Buying a house in Spain? Where's your NIE?

Earlier I spoke about the need to register with your local town hall to ensure you and they receive the benefits and services that are entitled. Part of this advice was due to the belief that simply having a residency card was sufficient, today I'd like to run through the process of applying for a residency card.

Since 1997, it has been a requirement for those wishing to remain in Spain for more than 3 months to register at the 'Oficina de Extranjeros' (Foreigners Office), this must be the office within the province you are staying. More often than not, there will be a nominated police station in the local vicinity that carries out the registration too. there is in fact no longer a residency card as such, instead a residency certificate is issued that will include your identity number (Numero de identidad de Extranjero), commonly known as an N.I.E number, and name and address.

The process is quite simple and quick, an EX16 form (download a copy here - http://www.mir.es/SGACAVT/modelos/extranjeria/modelos_extranje/ex_16.pdf should be filled out and then taken along with your passport to your nearest office (find a list of office here -
http://www.mir.es/MIR/Directorio/Servicios_Perifericos/Cuerpo_Nacional_de_Policia/Oficinas_de_extranjeros/index.html . When handed over they will give you a payment form that can be taken to the nearest bank and paid, when you return with receipt of payment the certificate is handed over on the spot.

I recently had to renew my residency and was quite surprised that the photographic identification is no longer issued and, somewhat strangely, at the bottom of the certificate it states in Spanish that "This document is not valid to accredit the identity nor the nationality of the carrier'. effectively this means that another form of identity needs to be carried, this could a passport (not really the sort of thing you want to be carrying around all the time), a national identity card from your country of origin 8if it exists) or most easily a photographic driving license (and that's if you drive!). One other option would be to take up Spanish citizenship, although this may feel a little extreme for some and does require you to already have been resident from 2 to 10 years, but it would enable you to obtain a full DNI (national identity card).

The certificate itself, and specifically the N.I.E number) is very important when living in Spain, without it you will not be able to buy a Spanish property, purchase a car and open bank accounts. Quite why it is now a piece of paper that has to be backed up by other identification I do not know. A simple trip to the shops to pay by credit card will require this extra identification, whereas once upon a time the residency card would have sufficed.