NIE Number, Notary & Spanish Property Paperwork

Spanish property paperwork comes with a vocabulary that sounds more intimidating than it is. Here are the terms that matter, in roughly the order you'll meet them, so the jargon stops being scary and becomes a checklist.

In this article

NIE number

The Número de Identidad de Extranjero is simply an identification number for foreigners. You need it for almost any official process in Spain, including buying property, and crucially you must have it before signing the title deed. In practice that means applying at least a month before you expect to complete, and ideally as soon as you're serious, because it can take time. It's the single most common cause of avoidable delay, so start it early.

A Spanish bank account

You'll generally need one to pay for utilities, community fees and council tax, and to run a Spanish mortgage if you have one. Charges and services vary between banks, so it's worth shopping around rather than walking into the first branch.

The documents you'll encounter

Nota Simple - the Land Registry extract showing who owns the property and whether anything is owed on it. Reviewed before you pay any reservation fee.
Reservation contract (Documento de Reserva) - takes the property off the market when you make your offer.
Private purchase contract (Arras) - the binding commitment, paid with the larger deposit.
Power of attorney (Poder Notarial) - lets your legal representative act for you, useful if you can't be in Spain for every step.
The Title Deed (Escritura) - the document that completes the sale, signed in front of the notary.

The notary (notario)

A public official who certifies that the sale is legal and properly documented. As the buyer you can usually choose which notary to use, and it's worth picking a local one since you'll typically need to attend in person, unless you've granted power of attorney. Remember the point from the last post: the notary checks the documents are legally binding, but does not advise you on whether the deal is in your interest. That's your solicitor's job.

None of these is complicated once it has a plain-English label. Get the NIE moving early, line up a bank account, and let your solicitor steer you through the documents in order.

Your checklist for this step

Apply for your NIE number as early as possible, at least a month before completion
Open a Spanish bank account, comparing charges between banks first
Have your solicitor review the Nota Simple before any payment
Consider power of attorney if you can't attend every step in person
Choose a local notary for the signing of the Escritura
Keep every document together in one place as you go

Decode the paperwork

The free Spain Buying Guide explains the NIE, contracts, the notary and every document by name.

Download the free Spain Buying Guide →

Or carry on reading. The next post is the celebration: "It's completion day."

Written by

Nick Storey

Nick Storey is the Operations Director at Kyero.com, where he leads platform operations, product delivery, and commercial strategy.

Having lived and worked in Spain for 14 years, Nick began his career as an estate agent on the south coast of Granada and brings first-hand market experience to his work.

He joined Kyero in 2007 and has since played a central role in scaling the business, shaping its product direction, and strengthening how international buyers connect with agents across Spain, Portugal, France, and Italy