Much easier to get one in the UK:
Getting an NIE number in the UK
It is possible and may be a time-saving alternative to apply for your Spanish NIE numbers in the UK .
Anyone intending to sell or buy property in Spain (or indeed anything else which involves paying tax to the Spanish inland revenue) needs a NIE by Spanish law for tax purposes. Applying at your nearest consulate is more expensive than getting a NIE in Spain but it still may be an advantage for alot of non-resident property-buyers.
The taxes that are due when you buy a property and sign for a mortgage in Spain are withheld on your behalf and paid over to Hacienda (Inland Revenue). If you don't have an NIE number, then the taxes cannot be paid and you may incur some fines. Many banks in Spain will now refuse to complete on a mortgage if the client does not yet have the NIE number.
If you do decide to apply while still in the UK , then you need to get together all necessary documentation and then go to the consulate where you will be asked to sign the NIE application form in front of a consulate employee. Your signature will then be given an official validation stamp (which is where the fee comes in - £22):-
• A stamped (also at the consulate) photocopy of your passport
• 2 recent passport size photos. The background must be plain, and people who wear glasses and/or earrings must take them off for the photo
• An original copy + photocopy of a document which explains why you need your NIE. This may be the private sales contract you have signed with the estate agent, promotor or private vendor, if you are going to work in Spain , the job offer... We suggest ringing the consulate beforehand to find out what to take depending on your personal circumstances
• A self-addressed envelope
• An envelope big enough to contain all the above + NIE application form addressed to the central police HQ in Madrid: Comisaría General de Extranjería y Documentación, Dirección General de Policia, C/ General Pardiñas, 90, 28006 Madrid, Spain:
• One the NIE application form with your signature and passport have been stamped, the consulate will send the envelope containing all the above to Madrid. Then you will have to wait to receive your NIE.
The consulate will not be able to provide you with an application form, so get someone to get one from their local police station in Spain and post it to you or simply download an NIE application form http://www.mir.es/SGACAVT/extranje/regimen_general/identificacion/nie.html
This form is provided by the Spanish Interior Ministry. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the yellow IMPRIMIBLE button to print it out
There are 3 Spanish consulates in the UK
If you live in:-
Northern Ireland, Cheshire, Cleveland, Clwyd, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Durham, Manchester, Gwynedd, Humberside, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, the Isle of Man, Merseyside, Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Tyne & Wear or Yorkshire, please apply to:
The Spanish Consulate General, 1 Brooks House, 70 Spring Gardens, Manchester, M2 2BQ. Tel: 0161 236 1233
Scotland or the Scottish Islands , please apply to:
The Spanish Consulate General, 63 North Castle Street , Edinburgh , EH2 3LJ . Tel: 0131 220 1843
And if you live anywhere else within the UK apply to the London office: 20 Draycott Place, London SW3 2RZ, Tel: 020 7589 8989, Fax: 020 7581 7888
http://www.europamortgages.com/spanish-nie-numbers.htm