Process & legal · 2 July 2026 · 5 min read
What an NIE is, why you need one and how to get it from Ireland.
NIE stands for Número de Identidad de Extranjero: a foreigner's identification number. It is not residency, it is not a visa, and getting one commits you to nothing. It is simply the tax number Spain uses to know who you are when money moves.
You need it to buy property, open a Spanish bank account, connect electricity, and pay the purchase taxes. No NIE, no deed. It is the first practical step of any purchase, and the one people leave latest.
Route one: the consulate in Dublin
The Spanish consulate in Dublin processes NIE applications. You book an appointment, bring your passport, a completed EX-15 form and the reason for the request (buying property is a valid one), and pay a small fee, around €10.
The catch is time. Appointment availability comes and goes, and processing takes weeks after that. If you are six months from a viewing trip, this route is fine and cheap. If you have already found the apartment, it is usually too slow.
Route two: power of attorney
The faster route: sign a power of attorney allowing a lawyer in Spain to apply on your behalf. The document is signed in front of a notary in Ireland, apostilled, translated and sent over. Your lawyer queues at the police station in Spain so you do not have to.
Cost is a few hundred euro including the notary and apostille, and the same power of attorney can be drafted to cover the whole purchase, so you never need to fly out for paperwork at all. This is the route most of our buyers take, because they are usually arranging it at the same time as everything else.
Two buyers, two NIEs
Buying as a couple? Each name on the deed needs its own NIE. Apply for both at the same time. It doubles nothing except the forms.
When to do it
The week you decide you are serious. An NIE does not expire in practice for property purposes, costs little, and obliges you to nothing. Having it in hand means that when the right apartment appears, you can move at the speed of a cash buyer instead of explaining to an agent why you need three more weeks.