If you've found a property on the Costa del Sol, or you're getting close, someone has probably told you that nothing moves without an NIE number. They're right. Your NIE number, Spain's identification number for foreign nationals, has to appear on the purchase deed and on the purchase tax forms, and a late application is one of the easiest ways to hold up a sale that has already been agreed.
The good news is that the process itself is small. You fill in one form, pay a fee of under 10 euros and attend one appointment, either at a police office in Spain, at the Spanish consulate that covers your UK address, or through a representative who holds your power of attorney. The number is assigned once and stays with you.
In this guide, you'll learn what the NIE is, how to apply step by step, how the three UK consulates handle it, and what it costs and how long it takes in 2026.
What the NIE is, and why a buyer can't do without it
The NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero, or foreigner identity number) is the number Spain assigns to foreign nationals who have economic, professional or social dealings in the country, and buying a home counts. It's personal and unique, and it doesn't expire. Holding one gives you no right to live in Spain; it only identifies you to the Spanish authorities.
For tax purposes it doubles as your NIF (Número de Identificación Fiscal, tax identification number). Article 20 of Real Decreto 1065/2007 says a foreign individual's tax number is the NIE assigned to them, which is why the same nine characters turn up on your deed and on any Spanish tax return you file. The format comes from Orden INT/2058/2008, with an initial letter, seven digits and a check letter, so something like X-1234567-L (that one is made up).
Two other acronyms often get mixed up with it. The DNI (Documento Nacional de Identidad) is the identity card for Spanish citizens, and the TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero) is the residence card for foreigners who live in Spain. If you're buying a holiday home and staying resident in the UK, the NIE is the one you need.
The reason it matters so much for a purchase sits in the Ley Hipotecaria (Mortgage Law). Article 254.2 bars the Registro de la Propiedad (Land Registry) from registering a purchase unless the deed shows the tax number of everyone who signs it. So if you and your partner are buying together and both signing, you each need your own NIE.
How to apply for an NIE, step by step
Wherever you apply, the paperwork for getting an NIE number for Spain is the same. The Ministerio del Interior (Ministry of the Interior) accepts applications at police stations and foreigners' offices in Spain, at Spanish consulates abroad, or through a representative, and every route asks for the same things.
Proof of why you need the number. You have to state the economic, professional or social reason, and the UK consulates ask to see documents that back it up.
Form EX-15, the application for an NIE and certificates, as an original and a copy. London wants it unsigned so you can sign it at the appointment, while Manchester and Edinburgh want it signed in advance.
The fee form, Modelo 790 código 012 (form 790, code 012), completed on the Policía Nacional website. Select "Asignación de Número de Identidad de Extranjero (NIE) a instancia del interesado", which means NIE assignment at the applicant's request.
An appointment, which you attend with your original passport and a copy of the photo page.
If you apply through a UK consulate, the NIE then arrives by email. You'll also come across websites offering an "online NIE". These are private businesses, and using one isn't an official route to the number.
Getting a Spanish NIE number from the UK
UK residents apply at the Spanish consulate that covers their home address, which means London, Manchester or Edinburgh. You go in person with form EX-15, the 790 código 012, your passport, proof that you live in that consulate's area (London gives a Council Tax bill as an example) and your proof of need. The fee is paid in pounds, and the number is emailed to you once it has been processed.
| Consulate | How to book | Fee (2026) | Stated processing time |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | Email cog.londres.leg@maec.es | £8.65, by card on the day | Normally within 3 weeks |
| Manchester | Email the consulate | £8.45, as listed on its NIE page | Normally within 2 weeks |
| Edinburgh | Email, with documents attached as PDFs | £8.65, by card on the day | Normally 3 to 4 weeks |
These figures come from each consulate's NIE page, checked on 23 October 2026, and you can read the full requirements for London on the Consulate General of Spain in London's NIE page. Either you or your representative has to attend in person, and no consulate can shorten the processing time, so count those weeks into your plans from the start.
Can someone else apply for your NIE?
Yes. A representative can apply for you in Spain if they hold a power of attorney (poder notarial) that expressly authorises them to submit the NIE application, as the Ministerio del Interior sets out. The word that matters there is "expressly", so the document needs to mention the NIE. If you're already signing a power of attorney for the purchase itself, ask the notary to include the NIE application in it.
A power of attorney signed in the UK has to be certified by a UK notary or solicitor and then apostilled before Spain will accept it. According to GOV.UK, the standard paper apostille costs £45 per document and usually takes up to 25 working days plus postage, while the e-Apostille takes up to 2 working days. Spain also requires any document in another language to be translated into Spanish by a traductor jurado (sworn translator).
Your representative then pays the 9.84 euro fee in Spain and charges for their own time, so ask for a quote before you instruct anyone. It's the dearest of the three routes, and it suits buyers who can't get a consulate appointment soon enough or would rather not travel to London, Manchester or Edinburgh for it.
Applying in Spain when you're buying in Marbella
If you'd rather apply during a viewing trip, Marbella is in Málaga province, so you book with the Málaga police offices that handle foreigners' documentation. Appointments (cita previa) go through the government's foreigners' appointment system, Cita Previa Extranjería, where you choose the province and then the NIE procedure. You attend with form EX-15, your passport and the 790 código 012 already paid, and the Policía Nacional says the fee can be paid at a bank even if you don't hold an account there.
The Comisaría Provincial de Málaga, the province's main police station, is at Plaza Manuel Azaña 3 in Málaga. Once your application is registered, the police have a legal maximum of five days to resolve it, and if there's no answer in that time it counts as refused. That five-day clock only starts at registration, though, and you may have to wait for an appointment before you get there, so book before you fly out rather than after you land.
NIE number Spain: costs and timings in 2026
The official fee in Spain is 9.84 euros, paid with Modelo 790 código 012, according to the Policía Nacional fee table as of October 2026. The UK consulates charge £8.45 to £8.65, and going through a representative adds notary, apostille and professional fees on top of the official one.
| Route | Official fee | Other costs | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| In person in Spain | 9.84 euros | Travel | Up to 5 days once registered, plus the wait for an appointment |
| UK consulate | £8.45 to £8.65 | None stated | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Representative in Spain | 9.84 euros | UK notary, £45 apostille, representative's fee | Up to 25 working days for a standard apostille, before the application itself |
As for expiry, the number itself doesn't have one. Neither the Ministerio del Interior nor the three UK consulates give an expiry date, and if you lose the paper certificate you keep the same number. Ask your notary in good time whether they'd like a recently issued certificate for the signing.
Fees and requirements do change, so check the current position with a Spanish lawyer (abogado) or tax adviser (asesor fiscal) before you apply. Once you own the property, my guide to property taxes in Spain explains what you'll pay from then on.
Get it sorted before you reserve
Of everything on a buyer's list, the NIE number Spain asks for is the cheapest and quickest to deal with, as long as you leave enough time. The best moment to apply is when you start viewing seriously, so the number is ready before you pay a reservation deposit or sign an arras deposit contract, and nobody is waiting on you once a notary date is set. For the full sequence from viewings to keys, read my guide to buying property in Marbella.
An NIE gets you to the notary's table, and whether the property deserves your signature is a separate question. If you have a home in mind, you can request a second opinion and I'll give you an independent view of it before you commit, or get in touch and we can talk through your purchase and your timings.