Registering Your Residency in Spain: All You Need to Know

REGISTERING your residency in Spain is commonly known as empadronamiento, or padron for short, which is the Spanish government’s way of registering your name and address into the local census. This is a requirement for all legal residents, Spanish natives and expatriates alike. This is important as your empadronamiento is required for various administrative tasks in Spain, such as getting your social security number, getting married, buying or selling a vehicle, and using the public health care system.

To successfully register with your local council, you will first need to fill in a form called Solicitud de Empadronamiento (A Registration Request Form), this must then be handed over to your Oficina de Empadronamiento (Registration Office), which is typicall found at your local Ayuntamineto (Town Hall).

Forms vary in accordance to the region you reside in and some offices will require you to book an appointment in advance. More likely than not you are expected to book an appointment in advance, this can be done online on the local council’s website. However, to make sure you have the right information for your region, simply consult your local council’s website.

Apart from your filled-out form, you will need to take some other vital documents with you. The first is any official proof of identity, such as a passport, and secondly, you will need to bring a proof of residence, this can be either a rental contract or utility bill.

This registration process is not only necessary when you first move to Spain but also when you move house.

Written by

Laura Kemp

Originally from UK, Laura is based in Axarquia and is a writer for the Euro Weekly News covering news and features. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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