The questions, one by one
Do I need an NIE for all of this?
Yes. If you have already bought a house here, you have had one since then.
Almost everyone who asks this already has an NIE and does not know it: without one they could not have signed the deed.
You have had it since the purchase
The Foreigner Identity Number is compulsory in order to buy property in Spain, open an account or file a return. If you signed a purchase deed, you have an NIE: it appears on the deed itself.
As an identifier it does not expire, although the document evidencing it may carry a date.
If you cannot find the paper
The number is on the deed, in some cases on the IBI bill, and on any previous return. Recovering the document itself is a separate formality, and it is not always needed: for many dealings the number is enough.
Services
Official sources
This page was last checked on 4 September 2026
Responsible for this content Sullivan Benedetto · Torrevieja (Alicante), España
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