The Foreigner Identity Number (NIE) is a unique number assigned by the Spanish authorities to foreign citizens and is essential to interact with the Public Administrations, and necessary in Spain to work, study, reside in the country or purchase a property.
Current reality
Contrary to their mandate, in recent times Spain’s immigration offices have developed a reputation for not being responsive to in-person inquiries and appointment requests, referring people to look for answers online instead.
The lack of assistance available in-person combined with an incredibly difficult system to navigate has resulted in a “black market” for the purchase of appointments between private individuals.
This malfunctioning of the Administration directly violates its constitutional obligations in its relations with citizens, since administrative models must always be built in accordance with the citizens, and not the other way around.
Furthermore, this backlog generated by poor administrative organisation creates unpleasant situations for the foreign citizens, who may be unfamiliar with the language, unaware of the necessary documentation, and assume that the administration will work effectively and closely with them.
In the Immigration offices, overwhelmed officials are often lacking basic interpersonal skills, and thus not providing effective services to anyone, foreigners or Spanish citizens.
Following this, the lack of any documentation or requirement may lead to the non-assignment of an NIE number; however, this is at the discretion of the official. So, after going through the whole ordeal to get an appointment, paying for it, and going to whichever office the appointment has been set for (which may be different than the location requested), the process may have to be done again.
These obstacles are present throughout Spain, in offices with both high and low demand. Once again, this situation highlights the poor organisation of the Public Administration.
CONCLUSIONS
his article discusses the Foreigner Identity Number (NIE), which is essential for any non-resident person, and that professional assistance is recommended for the process.
This advice will be essential both to obtain the appointment and for clarity and checking of the documentation to be submitted.
