without NIE number, but many things are more easy with it and for some matters you will need it.

I also know that many foreigners lives here year after year without getting on the padron. But it's stupid and selfish, the municipality receives funds from the state for each person enrolled in the municipality. And if you live here without being registered as one is just a parasite.

We have no problem signing on the padron and understand the reasoning, we intend to be legal but just from a practical and financial point of view we want to organise buying a car asap after we get here. We don't know where we will be living until we get here so won't know where to sign on the padron until we've organised the rental contract.

Will we have to have a rental contact to buy a car or will any address plus an NIE do? I have two sisters-in-law living at different addresses in El Campello, both with rental contracts, one isn't married so has the same surname as us. If it's just an address I could give theirs but proof of address we won't have.

Going back to NIE, if we don't need a rental contract then we may be able to apply in advance through the Consulate in the UK which would be our preferred option. Before applying we hope to have opened an account with a bank who only require a passport and we could use that as supporting evidence.

We did ask earlier on the forum if anyone thought this would be sufficient but we didn't get any answers.

However, if anyone does find out that you have committed fraud (not informed them that you are now resident - a tax issue), then the police/hacienda have the power to close your accounts instantly! This may cause some grief!

Why not declare that you are resident? The benefits far out weigh the <opposite of benefits>. Tax is less here (or can be), succession tax (IHT by any other name) can be much, much less for residents and you may even be able to avoid IHT in UK.

Presumably, as a non-resident (not having NIE) then you are not tax resident either!!! Again illegal!



Also, don't you need an NIE first to get on the padron? I know some councils require it this way 'round.

ok so you have got the NIE but when going for the padron and the address you live at is covered by a rental agreement in the name of someone else who has a different surname what happens then

Why should the property that you are renting be in someone else's name?

If you are renting legitimately, then it will be your name on the contract so use this to get on the padron.

Most landlords don't like or even allow sub-letting so I'm not sure that I understand your point.

Many of my tenants have signed on the padron and some get assistance from prop - in both cases the contract we offer is always accepted.

why shouldn't it be in someone else's name ?

it is in the oh's name and it is a fully legitimate let and has been for over 12m

there is no "point" being made just a simple question