Telling the authorities when your address, name or passport changes

Key rules

• Address: Register a new address at the padrón; your card does not need replacing.
• Name change: Book a cita previa and bring proof of the change; a new card is issued if the changed data is printed on it.
• Passport: Give your new passport number and expiry to the immigration office; a new card is not usually needed.
• Deadlines: No single deadline covers every change, so report promptly, and check if your permit sets its own notice period.

Address: tell the town hall, not a new card

A change of address is registered at the town hall and does not need a new card, because the card does not print your address. Register at the padrón after you move. The updated padrón certificate is the usual proof of your new address.

Older cards that show an address stay valid. They are replaced only when you renew.

Some permit types must also tell the immigration office (Oficina de Extranjería) about a new home. Students are one example. Ask the immigration office whether your permit is one of them. This page does not apply to EU citizens registered under the EU regime.

Name or civil status: book an appointment

A change of name, or of civil status such as marriage, divorce or widowhood, is reported to the immigration office or the police foreigners' unit. You need a cita previa first.

Take these:

• your passport and your current card
• the civil register certificate that proves the change, legalised and translated if it is foreign
• a recent photo and the completed application form
• proof that you paid the fee on modelo 790 code 012

If your card prints the data that changed, you get a new card. Civil status is not printed on the card, so a civil status change alone may only update your record. The office decides which documents it wants and whether a new card is needed.

Passport: give the new number and expiry

When you get a new passport, book a cita previa with the immigration office or police foreigners' unit. Bring the new passport and your card. They update your record and stamp or copy the passport.

You usually do not need a new card, because the card does not print the passport number. You will give the new passport details again at your next renewal. Some offices only ask for the update at renewal, so ask when you book.

Is there a deadline?

No single deadline applies to every change. Report each change promptly, and at the latest when you renew. Some permit types set their own short notice period, so check the conditions of your permit.

If you are unsure which procedure fits your situation, use the decision tool below. The checklist, documents list and timeline below cover the steps.

Which card procedure do you need: correction, duplicate, update or renewal?

What happened to your card or your details, and which procedure do you need?

• Correction of an error: The office made a mistake on your card. Ask for a correction at the same office. There is no fee.

• Duplicate: Your card was lost, stolen or damaged. File form EX-17 with the modelo 790 code 012 fee, at the Oficina de Extranjería or police station, by cita previa (appointment).

• Update of your details: Your name, nationality, sex or type of authorisation changed, or you have a new passport number. Tell the office. If a new card is issued, you usually use EX-17 with the 012 fee. A change of marital status is reported too, and you get a new card only if the card shows it.

• Notify a new address only: You moved house. Register at the town hall (empadronamiento) and ask the police to update your address. You generally do not need a new card.

• Renewal: Your card is close to expiry or just past it and your permit continues. You can file from 60 days before it expires up to 90 days after. Filing after expiry can bring a fine. Follow the Topic on renewing your residence permit for the steps, forms and fees.

Lost, stolen or damaged means duplicate. Wrong data from the office means correction. Changed personal details mean update. A move means town hall registration. An approaching expiry means renewal.

Timeline and deadlines

• Update your address at the town hall padrón: within a reasonable time after you move; no fixed number of days applies

• Report a change of name or civil status to the immigration office: promptly, and at the latest when you renew

• Report your new passport number and expiry: promptly after the new passport is issued, and at the latest at renewal

• Follow the notice period of your permit if it sets its own: as short as the permit requires, so ask the immigration office

Check the notice period for your own permit type with the immigration office.

Documents you need

• Your passport, which is the new one if you are reporting a passport change

• Your current residence card (TIE)

• For a name or civil status change: the civil register certificate that proves it, which must be legalised and translated if it is foreign

• For a name change: a recent photo and the completed application form

• For a name change: proof of payment of the fee on modelo 790 code 012

• For an address change: the updated padrón certificate from your town hall, which is the usual proof of your new address

Checklist

• Ask the immigration office whether your permit type must report a change of address, as some, such as student permits, must.

• Bring your passport, your card, the civil register certificate, a recent photo, the application form and the fee payment to a name change appointment.

• Book a cita previa to give the immigration office your new passport number and expiry, and bring the new passport and your card.

• Report any change promptly, as no fixed deadline applies to every change.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a new card if my passport is renewed?

No, a new passport does not usually need a new card, because the card does not print your passport number. Tell the immigration office your new passport number and expiry date, and give the new details again at your next renewal.

Is there a deadline to report a change of name or passport?

No general deadline applies to name or passport changes, but you should report them promptly and at the latest at renewal. Some permit types set their own short notice periods, so ask the immigration office about yours.

Does getting married or divorced change my card?

A change of civil status alone may only need a record update, because civil status is not printed on the card. If your name changes and it is printed on the card, a new card is issued.