You have arrived in Spain, it is time to register‍.

The excitement of moving to a different country that hosts in its streets adventures full of culture, learning and fun as Spain is, can be vitiated by the stress of the paperwork needed to live there: What documents do I need? How do I get a visa? Foreigner's Identity Card? What is the registration? Do not worry! Here you can find the answers to all the questions you have concerning the necessary procedures to live in the Spanish territory. This time we will deal with the subject of the empadronamiento.  

But, what is the empadronamiento?

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The empadronamiento is a document that guarantees your residence in Spain. Possessing it means that you have been registered as a resident in the town hall of the city where you will live. This is a mandatory process for every resident in Spain, regardless of the person's nationality or legal status. It tells the Spanish authorities exactly where you will reside.  

Why is it important?

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Being registered with your local town hall is of great importance, as it will make it easier for you to access public services such as public health care, basic education for minors, receive government subsidies or benefits, carry out public administration procedures (marriage, divorce, etc.) or to obtain a residence permit (as well as other immigration procedures).  

How to apply for a certificate of empadronamiento?

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Requesting a census registration certificate is very simple, since there are three ways to do it:
- Online census registration.
- In-person census registration.  
- Registration by telephone.

Online registration:
You will have to go to the website of the city council of your city and in the section of procedures, you will be able to request the empadronamiento through the internet. To do this, you must fill out a form with the applicant's information (name, contact information, identification document, date of birth, etc.). Once you fill out this form, the application form will be sent to the mailbox of your residence, along with instructions on how to send it and the next steps in the process. You have 30 days to send the necessary documents. Once the necessary paperwork has been submitted, the flyer will be sent to your place of residence.  

In-person registration:
Once you have the necessary documents, you will have to look for the citizen attention office that corresponds to you (depending on where you live) and request an appointment for the empadronamiento. Once there, you will be asked for the documents and in a few minutes you will have the registration form in your hands.  

Registration by telephone:
For this process, you will need to call the 010 phone number. During the call you will be asked to provide the address to which the municipality will send the application form, as well as instructions on the next steps of the process such as sending the form, the documents and the date on which you will receive the registration form. ‍

What documents do I need to register?
All you need to request a certificate of empadronamiento is:
- Passport or DNI (national identity card) or residence card.
- Application form for the census registration form.
- Sales contract and title deed of your property in original and a copy of the same (in case you own the property).
- Rental contract in original and a copy (applies if you do not own your residence and are renting).  

Finally, it is important that you consider completing this process within the first 3 months before your visa expires. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us!

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