Buying in Barcelona from abroad: the NIE first
The notary needs it, the bank needs it, the land registry needs it. When to request the NIE during a purchase, and the two places to request it.
1 min read nie-barcelona.com
Foreign buyers usually hear about the NIE when the estate agent mentions the notary. By then the completion date is fixed, and the number becomes the one item that can hold everything up.
Request it as soon as you sign a reservation or deposit agreement: that document is exactly the proof of reason the office expects to see.
From abroad, a Spanish consulate accepts the EX-15 application. In Barcelona, your passport picks one of the two NIE offices: Rambla Guipúzcoa 74 for EU citizens, Passeig de Sant Joan 189 for everyone else who does not live here.
One thing a purchase no longer does: since Spain ended the golden visa in 2025, buying a home opens no route to residence by itself.
The papers, the proof of reason and the offices are set out step by step in our entry on buying property in Barcelona.