Buying on Gran Canaria: the NIE comes before the keys

Why the number comes first

The purchase is signed in a public deed (escritura) before a notario, recorded at the land registry and declared to the tax office. All three need the identification numbers of the buyers, and for a foreigner that number is the NIE.

After the signing, the number keeps working: utility contracts, the comunidad de propietarios (owners’ association), the IBI, which is the yearly property tax of the town hall, and, if you live abroad, your non-resident tax return.

Buying from abroad: form EX-15

Buyers who live abroad request the number as non-residents, on form EX-15, with the purchase as their reason. A signed contrato de arras (deposit contract) or a note from the notary or the lawyer handling the sale shows it.

You can file it in person on Gran Canaria, at Calle Luis Doreste Silva 68 in the city or at the Maspalomas or Santa Lucía de Tirajana station in the south, with a cita previa; the booking confirmation names the desk. You can also file it at the Spanish consulate for your area. And if you would rather not travel for it at all, Gestoraz, a private firm that files NIE requests remotely, can take care of it.

Signing without being there

If you cannot attend the signing, you can give someone you trust a poder notarial, a power of attorney, to sign for you. A power signed before a notary abroad normally has to carry an apostille and come with a sworn translation into Spanish. Ask the notary on the island what they require before you sign one at home.

Keys, not residence

Owning property on the island gives no right to live in Spain. Europeans who move here register for the green certificate; anyone from outside the EU needs a visa or authorisation, as for any move. The golden visa, which linked residence to an investment, was abolished in 2025 and is no longer an option.