How I got my NIE Number in Tenerife.

Hola,
As im going to be here a while ive decided to apply for my NIE number (its required I believe after 90 days) Its for fiscal reasons and a requirement for longer stays and residences 'Numero de identidad de extranjero' 

Ive done some research online and some of it appears out of date, so, here's my journey in the hope it may help others. (If I also go for residency ill document that too)
Firstly there are two forms you need

1 - the Modelo 790
2 - The EX-15

These forms are both in Spanish so thanks to the internet and some very helpful sites I managed to complete them, sites listed here:

http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Embajadas/HELSINKI/EN/Embajada/Documents/Instrucciones%20Modelo%20790%20English.pdf

http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Portal/es/ServiciosAlCiudadano/InformacionParaExtranjeros/Documents/MODELO%20EX%2015.%20Solicitud%20NIE%20Inglés.pdf

I then saved them and emailed them to myself so they were on my iPhone.

As ive no printer I went to the Copyshop next to Ofipapel in Los Cristianos and they allow you to WhatsApp documents over to them and they print for a small fee. Fantastic!

It costs just 9.64 Euro to get your NIE (from the police station, there are two - one in Santa Cruz and one in Playa De Las Americas) BUT they don't take money there so you need to go to the bank with a completed Modelo 790 form and your payment.


I went to the Caixa bank in Los Cristianos and asked for assistance, where I was directed to an extremely modern cash machine.
Once id selected 'English' and 'make payment' the machine talked me through the process.
Helpfully you can scan the barcode on the Modelo 790 so it knows what you are paying. There are a few fields to fill in
Value - 9.64
NIE number - obviously you don't have one so you enter 000000001
First name
last name
Once completed the machine give two receipts, one for the Police and one for yourself.

The next step is a visit to the National Police Station either in Las Americas or Santa Cruz.  Im going to Las Americas as its closer.

Ive heard they open at 08.30 and give out 95 numbers for queuing and that it each day so id better arrive early!

Will report back shortly:

Is 06.30 on Monday, this is the middle of the night for 95% of the island populous.  I get a coffee and check on the map where the central police station is, hmm not far but its still dark so I decide to drive.
I leave at 7.45.

I parked at the free car park right next to the station, and joined a reasonable sized queue of people eagerly grasping paperwork, yes, am definatly in the right place.
At 8am a policeman appears and calls all Spanish people in, they get seen to first, fair enough!
Next, at about 8am the rest of the world enters.
I hear that they only accept 95 applications a day but I saw no evidence of this, the visitors just kept on coming.
When I reach the front of the queue im issued with a small piece of paper containing a number, and the approximate time im going to be seen, 10.21.  As its so early I head back out to get a coffee.  Luckily I find a nice coffee shop and order avocado on toast and an americano.
Theres a couple of very confused Brits on the table next to me who don't have all the forms they need so I assist them - that's my good deed done for the day.

At 9.30 I return to the station and the counter is on number 25 so I sit and read for a while.  The numbers then go from 27-34 in one swift movement and I stumble up to the counter.
For some reason im really nervous, police do that to me, must have been guilty in a previous life... no comments please.
Im asked a few questions like 'why are you here' and in wing it successfully, after just 5 minutes or so I leave clutching my freshly printed NIE. Im officially here now so must behave!