NIE number or Residency

There is still much confusion about who has to have a residence card and who does not.

European nationals who originate from countries that are members of the European Union and those from another state that are part of the "agreement on economic European Space" who are either employed or self employed on Spanish soil must conform to all the following conditions to be exempt from having a residence card: (targeta de residencia)

1. Persons who were employed or self employed in Spain and are now pensionable, providing they worked during the previous 12 months and have resided in Spain for more than three years.
2. Students or self employed EU nationals and their families.

For those who do not need a residence card, a passport or national identity card from their own country replaces the residence card for identification purposes.

Anybody from another European country who wants to live and/or work in Spain and does not have to get a residence card, should get a N.I.E. (Número de Identitad Extranjero).

Getting a N.I.E. number is relatively easy, all you need is a copy of your passport, with your signature certified by a notary.