Anyone have recent experience getting an NIE card in Barcelona? What reason did you give for needing an NIE on the application form? Just spent a frustrating time at the police office this AM in Barcelona applying for an NIE. They person we spoke to was very touchy about the reason we needed an NIE, we mentioned to get our shipping container out of the port. This created a request for another difficult to get document. We also mentioned to buy a car, again, another stack of docs required. I read many places we just needed a passport, Certificado de empadronamiento, photos, and the EX-14 app. Also, it’s now 10-15 days to get a number, not same day as reported. I hope I’m wrong, but this is what we were told. Thanks for your help.

Prob not much help but 10 to 14 days is the norm in Fuengirola. However, just need passport, application form (with a spanish address) and bank receipt for payment of fee (reason - purchasing car, as most seem to do). Nothing else required. Down here you cannot get empadronamiento without residencia and for that you need NIE. That’s for an EU citizen, of course.

Hmm 2nd post today concerning problems with Spanish bureaucracy - is the heat getting to them as well (the Spanish are talking about the heatwave, not usually a topic of conversation)

I have many years experience of getting NIEs for clients (when we were selling houses) and NEVER had a problem - getting an NIE means that you will be paying some form of tax in Spain which is surely good news for them!

Another (maybe a bit cynical) suggestion I have seen is that perhaps they now only want to deal with persons using gestorias or the like (I expect they are suffering with the crisis, funny how every abogado down here is suddenly a tax expert given they are not busy with house completions).