Urgent NIE: how to get it when there are no appointments
If you have tried to book an appointment to get the NIE in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia or Malaga, you already know what this is about: you open the appointments website, select the province, the procedure, and the message "There are currently no appointments available" appears. You refresh the page for days. Nothing.
The appointment system for foreigners' offices has been overwhelmed in Spain's main cities for years. Appointments are published in batches and run out within minutes, sometimes seconds. For someone with an ongoing property purchase, an inheritance with tax deadlines or a pending company incorporation, this situation can stall transactions and generate real financial losses.
Why there are no NIE appointments
NIE demand has grown steadily: more property purchases by foreigners, more digital nomads, more investors under the golden visa scheme (until its amendment), more international workers. Foreigners' offices, however, maintain the same number of service desks as years ago.
On top of this, the proliferation of bots and unofficial services that hoard appointments to resell them further reduces availability for legitimate applicants.
Alternative 1: Spanish consulate abroad
If you live outside Spain, you can apply for the NIE at the Spanish consulate in your country. You do not depend on the Spanish appointment system and consular offices are usually less overloaded.
The downside is the timeframe. Consulates forward the application to Spain for resolution, and the full process takes between 3 and 6 weeks. If you have an earnest money deadline expiring in 30 days, this route may not be fast enough.
Required documentation: completed form EX-15, original passport and copy, proof of payment of fee 790 code 012 (9.84 euros, some consulates accept payment in local currency at the exchange rate) and a document justifying the need for the NIE.
Alternative 2: representative with power of attorney
This is the route used by most foreigners who need the NIE urgently and cannot wait for appointments to appear. The process:
1. You grant a special power of attorney to a representative in Spain. The power expressly authorises the representative to apply for and collect the NIE on your behalf. At Notaría Online we formalise the power by video conference in 2-3 working days.
2. The representative requests the appointment at the foreigners' office. Specialist agents have systems to detect appointment availability as soon as slots are published, which significantly reduces waiting time.
3. Submission of the application. The representative attends the appointment with: the original power of attorney (apostilled if granted outside Spain), a copy of your passport, form EX-15, proof of payment of fee 012 and supporting documentation for the reason (earnest money contract, death certificate, etc.).
4. Collection of the NIE certificate. In many offices the certificate is issued on the spot or within a few days. The representative sends it to you by registered post or courier.
Total timeframe from signing the power of attorney to receiving the NIE: between 1 and 3 weeks, depending on the province.
Provinces with less congestion
Appointment congestion varies greatly by province. Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga and Alicante are the hardest. Provinces such as Segovia, Soria, Teruel and Cuenca have much less demand and appointments are usually available within a few days.
If your representative can travel to a nearby province with lower demand, the process speeds up. The NIE is the same regardless of the province where it is applied for: it is a national-level number, not a provincial one.
Tips for getting an appointment yourself
If you prefer to try to get the appointment yourself before turning to a representative:
Publication times. Appointments are usually published early in the morning (between 8:00 and 9:00) or at midday. Check the website at those times.
Try several provinces. The website lets you select any province in Spain. If there are no appointments in Madrid, try Toledo, Guadalajara or Segovia.
Have all your documents ready. When you get an appointment, it may be just a few days away. If you have not paid the fee or completed the form, you will miss the opportunity.
How our service works
At Notaría Online we offer a complete NIE processing service for foreigners who cannot or do not want to travel to Spain:
1. Free initial consultation to assess your case and confirm the required documentation.
2. Power of attorney by video conference. We formalise the power with all necessary authorisations. If you are outside Spain, we handle the apostille.
3. Full NIE processing. Our team of agents requests the appointment, submits the documentation and collects the certificate.
4. Delivery of the original certificate to your address, in Spain or abroad.
The full process, from the first consultation to receiving the NIE, takes between 2 and 4 weeks. If you need to coordinate it with a property purchase or an inheritance, we adjust the timelines so everything fits together.
Contact Notaría Online and we will give you the estimated timeframe for your particular case.