Moving to Spain?  Your Residency and NIE Questions Answered

If you’re moving to live in Spain you need to find out about residency cards and national insurance numbers

Despite the fact that property prices in Spain are falling and the media is having a field day publishing the fact that confidence has been lost in the Spanish housing market, it is not putting us off our love affair with Spain and we are still moving to live, work or retire in Spain in strong numbers each month!

But if you’re thinking of moving to Spain certain questions will arise that you won’t be able to get a straight answer to, and this may well be driving you mad!  The most basic question about whether or not you need a visa to live in Spain and how you go about getting an ID card can seem impossible queries to get an answer to.  So, if you’re moving to Spain, Shelter Offshore can answer all your residency and NIE questions.

The first question you’re probably wondering about is whether or not you need an NIE number.  NIE stands for Numero de Identification de Extrajeros or foreigners’ identification number.  This is the expat equivalent of the local Spaniards’ DIE or Documento Nacional de Identidad and if you want to know what that is, consider it similar to the British National Insurance number.

Now, depending on who you speak to, what you read and where you go for your answers you will be told that yes you do need one, no you don’t need one, you need one if you’re not British, you need one if you are British and perhaps you need one but I’m not sure!  Well, it is our philosophy to go to the information source when in doubt. 

So, if you go to the Spanish government’s website for foreigners moving to live in Spain and you read the information relevant to those who herald from the EU, you will find that “EU citizens are free to enter, leave, travel or live in Spain and may also engage in any economic activity, either as paid employees, self employed, service providers or students under the same conditions as Spanish citizens.” This may suggest that you don’t need an NIE number.

But if you read on, you later see that there is evidence to suggest that after three months of living in Spain you need to apply for an NIE number.  It is the experience of our readers who have moved to live in Spain that you will find it impossible to operate if you don’t have one.  You are asked for it if you buy a property, if you buy or insure a car, if you want to open a bank account or set up utility bills – i.e., you will need it often during your day-to-day life in Spain.

The next question that arises relates to residency and whether you as a British, and therefore a European citizen, need to apply for residency to live in Spain.  Again, the same pattern of conflicting information is disseminated across the internet and again, if in doubt, go to the source.

According to Spanish governmental information you don’t necessarily need one – however, you will get tax advantages with one!  Again, in the experience of our readers, it makes sense to have both your resident’s card or Tarjeta de Residencia and your NIE number.  But, because your situation may differ from that of our readers’ we would always advise anyone to get personalised and professional advice based on their own individual situation.