Spanish ID numbers and the right orderArticle 6 of 8 · 2 min read
Where Spanish counters will ask for your foreigner number (NIE)
A guide to the everyday situations where Spanish offices and companies ask for your NIE: which ones the law requires it for, which are just company policy, and when a passport will not be accepted. For newcomers planning their first months.
Where the law requires an NIE
A passport number will not replace the NIE in these cases:
- Tax: any filing or payment with the tax office, including income tax and the non-resident return (Modelo 210).
- Property: buying or selling, paying the related taxes, signing the deed at a notary and registering it in the Land Registry.
- Work: an employment contract and Social Security registration. Your employer needs your NIE for both and for tax withholding. EU citizens can work freely but still need the NIE shown on their registration certificate.
- Self-employment and companies: registering as an autónomo, or becoming a shareholder or director.
- Inheritance and gifts: the tax on them needs your NIE.
- Vehicles: buying a vehicle or registering it at Tráfico.
- Residence: registering as a foreign resident. Your TIE or EU registration certificate includes your NIE: see NIE or TIE.
Where it is common but not a legal duty
Banks. No law demands an NIE just to open an account, but banks must identify you under anti-money-laundering rules, so many ask for it. Residents are normally asked for the NIE, TIE or DNI. Non-residents can often open an account with a passport, though many banks also want an NIE and some refuse non-residents altogether. Banks also commonly ask for proof of address and where your money comes from.
Landlords. They have no legal duty to ask for an NIE. Most want your passport or NIE, proof of income and a deposit. They often want the NIE to file the tax forms linked to the rental.
Phone and internet. For a contract, unlike a prepaid SIM, providers ask for your NIE and often a Spanish bank account; some accept a passport.
Electricity, gas and water. These companies normally ask for your NIE, the address and an IBAN for direct debit. Some accept a passport number, especially for non-residents or short stays.
What to do
Online forms with an NIE field often reject a passport number. Apply for your NIE before you need any of the legal cases above. If a counter refuses your passport, ask whether another branch or company is more flexible, or get the NIE first.
If you are a Spanish citizen or dual national, your DNI number is your tax ID, so you do not need an NIE — see Arriving as a Spanish citizen who has never lived in Spain.
More in Spanish ID numbers and the right order
- The Spanish ID numbers you will meet and what each is for
- Foreigner number (NIE) or residence card (TIE): which goes on which form?
- The right order for your NIE, address registration and digital ID
- How long each identity step really takes in Spain
- What your identity numbers and registrations cost, including paid help
- Which ID to carry every day in Spain
- Arriving as a Spanish citizen who has never lived in Spain
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