AdministrativeAlso: Número de Identidad de Extranjero, Foreigner identification number

NIE

The Spanish tax number required for any foreigner buying or selling a property.

The NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) is the tax identifier assigned to foreigners in Spain. It is essential for signing a deed, opening an account, paying taxes or connecting the utilities — in short, for any property transaction.

It is obtained from a Spanish consulate or a national police station in Spain, in person or by power of attorney.

For the seller

You necessarily have one if you bought the property; check that it is still valid before the sale to avoid any hold-up at the deed.