here it goes. i have a double citizenship, Canadian and Polish. Poland entered the EU may 1st 2004.now i'm a little bit confused :lo: if i understand correctly as a member of the EU i can work legally in Spain but will need an NIE to pay taxes etc...and it is useful to get a Residency card which includes the NIE but it is not necessary for someone from the EU.i don't know if i'm making sense because i read the forums and googled a lot.so please correct me if i'm wrong.and to apply for the residency or NIE i just go to a police station and fill out the paper work and supply whatever documents are needed at that time.thanks for the help guys as i'm sure this is a reocuring confusing for some of us that are less literate in the government procedures.

Oof! As an EU citizen who recently (in the last year) got his NIE, I can tell you it's a bit tougher than that. How tough it is depends on chance. When I went into the police station I got into the "wrong" line, got a few less than pleasant stares from some others, and yet got the most helpful person behind the desk. Despite it "not being his job" he handed me the application to fill out, told me exactly what I needed to have to apply, and all in less than a couple of minutes.

What I needed was:
4 passport size photos
2 photocopies of my passport

I don't recall needing any other documents.

When I went back the same guy stamped my application, took my photos, and told me it'd be a few months.

Fine. When I went back with my wife for her non-EU citizen application there was a French girl who was applying for her NIE. She was waiting in the "correct" line and so I pointed her to the line being served by clerk who helped me earlier. As luck would have it she got "helped" by the clerk beside him who told her rather sternly to go wait in the "correct" line. I told this clerk that all she needed was an application for the NIE but instead of handing her this she just repeated her demand for us to wait in the "correct" line. The same line the non-EU citizens were waiting in. Grrrrr..

Make sure when you go to get into the shorter line and pointedly ask for an NIE application (i.e. "tarjeta de residencia"). They can sense fear.

Thanks Roland. Do you have a police staion to recommend or anyone I go to is going to be the same. I've read that they process it locally, but again this is of the internet so it's not a 100%. Also what is the time frame mas o menos?thanks again really apreciate your help.gracias

I got an NIE recently down in Sherry country.
before I dropped in to my nearest national police station where they process these things for locals as well as foreigners, I downloaded the NIE form from the Ministry website which is:
http://dgei.mir.es/ and then you click on the English tag at the top right, then onto the Procedures and Aplications on the left column. This should bring up the forms in PDF.

To get the police stations go to the http://www.mir.es/dni/donde/donde8.htm for Madrid area.
Nige
PS It's probably all changed but when I applied with my form, I got a letter back stating my NIE number within 4 days. I have also probably forgotten something else which others can add.
:lo: So I now have a number. (I am X rated)

great.well i will go to a police station without fear then.thanks again for the input helps a lot.

Here's how I went...


10/10/03. Arrived at General Pardi�as, 90 at 08.00
Already about 20 people in queue
Doors opened at 09.00 and queue started to move very slowly. As I got near to the door the man asks what I came for. After replying residency, he hands me two identical forms and tells me to proceed to counter x inside.
Get inside and fill out the forms.
Queue behind 4 other people at the counter.
Lady at the counter asks for passport, copy of passport and photographs. She stamps both forms and tells you to take 1 of the forms, 2 photos and the passport copy to another counter.
Queue up behind 8 people at the next counter.
About 1 hour later the lady at this counter takes the documents, fingerprints me and tells me that I will receive a letter through the post in six weeks time.
On 03/12/03 I receive a letter inviting me to return to the office at the end of the month, along with a form - Modelo 790. At the top of the letter is my new NIE number

For my next visit the 'Documentacion Requerida':

La presente citaci�n
3 fotograf�as tama�o carnet, en color, con fondo blanco (si procede)
Pasaporte, C�dula de Inscripci�n o Documento de Viaje en vigor
Resguardo de la solicitud
Residencia anterior (si procede)
Justificante de ingreso de la tasa de expedici�n (Mod. 790), por importe de 6,19 euros

I went back with the forms that were sent to me and some photos/passport etc and they gave me the card. fin.

By the way, General Pardi�as, 90 is the office to attend.