Residencia & NIE Numbers
An NIE Number (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) is a tax identification number required by anyone to conduct any social, economic or professional transactions within Spain. Any foreigner planning on carrying out any of the previously mentioned activities or transactions here in Spain will this number.
RESIDENCIA – This is a registration process followed by an issued document you will need when moving to live on a short term basis or permanently here in Spain. As if moving from one country to another isn’t enough! In the eyes of the Spanish Government if you spend more than 90 days in the country and are planning on staying more than 183 days per year you will be required to apply for Spanish residency (Residencia). SGM Abogados will organise these applications through our associate Wayne who is responsible for taking care of our clients and accompanying them to their relevant appointments.
NIE
The number itself is made up of an initial letter followed by seven digits and finally a verification letter. The initial letter is an X before July 2008 and a Y afterwards. It is issued by the National Police of Spain in accordance with Article 101 of the Rules for foreigners in Spain. This was approved by Royal Decree 2393/2004 on December 30, 2004.
You will require an NIE to purchase or sell real estate, vehicle and boats, or in order to work or study. Many other transactions that require the parties involved to possess an NIE Number.
The NIE number itself is issued on a standard A4 page, with the recipients full name (as written on the passport used during the application process), their place of birth, their nationality, and the number itself, along with a stamp and signature provided by the National Police.
Residencia
As an EU national, you are entitled to live in Spain for over 3 months if:
- you have a salaried position or you are self-employed in Spain
- or you can support yourself and your family, and you have a public or private health insurance that provides full cover in Spain
- you are a registered student at an educational establishment recognised by the Spanish authorities, and you can support yourself and have a public or private health insurance with full cover in Spain
- or you are a family member of an EU national that meets one of the previous conditions. The family member can be:
- If case of a student: his/her spouse or common-law partner, or his/her children
- In other cases: his/her spouse or common-law partner, his/her children or spouse´s children up to 21 years old or incapable or his/her ancestors.
In all of these cases, you must still register with the Central Register of Foreign Nationals (Registro Central de Extranjeros), no later than 3 months after arriving in Spain.
