What is NIE card ?

NIE is Numero de Identidad Extranjero or Foreigners Identity number. It is not a card but you get a certificate when you first apply. The number stays with you for life and is also your tax identification number. The number will be required by the bank and virtually everything you do from purchasing a car to (sometimes) a washing machine. You need to the number to purchase property and so on. It is akin to a National Insurance number in UK but required for many more things.

You apply for a NIE at either a Spanish consulate in your home country or a National Police station in Spain. You make an appointment online to be given the certificate and number at this link

Cost is around 12 euro (when you complete the form 790 code 012 it will tell you exactly how much) Form 790 in English

NIE = National Identity Card, if you intend renting 6 months of the year there is no need for NIE number.

We applied for NIE back in 2019 as we were thinking of buying a house in Spain, we decided against buying and now just rent, the NIE doesnt really benefit us in any way due to us renting. If you intend buying a property you would need an NIE.

NIE would be needed if you intend having Spanish bank account and maybe even Spanish services such as electric, internet etc but if you rent these should be supplied anyway.

Probably the majority of Brits staying longer term in Spain use WISE rather than having a Spanish bank account as non residents pay high charges for a Spanish bank account, there are options to WISE such as Revolut and a few others.

Getting one is dead easy, either through Spanish consulate in UK or you can get it while in Spain, i would say through Spanish consulate in UK is the easier option (some might say otherwise). Not expensive, few £s sterling only.

See below link which takes you to a recent post on here asking about NIEs.

NIE

If you have a UK passport you cannot stay in Spain for longer than 90 days in any 180 days. You can't stay for 6 months in one go.

Steve