Why the notary insists
The deed, the tax on the purchase, the land registry entry and the mortgage, if there is one, are all tied to your number. So is the Spanish bank account most buyers open to pay the bills that follow: community fees, local taxes, water and electricity.
Resident or not resident
Buyers who will keep their main home elsewhere only need the number, which a Spanish consulate can arrange before travel. Buyers who move in register as residents: EU citizens with the EX-18 green certificate, others with a visa and a TIE.
Banks and tax advisers sometimes ask for a certificate stating whether you are resident or not. The Delegación del Gobierno in Murcia lists residence and non-residence certificates among the Policía Nacional procedures, by cita previa.
SourceDelegación del Gobierno en la Región de Murcia, extranjería (opens in a new tab)
Buying a home is not a visa
Spain closed the investor residence route, the so-called golden visa, in 2025. A purchase, however large, no longer opens a residence permit by itself. Non-EU buyers who want to live in the Region of Murcia need another route, such as the visa for non-lucrative residence, for people with their own means.
In Murcia
Buyers in Murcia and along the Mar Menor usually get their number at a consulate before the purchase, or at Cabezo Cortado or the Cartagena comisaría if they are already here. Once you live in the house, the empadronamiento is done with your own municipality: San Javier, Los Alcázares and Murcia each keep their own padrón.
Questions people ask
Do both partners need a NIE to buy together?
Yes. Everyone named on the deed needs their own number, even if only one of you will deal with the bank.
Can I give power of attorney for the signing?
Many buyers do, through a notary. The representative still needs your NIE to sign in your name, so the number comes first either way.