The empadronamiento puts you on your town hall’s list of residents
Anyone who lives in Spain is expected to be registered at the town hall (ayuntamiento) of the place where they live, whatever their immigration status. That list is the padrón, and signing up is called empadronamiento. It is free, and the certificate you get is often needed for healthcare, school enrolment and residence paperwork. Offices usually ask for your passport or residence document and proof that you live at the address.
How it works
Find where to register your new home address after arriving from another country.
Most countries expect you to register your address soon after you move in, often within a few days or weeks. You usually book an appointment at the town hall or citizens’ office and bring your passport or ID card, your rental contract or a confirmation from your landlord, and birth or marriage certificates for family members moving with you. Registering often unlocks other steps, such as getting a local identification number, opening a bank account or seeing a doctor. If you are not an EU citizen, you may also need a residence permit, which is a separate application.
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At a glance
Every town hall has its own way of working
In one town you may be registered the day you walk in; in another you first need a booked time, and some cities also take requests online. Each office shows how it works for newcomers and what to bring. Confirm opening times and booking rules before you travel.
Guides
Related services
Who to ask when money runs short, what a social worker can do and which centre covers your neighbourhood.
Which logins Spanish authorities accept, which steps need a visit, and where offices help you set up or recover yours.
Work out which report fits your application, whether your region or town hall issues it and which office to approach.
Which kind of proof of registration you can get, who can ask for it and how to pick the office in your city.
How registering with your regional employment service works, what to keep up afterwards and which office covers your home.
For anyone who has moved to a new home within Spain: how the update works, who signs and what proof of address offices tend to want.
Other countries
Moving on, or comparing before you decide? See how this works elsewhere.
Most offices in Bielefeld, Hanover, and Leipzig
Most offices in Rotterdam, The Hague, and 's-Hertogenbosch
Most offices in Warsaw, Rzeszów, and Gdynia
Most offices in Brussels, Aalst, and Antwerp
Most offices in Kópavogur and Reykjavík
Where to next
Town hall offices that register newcomers, with notes on appointments and what to bring, grouped by city.
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