I have a NIE but no card - just the number...

You need to on line and make an appointment for EU Citizen Registration.   You retain the number you have (your NIE) which will be the number on your registration certificate

As you are not employed but working for yourself you will need to register as autónomo

This should help with making the appointment :-

The online process is in Spanish and is not exactly straightforward.  Having help from someone who has at least basic Spanish is advisable.   

You will also need to be able to print the application form,  bank payment  form and the confirmation of the appointment

TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AT The National police for the area where you are living

.•            GO TO    https://sede..gob.es/icpplus/

•             PROVINCES AVAILABLE:       CHOOSE the one for the area where you live is are staying

•             SECTIONS AVAILABLE IN PROVINCE:          OPEN PAGE AND SELECT SECTION  REQUIRED

              e.g.    “policía  certificado de residente o no residente”  (that includes NIE application)


•             ENTER THE DETAILS OF APPLICANT. Using your NIE ( number)

•            CHOOSE NATIONAL POLICE STATION FOR APPOINTMENT:     

•             CHOOSE APPOINTMENT,  AND THEN CONFIRM

•             You must PRINT A COPY OF THE APPOINTMENT,   And take it with to the police station

Ok, thanks for that.

the issue i had when registering as autonomo was that I needed to input a CIF on the application, which i gather is slightly different from the NIE.

But then to get a CIF i needed to fill out another form (modelo 037). I was unable to do that because it kept saying i needed to fill out details of a legal representative. I don't have one and couldn't afford to get one. Surely that can't be right? It's a complete labyrinth all of this.

I do not know the answer to that but  I am fairly sure that an NIE. is sufficient.   Certainly it is to make te appointment

Rightio, think I better get the next appointment I can and speak to them about it. Will be able to bring everything there except the autónomo registration, which appears to be impossible so far as I've looked! Will update this thread in case anyone else finds themselves in a similar situation

You need medical cover and income to apply for EU Citizen Reg.   Having autónomo,  or being employed will provide those. Other than that you will need to prove income and private medical cover.

  If you do not have those you will not be able to register, so you need to sort that before you attend the application interview

https://www.spanish-living.com/id-numbe … e-cif-vat/
Extract;-
NIE / NIF
In actuality they are the same. The NIE is used for confirming your identification whereas, if you wish to carry out any fiscal function such as opening a bank account, buy a property, car, boat etc it is referred to as an NIF (fiscal) number. Application requirement and the document issued are the same.

Update: I went to the Agencia Tributaria/Hacienda in Barcelona to register myself as autónomo. Was told that to register, first I need a NIE (card). I spoke for a while but she seemed certain she couldn't register me without having all of the documentation including the NIE.

She said to go to the police station in Plaza Espanya to get a NIE (I was sceptical about this because absolutely nothing I've read online suggests you can get a NIE this way). But I had no other option so went along.

The police officer there told me I needed to make a cita previa at the NIE office in Barcelona. But I have now reached full circle, because when you make an appointment it clearly states the following:

Si es trabajador por cuenta propia podrá aportar cualquiera de los siguientes documentos:
- Inscripción en el Censo de Actividades Económicas.
- Justificación de su establecimiento mediante la Inscripción en el Registro Mercantil.
- Documento de alta o situación asimilada al alta en el régimen correspondiente de Seguridad Social, o consentimiento de la comprobación de los datos en los ficheros de la Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social o de la Agencia Tributaria.

IE, to my appointment I have to bring proof that I have registered in the Census of Economic Activites - which is exactly what I was trying to do this morning. Anyway, I told the police officer this and he kinda shrugged his shoulders. I said it was crazy and he just laughed and agreed with me! It is completely stupid. Does anyone have any idea what I can do next?

Yeh, I don't have private medical cover or €6,000 in my bank account (that's the requirement), so need to register as self-employed.

Nick I can't imagine why you are having problems.  You say you have been advised by the police to do what I have said, make an appointment

Dozens of people that I know, and probably many others I do not,  have followed my guide.  They have made the appointment and subsequently  obtained either their NIE or EU Citizen Registration as required.

Other than  repeating what I have said, ‘follow my guide' I cannot imagine what else I can do for you

John, the Spanish government website clearly states that I need to bring proof I have registered as an autónomo to the said appointment. Yet when I went to register as an autónomo I was told I first need to obtain a NIE. I'm going to make a NIE appointment, but I have absolutely no doubt I will be turned away because I haven't got proof that I'm self-employed.

Maybe now you can imagine why I'm having problems?