How to find the rules that apply in your region and town

Terms used

• Ayuntamiento — The ayuntamiento is your town hall, the local government that runs the padrón and many local services.
• Padrón — The padrón is the municipal register of everyone living in a town, kept by its ayuntamiento.
• Empadronamiento — Empadronamiento is the act of registering on the padrón of the town where you live.
• Sede electrónica — The Sede electrónica is a public body's legally valid online office, where you can start official procedures.
• Cita previa — A cita previa is an appointment booked in advance, online or by phone, to be seen at a public office.
• Tarjeta sanitaria — The tarjeta sanitaria is the public health card that gives access to regional health services.

Key rules

• Who owns what: The State handles immigration and residence permits, while your region handles housing, and health and education services are shared.
• Padrón: You must register on the padrón where you spend most days of the year, whatever your status.
• No digital access: If you have no digital certificate, electronic DNI or Cl@ve, book a cita previa online or by phone.
• Regions differ: Rules and languages vary by region, so always use your own region's and town's official sites.

Start by asking who owns the rule

The level that owns a rule decides which website and office you use. There are three: the State, your comunidad (region) and your ayuntamiento (town hall). Provincial bodies exist too, but most things you need as a newcomer sit with the first three.

• The State owns: immigration, residence and work permits, nationality and asylum. It also owns Social Security and pensions, general tax law and the courts.
• Your region owns, fully or largely: housing and urban planning, social services, tourism, culture, regional transport and public works. It also manages regional taxes.
• State and region share: health, education and labour. The State sets the basic rules. The region runs the services, such as hospitals, schools and public employment offices.
• Your town hall runs: the padrón, local services, local discounts and benefits, and many local taxes and permits.

The rules differ by region. Each region has a Statute of Autonomy that sets what it took on, so health, education and taxes are not handled identically everywhere. The Basque Country and Navarre have their own tax regime. If a rule seems to vary from one place to another, ask which level owns it before you search.

Languages in some regions

Spanish is valid everywhere. Some regions also have a second official language:

• Catalan in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands.
• Valencian in the Valencian Community.
• Galician in Galicia.
• Basque in the Basque Country and in parts of Navarre.
• Aranese in the Val d'Aran.

In these regions, regional and local websites, forms and signs often appear in both languages. You can usually deal with the administration in either one. Offices of the national State work only in Spanish.

Find your town's official site and appointment route

1. Search for your town's name plus "ayuntamiento". Open the official site. It usually ends in .es or .gob.es, or in the region's own domain such as .cat or .gal.
2. Find the "Sede electrónica". This is the legally valid online office. Look in the header or footer.
3. Inside it, look under "Trámites", "Padrón" or "Cita previa".
4. If you can't find it, use the national directory of administrations (the official website). It lists each town's sede electrónica.

For regional matters, do the same on your region's government site. For national matters, such as residence permits, use the national government's portals.

Most online procedures need a digital certificate, an electronic DNI or Cl@ve. Without one, book a cita previa online or by phone. Many towns have a 010 number or a main switchboard. You can also go to an Oficina de Asistencia en Materia de Registros for in-person help. Small towns may offer only phone or email booking, or walk-in hours. Ask at the town hall.

Register on the padrón first

Everyone who lives habitually in a Spanish municipality must register on the padrón in the municipality where they spend most days of the year. This applies whatever your nationality or immigration status.

Registration is called empadronamiento. Your ayuntamiento keeps the register. It is usually the key that opens local services. You normally need it for the tarjeta sanitaria (health card) and to enrol children in school. Many procedures ask for it as proof of residence, and so do some local discounts and benefits. EU citizens who register can also vote in municipal elections.

Use the documents list and checklist below to prepare. The FAQ covers common doubts.

Documents you need

• Padrón registration (empadronamiento), issued by your ayuntamiento, as proof of where you live. Many local services and procedures ask for it.

• A digital certificate, electronic DNI or Cl@ve access to use the town hall's online office. Without one, book an in-person appointment instead.

Checklist

• Work out which level owns your rule: national for immigration and residence permits, the region for housing, urban planning, transport, social services and tourism, or the town for padrón and local services.

• Check your region's Statute of Autonomy, since what each region handles differs, especially for health, education and labour.

• Search for your town's name plus "ayuntamiento" and open the official site.

• Find the "Sede electrónica" in the header or footer, then look under "Trámites", "Padrón" or "Cita previa".

• Look up the town in the national directory of administrations if you can't find its sede electrónica.

• Register on the padrón at your ayuntamiento in the town where you spend most days of the year.

Frequently asked questions

Who sets the rules on immigration and residence permits?

The national government does, not your region or town. Immigration, asylum and residence and work permits are exclusively national, so the rules are the same everywhere in Spain.

Will I have to deal with a regional language?

Only in some regions, where a second language is co-official. Catalan, Valencian, Galician and Basque are co-official in their regions, so you may see forms and signs in two languages. Spanish is valid everywhere, and it is the only language used by the central State administration.

What can I do if I have no digital certificate or Cl@ve?

Book a cita previa online or by phone for in-person help. In smaller towns you may only be able to book by phone or email, or turn up in walk-in hours.

Why does the padrón matter for local rules?

Your registration is kept by your ayuntamiento and decides which town's services you use. It is usually needed for the health card, school enrolment and proving residence for foreigner paperwork.

References

1. administracion.gob.es