Moving within Spain: what happens to your immigration file

Key rules

• Permit: Moving province does not cancel or change your residence permit.
• Padrón: Register at your new town hall soon after the move, normally within a few weeks.
• Pending application: Tell the office handling your application your new address so notifications reach you.
• Renewal: File your renewal at the Extranjería office of the province where you now live.

Your permit stays valid when you move

A residence permit is valid across Spain. You do not need a new permit when you move to another province or region, and your file does not normally need a formal transfer. When you renew, the new office asks for your earlier records itself.

One exception: some permits, such as a first-year work permit, may be limited to a place or sector. If yours is one of these, check the limits on your permit before you move. Some regions, such as Catalonia, also run their own process for part of the work authorisation.

What to notify and where

Register in the padrón at your new town hall. Do this soon after the move, normally within a few weeks. The new town hall usually tells the old one. Ask for a padrón certificate, because you need it for almost everything else.

Update your TIE address if you want to. The address on your TIE does not change by itself. There is no strict deadline for non-EU card holders to tell the police. You can ask the Policía Nacional for an update at an appointment, with your padrón certificate. You must have the new address on the card when you renew it. Whether the card is reissued varies by office.

Renew at the new province's office. Renewals go to the Extranjería office for the province where you now live, once you are registered in the padrón there.

If your application is still pending

Your file stays with the office where you filed it, and that office normally keeps processing it. Do these things:

• Tell that office your new address, so notifications reach you.
• Check your electronic notification account and your post. Do not rely on your old address.
• Ask that office where you will collect your card if the permit is granted. Usually it is the police in the province where you filed. Sometimes you can ask for the new one.

You can ask for the file to be moved to the new province, but this is slow and rarely done. Practice varies by province, so confirm with the processing office before you ask.

EU citizens

EU citizens do not follow these TIE rules. This page covers non-EU residents.

The timeline, documents, checklist and FAQ below set out the steps in order.

Timeline and deadlines

• Ask the police for a TIE update with your new address, if you want the card changed: no strict deadline, but it is needed when you renew the card

• File your renewal at the Extranjería office of your new province: when your renewal falls due, after you have registered in the padrón

Documents you need

• A new padrón certificate (proof of your address) from the town hall of your new home. You need it to file a renewal in the new province and to update the address on your card.

• Your current residence card (TIE), if you ask the police to update the address on it at an appointment.

Checklist

• Register in the padrón at your new town hall and ask for a padrón certificate.

• Book a police appointment to update the address on your TIE, and bring the padrón certificate.

• Tell the office handling your pending application your new address, so notifications reach you.

• Check your electronic notification account and post, and do not rely on your old address.

• Ask the processing office where you will collect your card if your permit is granted after you move.

What to watch out for

• Missed notifications on your pending application: Notifications are sent through the electronic system or by post, so a request for documents can be missed if you rely on your old address. Tell the office that holds your file your new address as soon as you move, and check your electronic notifications regularly.

• Asking to transfer your file: A formal transfer of a pending file to the new province is slow and not usual, and it can delay your application. Leave the file with the office where you filed it unless that office tells you otherwise.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I file my renewal after moving to a new province?

You file your renewal at the Extranjería office of the province where you now live. Register in the padrón there first and bring the new padrón certificate.

Can I ask for my pending application to be moved to the new province?

Yes, a formal transfer is possible on request, but it is slow and rarely done. Usually the office where you filed keeps processing your application, so give it your new address and keep your notifications working.

Where do I collect my card if I move while my application is pending?

You normally collect your card at the police in the province where you filed the application. In some cases you can ask to collect it in the new province, so ask the processing office.