What happens if you’ve misplaced your residency or NIE document and you don’t know your foreigner identity number off by heart? Here are all the places you can find this number if you need to use it for any given reason.
NIE stands for Número de Identificación de Extranjero. It’s a ‘Foreigner Identification Number’ for non-Spanish citizens.
You will need one for many different processes when living in Spain. You’ll even need one if you’re a non-resident and your want to buy a property or a car here for example, even if you’ll only stay here for less than three months a year.
If you’re a resident in Spain, you will use your NIE for many different purposes from registering with your town hall or your local doctor’s surgery to signing rental contracts or even purchasing large items that need to be delivered like ovens for fridges. You possibly even know your number by heart.
GUIDE: How to get a NIE in Spain
And if not, you can simply look in your wallet and find it written on your TIE or green residency certificate.
But what about non-residents who have only used their NIE occasionally for purchasing a holiday home for example, what happens if you lose your NIE document and don’t know what your NIE number is?
Or what about those EU residents who have misplaced their green residency certificates with their NIE on?
Is there an easy way to locate the number again?
Yes, fortunately there are many different places that you can find your NIE, even if you lose the A4 sheet of paper or green certificate, or even your TIE card which includes the NIE number.
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For non-residents
Property deeds
If you’re a homeowner you will have needed your NIE in order to purchase your property, therefore you will be able to find it on the property deeds.
IBI bill
You will also be able to find it on your IBI bill, which you receive once a year from your local council. It’s a type of council tax that you pay annually.
READ ALSO: What is Spain’s IBI tax and how do I pay it?
Invoices
As mentioned above, you may have had to buy large items for your home, from furniture to a new kitchen hob. The companies you bought them from would have most likely requested your NIE when and if you have the invoices or facturas in Spanish, you should be able to find the NIE on there.
Utility bills
If you pay electricity, water or gas bills for your property, you will also find your NIE either on the paper or electronic bills you receive. Some companies also have online profiles for their customers, which should also detail your NIE.
Police station
As long as you can find your number somewhere, you should be fine, you may not need your A4 piece of paper anymore, but just in case you do, you will have to request a duplicate copy from your local police station, stating why you need a replacement.
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For residents
If you’re a resident and you’ve lost your NIE on your green certificate for example, it should be even easier to find as you will have it on many more documents and online services.
As well as all the above places there are other places you can find it including:
Padrón certificate
This is the certificate you get when you register with your local town hall if you are a resident. It’s like a type of census. You should get it within your first three months of moving to Spain or to a new property in a new area. This certificate will have your NIE on.
READ ALSO: Should non-residents in Spain register on the padrón?
Local clinic
If you are registered with a doctor your local clinic will have a record of your NIE. Simply go there and hand in your health card and they will be able to tell you your NIE. If you have a way of logging on to the electronic health system in your region without your NIE (such as your fingerprint on the app), then you will also be able to find it there without going in person.
Rental contract
As well as having your NIE on property deeds, it will also be mentioned on your rental contract.
Online
If you have a digital certificate, which is a piece of software on your computer, which allows you to identify yourself officially online, then you can log on to the Mi área personal section of the Agencia Tributaria website. This will have lots of personal information if you are a tax resident. As your NIE is also the same as your NIF – your fiscal number, then you’ll find it on there too.
