After almost a month in Ibiza, today I FINALLY received my NIE! As I have mentioned before, this identification number is pretty vital to do anything; most importantly you need one to get paid by the Balearic Government. Spanish bureaucracy is known to be difficult and, after my experience, I can confirm just that.
The day after arriving here I went to the police station with all the documents I was told to bring only to be turned away and asked to make a cita. (appointment) Apparently the next available one was over two weeks away, so in despair I asked previous assistants how they did it. I was told it was worth turning up early to get seen so the following week I got to the police station at 8:30 to try again. I waited for three hours and was confronted with very unhelpful police officers (they truly could not care less, and when they find out you’re foreign, it’s even worse) at which point I gave up. No cita = no chance.
What surprised me was the number of people that were waiting. With the summer season finishing I didn’t think there would be a lot of demand for registration but on the contrary, the place was heaving. I know now that Ibiza attracts a lot of foreigners all year round; Morrocans, Brasilians, French, you name it. A huge summer influx combined with an inefficient system produces a long back log; chaos.
After two failed attempts, it looked like I had no option but to wait until my scheduled appointment. However, after some communication between the Balearic Government in Palma and the comisaría, we were told that we could be seen earlier. There are around 40 assistants on the island (would you believe) so we were assigned different days to go in.
Arriving at the police station for the third time, we were given totally new forms to fill in (what a surprise) and were made to wait. When it was finally my turn, I was told that my passport photos weren’t valid and that there was a problem with my registration. Returning with my new photos and waiting a little longer, the police officer came out smiling and apologised. Apparently he thought I was American and so confused my application when actually an EU one was more straight forward. At this point he started joking about the whole thing but I was past the point of laughing along, no smiles from me. He handed me my card (no passport photo needed) and it was over.
All I can say is never again. With my NIE in hand, I can breath a sigh of relief but no more dealing with the Spanish authorities. Que pesadilla (what a nightmare!)
La Buena Vida 