• You can complete your empadronamiento even if your immigration status is irregular.
• You must prove your identity and that you actually live at the address you declare.
• Not being named on the tenancy agreement does not necessarily prevent registration.
• Non-EU nationals without long-term residence must renew their registration every two years.
• The padrón can serve as evidence of address and time spent in Spain in immigration procedures.

Empadronamiento for Foreign Nationals in Spain: Requirements and How to Register

Empadronamiento means registering on the padrón municipal of the municipality where you usually live. It is compulsory for everyone living in Spain, regardless of nationality or immigration status.

It proves your address and usual residence in the municipality, but it does not prove that you are legally resident in Spain.

Who can register?

Anyone who usually lives in a Spanish municipality can register, including:

• Spanish citizens;
• citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland;
• foreign nationals with a residence permit;
• foreign nationals with irregular immigration status.

If you live in several municipalities, you should register only in the one where you spend most of the year.

Can an undocumented foreign national register?

Yes. A residence permit is not required for empadronamiento.

The local council must verify your identity and that you actually live at the declared address, but it cannot make registration conditional on your immigration status.

If you do not have a TIE or another Spanish document, you can normally identify yourself with your passport, subject to the applicable rules.

Empadronamiento does not regularise your status: the padrón records where you live, not whether you have a legal right to reside in Spain.

Documents required

The exact requirements depend on the local council, but you will normally need proof of identity and address.

Identity

Depending on your circumstances, accepted documents may include:

• DNI;
• an identity document from another EU Member State;
• a TIE or Spanish document showing your NIE;
• a passport.

Address

You may be asked for documents such as:

• a tenancy agreement;
• a title deed or other proof of ownership;
• authorisation from the owner or the person named on the tenancy agreement;
• other documents showing that you actually live at the address.

Each municipality may request additional documents under the applicable rules.

What if you do not have a tenancy agreement?

Not being named on the agreement does not necessarily prevent you from registering.

If you live with someone else, the local council may accept authorisation from the owner or the person named on the agreement together with their documents.

What matters is proving that you actually live at that address. If the documents are insufficient, the council may carry out further checks.

How to complete your empadronamiento

1. Check with your local council

You must register in the municipality where you live.

Check:

• the documents required;
• the application form;
• whether an appointment is needed;
• which offices handle the procedure;
• whether online registration is available.

2. Prepare the documents

Gather your identity and address documents.

If the property or tenancy agreement is in someone else's name, check which form of authorisation the municipality requires.

3. Submit the application

Registration may be completed in person or through the online channels provided by the local council.

You must state your usual address and provide the other required information.

4. Request the document you need

Once registered, you can request a volante or certificado de empadronamiento, depending on the procedure for which it is needed.

Volante and certificado de empadronamiento

Volante de empadronamiento

This is an information document containing your registration details. It may be used when the relevant authority does not require a certificate.

Certificado de empadronamiento

This formally certifies your registration, residence in the municipality and usual address.

If a procedure expressly requires a certificado, a volante may not be sufficient.

Certificado histórico

This records previous periods of empadronamiento and can be useful in immigration or nationality procedures.

Its contents and the application method depend on the local council.

Does empadronamiento have to be renewed?

Non-EU nationals who do not hold long-term residence must renew their registration every two years.

If they fail to renew it, the local council may declare the registration expired and remove them from the padrón.

Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland, certain family members covered by the EU regime and holders of long-term residence are not subject to this two-year renewal, although their residence may be checked periodically.

Changing address

If you move to another municipality, register in the new one. You do not need to deregister from the previous municipality first, as the authorities process the change.

If you move within the same municipality, update your address.

Registering children

Children must be registered where they live.

Documents proving their identity or birth and their relationship with their parents or legal representatives are normally required.

Additional documents may be requested in cases involving separation or custody, or where only one parent completes the procedure.

How is the padrón used in immigration procedures?

The padrón proves an address and, together with other evidence, can help establish periods of continuous presence in Spain.

Several types of arraigo currently require at least two years of continuous presence in Spain. Arraigo familiar does not require this minimum period.

Empadronamiento can be important evidence, but it is not the only evidence available. You should also keep other documents showing your continuous presence in Spain.

Keeping your padrón details up to date helps avoid conflicting addresses in administrative procedures.

• Assuming that you need a residence permit before you can complete your empadronamiento.
• Submitting a volante when the procedure expressly requires a certificado de empadronamiento.
• Failing to renew the padrón every two years if you are a non-EU national without long-term residence.