Question
Is it possible to apply for the Spain digital nomad visa by myself and not through an agency and if so how can I get the NIE and Digital Certificate if I do not live in Spain? I would arrive as a tourist. Is my only options is applying through an agency or the consulate?
Answers
These are the answers of some Facebook group members:
“Yes it’s absolutely possible to apply by yourself. But… And please don’t take this the wrong way… If you’re stuck already with how to get an NIE and the process of what you need to be able to apply yourself, then absolutely get an agent to submit it for you.
You’re going to be spending a fair amount collating your paperwork, so the cost of an agent isn’t that great in the overall cost. Plus it’d be a shame to spend all that money collating your paperwork and then getting rejected for a small mistake.
Comparing the time investment needed to fully understand everything you need to submit it yourself, an agent is good value for money.”
“Hi, yes, it’s possible, but you’ll need a lot of time, patience and luck (because if you need an appeal, this is something you need to find a lawyer for). And a good understanding of Spanish. Personally I would pay someone else to do it, yes I am an agent myself so maybe bias. But I’ve learned the hard way from doing my own residency 7 years ago and making lots of mistakes. People who do these things every day don’t (hopefully) make mistakes so it’s more efficient.”
“To apply for a NIE number is going to be difficult. Most immigration police offices need documented proof you will be buying a property to give a NIE number to a non-EU citizen.
You can try that process and see how it goes and then decide if you need a professional or not.
In general the immigration processes here are tough, the Spain digital nomad visa is particularly tough. It is not only understanding Spanish, but understanding Spanish paperwork, and then the immigration office.
If you apply yourself and it is not approved, you will have to leave Spain and have a lost a lot of time and money.”
“I would agree, if your future plans and life depend on you getting this visa application right – now is not the time to try and save a few hundred euros and have a go at being a lawyer. The gamble is very high, you are likely to get the visa more on luck than anything else and potentially create issues long term by filling something incorrectly. Generate yourself a lot of stress, and potentially put costs higher resolving problems than if you had just bitten the bullet and spoken to a specialist in the first place.
Yes anyone can do anyone themselves, but that doesn’t mean it’s because it’s easy and you will succeed. Things that look easy are because the person doing them knows what they are doing.
I mean you could operate on your own leg if you wanted to but that also doesn’t mean you have the same level of medical knowledge as a surgeon.
And I am not an agency or agent and have no affiliation to one.”
“You could also try to get an appointment for yourself in the city where you’ll be staying, but you’ll want to start looking well before your departure to Spain. In many areas, the appointments only open up about once a week and they go within minutes.
My experience in Valencia was it was nearly impossible to get an appointment for a NIE. I ended up paying someone to help me.”
“FWIW, my wife and I just applied for our NIEs at the Houston consulate. The application package is not complicated, and the requirements are itemized on the consulate website. We got an interview about 2 weeks after inquiring. The application was submitted in person at the interview, which took about 5 minutes. We were told it will take about 4 – 5 weeks for processing. Fingers crossed that we get the NIEs without a glitch.”
Conclusion
In conclusion, according to Spainguru’s DNV Facebook group members, it is indeed possible to apply for the Spain digital nomad visa and obtain an NIE and Digital Certificate independently, without using an agency. However, many members advise caution, noting the complexity and potential pitfalls of the process, especially for those not fluent in Spanish or unfamiliar with Spanish bureaucratic procedures.
The consensus seems to be that while self-application is feasible, the time, effort, and risk involved often make hiring a professional agent a more efficient and safer choice. This is particularly true for those who view the successful acquisition of the visa as critical to their future plans. Members also shared experiences about the difficulty of securing appointments for NIE in some regions and the relative ease of applying through consulates outside of Spain, suggesting that the route one takes can vary greatly depending on individual circumstances and locations.
