What documents do you need to get an NIE?

[MaureenG]

I understand that when we arrive in Fuerteventura to live, we should get NIE numbers at the police station in Puerto Del Rosario straight away. I've looked at info on various websites about this and it seems that you have to take an already completed form (that you can download on the internet) as they won't give you the form there, then they give you a piece of paper to take to a bank where you pay a fee (I believe it's about 10 euros) and then you return to the police station with your payment receipt at a date they tell you to collect the NIE card. Is this how it works in Fuerteventura?

EU citizens (like us) obviously need to take their passport, but one website said that you also need to take a document to show why you are applying for an NIE, such as a property purchase contract / mortgage application. We are not buying a property (we'll be renting), so we won't have this. But I've heard that you need the NIE to open a bank account and set up utility contracts, so we'll have to get our NIE numbers first - I'm getting a bit confused!

Some people also say you need to start queuing at 6am at the police station and that you can be there for 3-4 hours, although it varies in different areas of Spain - is that usual in Puerto Del Rosario? Also how soon after making payment can you usually return to pick it up?

[Archer]

We went to the Police station a couple of weeks ago and waited aboutE 30 seconds! When we returned with the receipt to collect our numbers we managed to be in the building no more than 15 seconds. This was at about 9.00am.
We only needed 1 x photocopy of our passport and used our hotel as the address. No probs at all.

[MaureenG]

Thanks Archer101, that's made me feel less stressed about things. Were you able to go back the same morning to collect the NIE documentation? I thought that it took a few days?

Also, I've seen the application form and in section 4.2 you have to tick the reason for applying for the NIE, from the following choices: Economic, Professional or Social. We'll be renting a property and I'll be looking for part-time work, but my husband won't as he has taken early retirement, so which should we choose? They also ask you to specify the reason (someone said an example would be purchase or sale of property, tax, etc.) and I've no idea what I should write here, if anything?

Finally, in section 4.4 you are asked to tick your "Situacion en Espana", with a choice of "Estancia" or "Residencia" - if we've been there for less than 3 months, should we tick "Estancia"? I'm assuming that "Residencia" would be ticked if you were also applying for residence status after 3 months - is that correct?

[Archer]

I'm not professing to be an expert - just my experience. I understand a long wait & much hassle is not the norm now.
We used  a rather worn out form EX-16.
Section 1. Personal info. We used our hotel address.
Section 2. Reason for application. We ticked Social box and wrote Compra de Propiedad (for buying) or Alquilar una Propiedad (for renting)
Section 3. Notification address. Use bank or Estate Agent.
Plus 1 x copy of passport.

You get a form in duplicate that you take to any bank and pay just under 8 Euro.
He tells you to come back in about 5 days with the receipt from the bank and you get your number on a bit of A4 paper. Valid three months.

That's how it worked for us. Easy.

[MaureenG]

It's great to hear about someone else's recent experience in the same location, as some of the info on the internet may be outdated and from what I've heard the experience can vary in different areas of Spain. I've heard that some people have been turned away because of incorrect info on the form, but that they won't help you with filling it in, so it's useful to know what to put on it. 

(P.S. for anyone else reading this who needs to get their NIE, I think it may be good to be wary of people on websites who offer to do this for you - they may be offering a helpful service to some people who don't have a clue or know a single word of Spanish, but if you have a basic level of Spanish and the knowledge provided here about what they are looking for on the form, you don't need to pay money to so called "experts")

This website has links to download a sample form and a translation if you don't speak any Spanish:
https://www.strongabogados.com/nie.php