NIE application for non-residents: three routes and which one is actually fastest

The NIE — Número de Identificación de Extranjero — is the tax ID every non-resident needs to do almost anything in Spain. Open a bank account. Sign a deed. Pay a tax. Connect electricity. Buy a SIM card on contract. There is no transaction in this country where the answer to "what's your NIE?" is optional.

There are three legal routes to obtain it. Each has a different timing in 2026. Each has a different cost. Internet articles tend to confuse them; the lawyer your agent recommends tends to default to whichever is most convenient for them, not for you. Here is the working comparison.

Route 1 — Spanish consulate in your country

You apply to the Spanish consulate that covers your residence abroad. Documents required: completed EX-15 form, passport copy, proof of address, justification for needing the NIE (e.g., signed arras contract, mandate letter from a Spanish notary). The process is free; you only pay the modelo 790 tax (about €10) on receipt.

Real timings, 2026:

• UK consulates (London, Edinburgh, Manchester): 6–10 weeks.
• Netherlands (The Hague): 3–5 weeks.
• Germany (Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Frankfurt): 4–7 weeks.
• France (Paris, Lyon, Marseille): 3–4 weeks.
• United States (multiple): 8–14 weeks. Mostly Miami and NY.
• Norway (Oslo): 3–5 weeks.

The bottleneck is the appointment slot, not the processing itself. Some consulates open booking 30 days in advance and the slots disappear in hours. Plan accordingly.

When to use it: when you have time, when you prefer to handle the paperwork yourself, when you happen to live near a consulate that books quickly. Cheapest of the three options.

Route 2 — In person at a Spanish police station

You travel to Spain and apply at a Comisaría de Policía Nacional with a foreign-resident desk. The legal basis is the same EX-15 form, plus the modelo 790 tax slip paid in advance at a Spanish bank.

Real timings, 2026: the appointment system (cita previa) is the gating factor. In Alicante province, where most of our clients buy:

• Torrevieja, Orihuela, Alicante: 2–4 weeks for an appointment.
• On the appointment day: 30–60 minutes at the police station, NIE issued the same day in most cases or within a week.

The slot system does open new tranches periodically, but spots disappear in minutes during peak buying season (April–June and September–October). We typically book the moment a client books their first viewing flight.

When to use it: when you are coming to Spain anyway and can plan the police-station visit. Faster than the consulate route once the appointment is in hand. Costs only the modelo 790 tax.

Route 3 — Via power of attorney (poder notarial)

You sign a Spanish power of attorney — at a Spanish consulate, or at a notary in your country with apostille — authorising your advisor in Spain to apply for the NIE on your behalf. We then submit the application and collect the NIE without you needing to be present.

Real timings, 2026:

• Drafting and signing the power of attorney: 5–10 working days.
• NIE application once the power is in our hands: 2–3 weeks for an appointment, then same-day issuance.
• Total elapsed: 4–6 weeks.

The power of attorney costs €60–€140 in notary and translation fees on your side, plus our coordination work on this side. Where the deed-signing is also being handled by power of attorney (common for buyers who cannot travel), the same instrument covers NIE and notary.

When to use it: when you cannot travel to Spain before signing, when you want the NIE in hand before arras, or when the consulate route is jammed.

The honest comparison

What the NIE is not

The NIE is a tax-and-administrative identifier, not a residence permit. Holding it does not give you the right to live in Spain beyond the standard 90-day Schengen window. It does not register you as resident; that is a separate process (the certificado de registro for EU citizens, residency visa for the rest). Confusing the two is one of the more expensive mistakes foreign buyers make in their first year — and the topic of a separate piece.