R M

Well... that was a huge surprise! I applied for a NIE, Spanish number required to purchase a property in Spain. The email I received to request to attend an appointment was quick and straight forward. However, I was warned about some horror stories about going to the Spanish Consulate in London before my first visit. The reviews on Google were also very worrying so I was dreading my visit. I was also very anxious as I speak and understand very little Spanish. I was told by friends who visited how rude the staff were and how disorganised it was. Initially on my arrival (I arrived 30 minutes early) I didn't know what to do as there were people queuing outside. No one knew what the queue was for when I asked. So I thought, here we go. However, after a few minutes, someone came out asking people one by one. My turn came, I was asked the reason why, I went to security and asked gently to go to window 8. I told them I was early but it didn't seem to bother them. I was called and I presented my papers. The guy behind the counter was really pleasant. Appears very kind and helpful. I went to the cashier section as instructed . There was no English translation outside the door so I tried to check the translation from my phone). (It just seems odd that they did not have an English translation when the department caters to a lot of foreigners). Before I knew it, the lady behind the door finished with one customer and called me in Spanish (I think she called me anyway), I went in, she asked me to pay £8.45 then I left. It went surprisingly smooth and easy so don't worry about the horror stories you hear. Let's hope that my pleasant experience continues as standard for everyone.