Empadronamiento

What is the empadronamiento?

The Empadronamiento refers to the process of registering on the town/city roll, the “Padrón Municipal de Habitantes” and receiving your “certificacion de empadronamiento” to say you have done so.

It is the official record of all the people who live in a particular community and is the official way to verify or accredit your stay in Spain. By law, everyone who resides in Spain, regardless of nationality and whether or not you hold residency permit should be registered in the community where they live.

The empadronamiento is your key to becoming a member of your Spanish community and you can apply as an individual or as a family.

The registration process is totally confidential and allows the local councils to claim Government funding according to the numbers of inhabitants on the town roll to provide services to those who live within its jurisdiction, regardless of your legal status.

It is in everybody’s best interest to do so as it provides innumerable benefits for you and the community you live in by alleviate the funding problems that councils are experiencing from the invisible rising foreign population. Providing services for non registered foreigners is stretching budgets and compromising services.

So do your bit and register ASAP!

You will need a “certificado de empadronamiento” to:

• Apply for permits, Licencia de obras minores, to put a skip on the roadside etc
• Enrol your children in local schools
• Get married
• Apply for a local health card (el carnét para la asistencia sanitaria)
• Vote
• Apply for certain visas
• Apply for residency by way of a general amnesty.
  

You will need the following to apply for your empadronamiento:

• Passport – your own and all members of your family you wish to register who live with you
• NIE original document – your own and all members of your family you wish to register who live with you
• Escritura – house deeds
• Your rental contract if renting
  

Glossary of words related to the Empadronamiento

(el) padrón/Padrón Municipal de Habitantes -The official municipal record of how many people live in a particular area.

(el) empadronamiento - Registration with your municipality/community.

(el) volante de empadronamiento - A temporary or informal certificate of your registration as a member of the community. For most of your local needs, this should be sufficient.

(el) certificado de empadronamiento - The official certificate of your registration as a member of the community. You may need it for certain legal procedures with national or foreign bodies.

(la) hoja de empadronamiento -The application form you’ll need to register with your community.

empadronado (for men)/empadronada (for women) (it’s used as an adjective) - Registered with your community.

estar empadronado (for men)/estar empadronada (for women) - To be registered with your community.

(el) Ayuntamiento - City or town hall.