The NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) is a tax identification number for foreigners, and you cannot complete a property purchase in Spain without one. It is not residency — it is simply the number the Spanish tax system uses to identify you as a buyer, taxpayer and utility holder.
When you need it
Before signing the title deed at the notary, and in practice before opening a Spanish bank account. For off-plan, you want it early, because reservation and staged payments run smoother with it in place.
How to get one
Three routes. In person at a Spanish police station (National Police, immigration office) with an appointment; at a Spanish consulate in your home country; or, most commonly for buyers abroad, by granting a power of attorney to your Spanish lawyer, who obtains it for you. The power-of-attorney route is the one most international buyers use, because it avoids repeated trips.
What you need
A valid passport, the application form (EX-15), proof of the reason (your reservation contract), and payment of a small fee. Processing is usually quick once the appointment is had, but appointments can be the bottleneck — start early.
A good buyer's lawyer handles the NIE as a matter of course. If an agent or developer tells you it is complicated, it is not; it is routine.
This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm the current procedure with your lawyer.
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