NIE no.

[10RDan]

What's the "story" re. NIE numbers ? I have had mine for just under 2 yrs and last night someone told me that you have get the "paperwork" renewed, not the number, every 2 yrs. The reason this came up in the conversation was we were talking about get a UK plated vehicle onto Spanish plates and that somewhere in the process you have to produce your NIE number on GREEN paper. Mine is on white and they apparently change the paper colour for some reason every 2 yrs.

True or not ?

Thanks

[Enrique]

Hi 10RDan,
This was covered recently..............

viewtopic.php?f=41&t=22930&p=205208&hilit=extranjero#p205208

Especially read all my posts as you will be in Jaén Provincia .............

You should be able to short cut my three trip saga...........

Download the form, phone up and make an appointment..........turn up for the interview , pay at the bank Caja Madrid.........its just up the road from the office, return and pick up your nice new Green form .

[10RDan]

So why have they changed the paper colour ? Is it something they do regularly or have they changed the whole format on the paper as well ?

[10RDan]

Having read the posts you suggested, over and over again, it seems from what David Searl says that the "greenish" form is if you are a registered resident in Spain.

The guy I was talking to is NOT a resident so does that mean he CAN'T transfer his vehicle onto Spanish plates ?

Therefore to transfer a vehicle from UK plates to Spanish plates you HAVE to be a registered resident in Spain ??

[Enrique]

Hi 10RDan,
I'm not resident in Spain, I was told to get the "Green Form" and have used it to sell a car , and talk to my local Olive Mill, and when asked for my NIE have to show this new form.

[Floriana]

We recently registered my car in Spain and I had to change my white NIE (which I had had for 4 years) for a green one in order to complete other paperwork etc.

It looks the same as the Residencia form, but the wording is different on Residencia.

[wendyakemp]

I only got mine at the end of last year, not resident and is white!!!

[julian]

a white one at the end of 2009??
have you washed it in bleach?

[wendyakemp]

No I applied at end of August, they told me it had to be checked and to return in xx weeks, went back on my next visit and collected it ( after the silly trip to the bank etc) and its white.
Used it to complete on the house ok as a non resident.

[DavidSearl]

FROM DAVID SEARL

FOR 10RDAN AND ENRIQUE

Good posts. Oh, help.

1. The white NIE form is the Spanish tax form issued to non-residents who do business in Spain. Any business, like owning a house and paying taxes on it. You need the tax identification number even to have a bank account in Spain, as a non-resident.

2. The green form is the Certificate of Registration of an EU citizen residing in Spain. So I guess you are a resident, after all, Enrique. This Certificate also has the NIE number on it.

3. A non-resident can own a car on Spanish registration but he must present either the title deed of property he owns (a residence) or a rental contract of one year's duration in order to justify this. Along with his white NIE form, of course, in order to pay his transfer and road tax.

Good luck with it, David Searl

[10RDan]

Thanks for that David. Could you please clarify these :-

1. As a non resident, but own property with a white NIE form, can I change a UK plated vehicle onto Spanish plates ?
2. If so, what paperwork would I need to do so ?

Thanks

[Enrique]

Hi 10Rdan,
While you wait for the definitive answer from David, some things to look into.........
Get a quote from "Paco" in Alcalá ( I'll PM his details) for the transfer costs.
Check if your headlights can switched to LHD mode or source some LHD headlights.
Check your rear light clusters are symmetrical ie "fog" lights and reversing lights on both sides.
You can also ask Paco if the "white" NIE form is ok, I would suspect not

[anewlife]

OK, we wanted to get our son NIE and residencia as he starts high school in Sept. Off they go to Baza, back they come for birth certificates (they took passports and padron). Oh, they said, we can't issue Josh (son) with NIE or Residencia because he doesn't have a 'full form birth certificate'. They issued his passport in UK 3 times and I only gave them the 'short birth certificate'. I always thought that a passport was the most identifiable bona fida form of identification anywhere. Why did they not accept his 'short birth certificate' ? Surely a passport is issued on the basis of this, so why refuse his birth certificate here when he has a passport already? So now I suppose I will have to get a full birth certificate, pay loads of money, wait for it to be processed and posted, but maybe the person on the day he went to get it was having a bad day ..

[anis]

I am not suprised that there is much confusion about white NIEs and green residencias, when some Spanish staff in banks don't know the difference.

Yesterday, I took a ten year old NIE certificate to the bank and they said " No, this won't work, you must have a new one, go and get a green NIE - go to Malaga police station and get a new one."
I tried to explain that I had a green residencia paper at home and that would suffice. " NO, no, no, no, it is not the one !" I knew they wanted proof of residence not my NIE but they wouldn't have it.

I checked with my lawyer five mins later and he said they were crazy, a green residencia paper is accepted by a notary and contains the NIE number. Came back , read the info David had written above which confirmed my argument with the bank.

Back to bank next day, and guess ? No problema, the green residencia did the job, no apology.
Now, I can speak sufficient Spanish and things were fairly clear to me, but imagine some poor incoming foreigner with little knowldege, how confusing for them, when those who should know the difference between the two documents, don't know themselves.