If you want to buy a property in the Spanish territory and you do not have a residence permit, there is a key document that you will need to be able to complete the process: the temporary or non-resident NIE.
In this article, you will discover how to apply for the NIE to buy a property in Spain step by step, why you will actually need this number, and exactly how long this process takes.
There is only one requirement that any foreigner who wants to buy a property in Spain must fulfill: to have an NIE number.
This NIE number is the number that identifies you as a foreigner in the country before the different legal institutions and the administration.
When you buy a house, there are a series of operations that require being registered as an individual.
We are talking about, for example, signing the purchase agreement; or the tax procedures that arise with the transaction.
In these cases, it is essential that the Tax Agency can assign those different tax payments (such as VAT, Transfer Tax, etc.) to a particular individual, and that is when the NIE will be necessary.
ALL foreigners must have their NIE in Spain to carry out any type of legal procedure in the country.
However, if what you want is only to buy a property, this NIE will be of a special type, and that is what we analyze next.
Purchasing a property with a temporary NIE
It is very common that the foreigner decides to buy a property in the Spanish territory but does not intend to stay to live in it, nor in Spain.
That is to say, she simply wants to buy the house for investment purposes and to generate recurring income (as a result of its rental or subsequent sale), so at no time will she become a legal resident in Spain (since she does not stay in the country for more than 183 days a year).
In these cases, the buyer of the property will have to request a special type of NIE that will serve her for this procedure: the one known as NIE as a non-resident or temporary NIE.
Until April 2025, there was the possibility of obtaining a residence permit for real estate investment of more than 500,000 € (the well-known “Golden Visa”).
This route was repealed by Organic Law 1/2025 and was no longer available as of April 3, 2025. Buying a home in Spain, whatever its amount, no longer grants any residence permit by itself.
If your goal is to reside in the country, you will need to process a different authorization (non-profit residence, own account, other people’s account, etc.), regardless of whether or not you have purchased a property.
Does buying a home give me residency in Spain?
How to obtain a NIE to buy a property
The process to obtain this NIE as a non-resident to buy a house is very simple, and it can be completed either from Spain or from your country of origin.
The first thing you must do in either case is to demonstrate that you have sufficient reason to apply for this identification number.
The intention to buy a property is sufficient justification. However, you will have to prove that you are actually in the process of buying the property.
To do so, you can use:
- The pre-sales agreement, signed with the seller
- A deed from the notary in which you declare your express willingness to buy
Once you have either of these two proofs you can move on to the next phase.
Apply directly from Spain
The first thing to keep in mind if you apply directly from Spain is that you cannot be in an irregular situation.
That is, you must be within the 90-day period as a tourist.
As we have mentioned, with either of these two proofs you can go to any police station in Spain (after making an appointment), and submit the following documentation:
- Full passport and copy
- Application form EX-15
- Deposit contract or notary deed
- Payment of the corresponding fee (Model 790, code 012; 9.84 € in 2026)
Please note that the appointment may take days or weeks to be obtained depending on the province and time of year, although once you have it, the NIE is delivered at the time of the appointment.
At that very moment, you will be given a document containing your NIE as a non-resident, which, be careful, is not a residence card and does not allow you to legally stay in the country for the long run.
Apply from your country of origin
If you apply for the NIE as a non-resident from your country of origin, you will have to incur an extra step, initiated at the Spanish consulate located in your current country of residence.
We are talking about providing legal capacity to a third party through a power of attorney to complete the process for you.
This power of attorney can be assigned, for example, to your immigration lawyer or any other legal representative.
Once with the power of attorney, this legal representative would follow the same steps from Spain.
When should I request it?
As we have seen, getting this NIE to buy a house is a fast process, and you will obtain it on the same day of your appointment.
However, keep in mind that you will not be able to finalize the sale without this number, so calculating the deadlines will be essential.
Hence, from our office we must give you an important recommendation: apply for your temporary NIE at the same moment you decide you are going to buy a property in the Spanish territory.
Waiting until you have found the house or apartment you finally want to purchase can be too risky and make it difficult to complete the process.
Keep in mind an important distinction: the NIE number never expires; it is assigned only once and accompanies you for life, even if you leave Spain and return years later.
What does have a limited validity, usually three months, is the paper certificate that is given to you to prove you as a non-resident.
If your sale is delayed more than that period, you do not need to request a new NIE: simply request the renewal of the certificate, which will maintain the same number.
Do you have any doubts or would you like our team of expert lawyers to help you get this number? Contact us below.
FAQs on how to buy a house with your NIE
Is it possible to buy a house in Spain without NIE?
Unfortunately, no, it is not possible to buy a house in Spain if you are a foreigner and do not have a NIE.
Well, this NIE is the number that identifies you in the country for any legal procedure (such as a sale). If you do not have one, there would be no way to identify you correctly, and therefore the transaction could not take place.
Therefore, you will have to follow the steps in this article and get yours to be able to acquire a property in the country.
Can I buy a house in Spain with just my passport?
No. The passport proves your identity, but does not replace the NIE. Notaries, banks, and the Property Registry require the NIE to formalize any sale, regardless of whether you also present your passport
What if I am Spanish, not resident abroad? Do I need NIE?
No. The NIE is exclusively for foreign buyers. If you are a Spanish citizen, your valid DNI is still valid to buy a home and also acts as your NIF before the Tax Agency, wherever you live.
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