29 Oct 2006 9:51 PM:

We also went to Manchester. No appointment required (though they were closed most of July for NIE numbers). No wait to be seen, very helpful staff. We went August 15th and our NIE numbers arrived this Thursday October 26th. (They said it could take up to 3 months.) There was no problem having the numbers sent to our UK address (I think somewhere on the form it sounded as if this were not possible). It was certainly cheaper (about £25 for 2) than flying out to Spain and from what I've heard a lot less hassle. If you are going to Spain I was advised not to get the NIE in Marbella/Malaga as they have the worst queues! The consulate site tells you whether you need to go to London or Manchester to get your number.
Thread: What's this NIE all about?

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