How to get an NIE number

Your post is contradictory, either you're moving or your coming to stay for 6 months, which btw you cannot legally do without becoming resident and for that you'll need somewhat more than an NIE.

Also, and regardless of whether it's a move or an (illegal) long visit, I don't know what sort of work you are hoping to find but unless you have some extraordinary or exceptional skill which is in very high demand then whatever it is you'll be looking for if you consider your chances of finding it as next to zero you won't be disappointed. 

I think you can still get an NIE from the Spanish Embassy in London

Find out where the nearest Spanish consulate to your home address is in the UK. See if you can make an appointment online, download and complete the NIE application forms and complete. Take them with you and any other documents required (you need to read the guidance in their website). It's highly, highly unlikely you get an appointment before September though and the process takes about 3 weeks after that.

To work legally in Spain you need an NIE number, even so unemployment is high.

I’ve got an appointment next month with the Spanish Consulate in Edinburgh. They can’t issue me with the NIE, but will send off all the completed paperwork to the police in Madrid. It was a fairly simple process, I booked the appointment through their website and there were links for all the forms I needed.

This is how we did it Gerard. Submitted paperwork to the consulate in Edinburgh and paid the fee, I think it was around €8 per person. We got our kids NIE numbers too for our Spanish will. That's makes it easier and far less expensive for them to deal with our Spanish property when we pop out clogs 😁

I think it took about 4-5 weeks, we were sent an email with an electronic copy of the NIE certificate and a paper copy was posted to our UK address.

Our lawyer suggested we do this as he would have had to charge about €250 all in. A great lawyer who really looked after our interests 

No....it is sent to you by email.

Hi Craig,

Did you have to actually go to the consulate in Edinburgh?

I’m more or less slap bang in the middle of Edinburgh and London so it would be a long trip for me either way!

We did ours at the London office a couple of years ago. Took about 25 mins with a very helpful notary.  And £8.50 each. Yes the NIE number is sent in the form of an email. Three weeks to the day.