Upon arriving in Spain, it is advisable to request the white NIE (asignación de NIE por motivos económicos) as the requirements to obtain it are simpler.
The request must be filed at the Comisaria de Policia, where you will immediately be issued a certificate with the NIE number on a white A4 sheet of paper. This document will enable you to carry out exactly the same activities as it would the NIE that is issued to Spanish residents. The NIE number is the same that you would have obtained as a resident, and it will never change. What will eventually change is only the medium it is printed on (a green card rather than a white sheet of paper). As soon as you are settled in Madrid, Barcelona, or any other Spanish city, it will be extremely easy for you to request the green NIE without any rush. Its technical and correct name is CUE (Certificado de Registro de Ciudadano de la Unión) and it is mandatory for residents. To request it you will have to show that you have a domicile, a job or an income, a bank account, etc. To download the forms and follow the step-by-step procedure to obtain the NIE without an employment contract in Spain, without empadronamiento, and without a bank account, CLICK HERE. Getting the NIE without an employment contract in Spain? You can – even without residency and without a bank account!
People who need a Tax Code in Spain (NIE – Número de Identificación Extranjeros) for economic, professional, or social reasons will be able to request and obtain the “asignación de NIE por motivos económicos” (assignment of an NIE for financial reasons) by simply filling out a form and showing a piece of ID (passport or national ID) to a police officer. Many urban legends that exist about the notorious NIE are the consequence of people’s ignorance about what it exactly is, what it is used for, and, above all, how to apply for it. Having an NIE does not entail any tax liability or obligations, nor does it automatically grant you residency in Spain. The Spanish NIE is an identification number that can be compared to the British National Insurance Number. How to get the NIE without an employment contract. Everyone knows that you can apply for an NIE as a person who has their permanent residence in Spain (in which case you have to provide documents such as an employment contract, proof of residence, proof that you have a bank account in Spain, etc.). However, not everybody knows that an NIE can be also requested for financial reasons (asignación de un NIE por motivos económicos). For example, if you have inherited some money, if you want to establish a company, if you intend to sell or purchase shareholdings or properties, if you want to file for a Spanish VAT number, or if you want to sign a rental or employment contract, you are entitled to request an NIE. People make their life complicated when they think they can’t get an NIE without an employment contract, but they simply don’t know better. Their mistake is simple: they try to obtain the NIE for residents, when, in fact, people who just arrived in Spain for the first time must file a request for “Asignación de un NIE por motivos económicos”.
“Temporary, white” NIE and “permanent, green” NIE
