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NIE is Tax Identification number:
Your residence permit will include your Numero de Jdentificacion de Extranjero (NIE), which identifies you to the Spanish tax authorities. The number is necessary for practically any transaction in Spain, such as paying your taxes. Even a nonresident who has any relation with the Spanish tax system, either by owning property or by drawing interest from a bank, also needs this ME.
All this sounds complicated but if you speak just a little Spanish and want to have some direct contact with official procedures in your new country, you can handle your request for a residencia yourself. Assembling the necessary documents and dealing with the different people and offices involved is an education in Spanish ways of doing things.
You can also use the services ofagestorta to lead you through the process. The gestor is licensed by the government as an official middleman between you and the State, and provides, for a reasonable fee, many useful services. It is his business to know which little window to go to at what time, and a good one can save you much time and trouble. This Spanish institution is more fully described in the section on “You and Your Legal Advisers”.
Even Non-Resident EU Citizens can vote:
Finally, if you are an EU citizen, you will be able to vote in Spain’s municipal elections even if you are non-resident. Not only can you vote, you can be elected to office. If this prospect appeals to you, be sure to present yourself at your town hall immediately to be registered in the padrón, the list of municipal inhabitants, which is the basis of the voter list.
Obtain a certificado deempadronamiento proving that you have registered.
Some months before the elections you must check to make sure that you appear on the voting list, or you will not be permitted to cast your ballot. Perhaps the Popular Party, who are the Conservatives, or the Socialist Party will ask you to stand for office as well.
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