Once the deposit has been paid, you now have to make sure that all of your paperwork is in order to be able to go ahead with the purchase of your property in Tenerife.
The first document which is required is an NIE number (Número de Indentificación de Extranjeros) which is an individual identification number issued to all non-nationals who plan to carry out any type of fiscal activity in Spain, i.e. work, buy a car, buy a property etc.
The NIE number is obtained from the National Police station (La Comisaria) and is issued there and then when you apply. Your lawyer or your Tenerife estate agent can help you fill out the necessary forms and accompany you to the police station.
To apply for the NIE you will need to take 2 passport-size photos, the original plus a photocopy of your passport, the NIE application form plus a fee of around €10 which is paid using the “790 form” and can be paid at a Spanish bank. The bank will then give you a stamped copy of the “modelo 790” as your proof of payment and this must be handed in with your application at the police station.
Non-Europeans may be asked to justify their application for an NIE, i.e. buying a property in Tenerife, starting a business etc.
If you are planning on spending more than 183 days a year in your new Tenerife home, then you may consider applying for Spanish residency. Before you make this decision, it is advisable to consider where your fiscal liabilities lie and we would recommend that you speak to an accountant or a gestor if here in Spain, so that they can best advise you.
The green residence paper (La Residencia) is also applied for at the National Police station. However, depending on your individual situation, i.e. whether you are retired, whether you plan to work etc, you will have to provide other documentation and your lawyer should be able to help you with this.
As the property buyer, you will also need to open a Spanish bank account in order to transfer the purchasing funds. This is quite straightforward and we can introduce you to the respected and solvent Spanish banks with whom we work.
Your lawyer, in the meantime, will carry out the final checks on the property to ensure that it doesn’t have any outstanding debts on it, such as community fees (for apartments or houses in Tenerife which are on a complex), utility bills (electric, water, telephone) as these do not appear on the Nota Simple. Once these checks have been carried out, you will have the peace of mind that your Tenerife home is free from any outstanding debts or charges and the purchase can now go ahead.