Work, home, the city
Buying property around Vigo: the NIE before the escritura
Every person whose name goes on the deed needs a NIE before signing at the notary’s. The number identifies you on the escritura, at the bank, at the land registry and on the tax returns that follow. A couple buying together needs two.
Who it concerns
Anyone buying a home in Vigo or the Rías Baixas, living in Spain or abroad.
The forms
- EX-15
- Modelo 790 código 012
Where it is done
Named on the cita previa confirmation you receive, or a Spanish consulate abroad
Put these in your folder
- EX-15, signed
- Passport, with a copy
- The reservation agreement, or a letter from the notary
- Receipt of the 790-012: bank-stamped copy, or proof of online payment
- The printed booking
The number before the keys
Ask for the NIE as soon as the purchase becomes serious. Notaries, banks and agents want it early, for the deposit contract (arras) and for a mortgage offer, and a number that arrives late can push back the signing.
Buyers who live abroad
A buyer who lives outside Spain asks for a non-resident NIE on form EX-15, either here, by booking a police appointment for the province of Pontevedra and attending the office it names, or at the Spanish consulate for their home. The reason to give is the purchase, backed by a reservation agreement or a letter from the notary or the lawyer. Firms that request a NIE from a distance can spare you the journey.
Signing by power of attorney
Unable to attend the signing? Someone else can sign for you under a poder notarial (power of attorney). Spanish notaries and consulates can grant one; one signed before a foreign notary must carry an apostille and come with a Spanish translation. It does not replace the NIE: each name on the deed still needs one.
Keys are not a residence card
A property in Vigo does not, by itself, allow you to live in Spain. Non-EU owners who want to stay past the Schengen limit need a visa (British owners too: see our guide for UK passports); the property-investment route known as the golden visa ended in 2025.
Once the deed is signed
The NIE comes back with every bill and every return: the IBI (the yearly municipal property tax), the water and electricity contracts, and the non-resident income tax that owners living abroad file each year.
In Vigo
Buyers from abroad who come to view a flat in Vigo or a house in Baiona can request the NIE on the trip only with a police appointment booked under Pontevedra, and the office may be in another town. Booking from home, or going through a consulate, saves building the visit around a slot.
Questions people ask about this
We are buying together. One NIE or two?
Two. Each buyer on the deed needs their own.
Can I request the NIE during a viewing trip?
Yes, if you obtain a cita previa for the province of Pontevedra in time; the office may be outside Vigo. Otherwise, try the Spanish consulate that covers your home.
Does buying a house let me live here?
No. Property and residence are separate matters.
Checked against these official pages
Re-read for this guide in October 2026.
Which raft are you tied to?
A few lines are enough: your nationality, where around the ría you live or will live, and what has to be ready by when. We answer by email with the route that fits.