Do I need a NIE to buy a property in Spain?

Yes. You cannot sign the deed before a Spanish notary, pay the purchase taxes or register the property in your name without one. You will also need it afterwards to open a bank account and put the utilities in your name.

How much does a NIE cost?

The official government fee is €9.84, paid using form 790, code 012. That is the tax itself — it does not include the cost of a representative if someone applies on your behalf.

How long does it take to get a NIE?

The legal maximum for a decision is five days from the moment the application is filed. In practice the wait is the appointment, not the decision: on the coast and in high season it can take between two and six weeks to get one.

Can I get a NIE without travelling to Spain?

Yes, through a representative acting under a notarised power of attorney. It is the usual route when you cannot fly over twice, and it stops the signing date from depending on a plane ticket.

Which form do I need and what proves my reason for applying?

Form EX-15, with the economic reasons box ticked. Buying a property is proved with the deposit contract, a formal purchase offer or a letter from the notary — which is why the application is normally started as soon as the deposit contract is signed.

NIE number

You cannot sign for a Spanish home without this number.

The NIE is a foreigner identification number, and it is what makes you a person the Spanish system can sell a house to. It is cheap and quick to decide. The part that catches people out is the queue to be seen — which is why the date you start matters more than anything else on this page.

Official fee: €9.84
Legal decision time: 5 days
Application form: EX-15
Real bottleneck: 2–6 weeks

Ask my agent to handle it What buying in Spain costs

Timing

The mistake is not the paperwork. It is the date you start.

Almost nobody fails to get a NIE. Plenty of people get theirs a fortnight after the notary wanted to complete.

1 · You are still viewing
Nothing to do yet
No NIE is needed to view homes, to make an offer or to negotiate a price. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling you something.
2 · You sign the deposit contract
Start here
The deposit contract is itself the document that proves your economic reason for applying. This is the moment the application becomes possible — and the moment it should be filed.
3 · The notary sets a date
Too late, usually
Completion is often set four to six weeks after the deposit contract. If the appointment alone can take six weeks, starting here is what pushes the signing back.

What gets filed

Four things, in this order.

1
Form EX-15
Completed and signed, with the economic reasons box ticked. That box is what ties the application to a property purchase.
2
Proof of the reason
Your deposit contract, a formal purchase offer or a letter from the notary. Without one of these there is nothing to justify the application.
3
Fee 790/012
€9.84, paid at a bank before the appointment. You bring the stamped receipt with you.
4
The appointment
Booked online with the National Police, in the province where the property is — not where you are staying.

If you cannot come in person

A representative can file everything for you under a notarised power of attorney. For most buyers this is the sensible route: flying to Spain twice, once for the appointment and once for the signing, costs far more than the paperwork does.

It also removes the risk that matters — that the appointment falls on a date you cannot travel, and the whole purchase slides a month.

After the NIE

The number is permanent and does not expire. The next question is what the purchase actually costs you, and that depends on the region: transfer tax runs from 4% to 13% of the price.

See the cost by region

Questions

Straight answers.

Do I need a NIE to buy a property in Spain?: Yes. You cannot sign the deed before a Spanish notary, pay the purchase taxes or register the property in your name without one. You will also need it afterwards to open a bank account and put the utilities in your name.
How much does a NIE cost?: The official government fee is €9.84, paid using form 790, code 012. That is the tax itself — it does not include the cost of a representative if someone applies on your behalf.
How long does it take to get a NIE?: The legal maximum for a decision is five days from the moment the application is filed. In practice the wait is the appointment, not the decision: on the coast and in high season it can take between two and six weeks to get one.
Can I get a NIE without travelling to Spain?: Yes, through a representative acting under a notarised power of attorney. It is the usual route when you cannot fly over twice, and it stops the signing date from depending on a plane ticket.
Which form do I need and what proves my reason for applying?: Form EX-15, with the economic reasons box ticked. Buying a property is proved with the deposit contract, a formal purchase offer or a letter from the notary — which is why the application is normally started as soon as the deposit contract is signed.

Sources

Checked on 3 August 2026. Fees and waiting times change; your agent confirms them before filing.

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Your agent should have started this already.

Agencies working with NORA track the NIE alongside the offer, the deposit contract and the completion date — so the signing never waits on a form.

Talk to us

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You cannot sign for a Spanish home without this number.

The mistake is not the paperwork. It is the date you start.

Nothing to do yet

Start here

Too late, usually

Four things, in this order.

Form EX-15

Proof of the reason

Fee 790/012

The appointment

If you cannot come in person

After the NIE

Straight answers.

Your agent should have started this already.

Convierte el desorden comercial en una operativa clara.