Setting your notification address and alerts so you never miss a notice

Terms used

• NIE — The NIE is the identity number for foreigners that you need for tax, work and contracts.
• Padrón — The padrón is the official register of where you live, kept by your town hall.
• Domicilio fiscal — The domicilio fiscal is your address for tax purposes, held by the tax agency.
• Modelo 030 — Modelo 030 is the tax form individuals use to report a change of address.
• Modelo 036 — Modelo 036 is the tax census form used by the self-employed and businesses to declare or change their details.
• DEHú — DEHú is the electronic mailbox where Spanish authorities publish official notices addressed to you.
• Cl@ve — Cl@ve is the government's electronic identification system for logging in to online public services.
• TIE — The TIE is the foreigner identity card issued to non-EU residents.

Key rules

• No automatic update: Each authority keeps its own address, so you must tell every one of them after a move.
• Padrón: Registering at your new town hall ends the old registration within Spain, so you do not deregister.
• Alerts: DEHú email and SMS alerts are optional courtesies; a notice is valid even if you never get the alert.
• Immigration file: If your file is open, tell immigration your new address and notification details directly.

Tell each office yourself

Changing your address with one authority does not change it with the others. The town hall, the tax agency, Social Security, immigration and traffic authority each keep their own record. After every move, update each one separately. The checklist below gives the order, and the decision block shows which office to start with.

Town hall: the padrón

Register at your new town hall's padrón after each move. Take your ID (DNI, NIE or passport), proof you can live at the address (a rental contract, a deed or the owner's authorisation) and the town hall's application form. Many towns let you do this online with a digital certificate or Cl@ve. Requirements vary, so check your town hall's website.

Within Spain, the new town hall informs the old one, so you do not need to deregister.

The padrón proves where you live, but it does not change where tax, Social Security, immigration or traffic notices are sent.

Tax agency

Report a change of domicilio fiscal (your tax address) to the Agencia Tributaria. If you are not self-employed, you normally use Modelo 030. Self-employed people and businesses use Modelo 036. You can file online in the tax agency's electronic office, where you can also change the address for notices.

Individuals can choose to receive notices in the Dirección Electrónica Habilitada (DEH), a mailbox where notices are published. For companies it is compulsory.

Social Security

Change your address in the Seguridad Social electronic office, under the personal data options. You need a digital certificate, Cl@ve or another electronic ID. Employers and self-employed people can also use Import@ss and the RED system.

You can choose between electronic notification and paper, unless you are one of the people who must be notified electronically.

Immigration

If your immigration file is open, tell the Oficina de Extranjería (or the provincial government office) your new address and contact details. You can:

• send a written request through the electronic registry with Cl@ve or a certificate;
• go to the registry in person with your file number.

Ask there to change your notification address or email too. If you already have a TIE, ask the police to update the card as well. The method varies by office, so ask yours which it accepts.

Traffic authority

To change your address on your driving licence or vehicle registration, apply in the DGT electronic office, at a Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico, or by phone appointment. Take your ID and proof of the new address. The licence no longer shows your address, so the change is mainly in the DGT's records.

You can also sign up for the Dirección Electrónica Vial (DEV) to get DGT notices electronically, using a digital certificate or Cl@ve. This is voluntary for individuals.

Set up alerts in DEHú

DEHú is the electronic notification mailbox. Log in, open your profile or settings, and add your email and mobile number. You will then get an alert when a new notice arrives.

Alerts are only a courtesy. If one does not arrive, the notice still counts, and the ten-day period to open it still runs. Check the mailbox regularly. The tax agency and Social Security also offer their own alerts in their electronic offices.

Choosing between options

Which office do you need to tell about your new address?

• Town hall (padrón): Every time you move. Register at the new town hall; it tells the old one. This does not update any other body.

• Tax agency (AEAT): Use Modelo 030 if you are not self-employed, or Modelo 036 if you are self-employed or run a business. Both can be filed in the AEAT electronic office.

• Social Security: If you work, are self-employed or employ people.

• Immigration office: If you are a foreign national with an open immigration file. Write to the office or use the electronic registry.

• Traffic authority (DGT): If you hold a driving licence or own a vehicle. Apply in the DGT electronic office or at a provincial traffic office.

Changing your address with one authority never updates the others, so tell every office that applies to you separately.

Documents you need

• ID: DNI, NIE or passport, for registering at the new town hall's padrón

• Proof of your right to live at the new address: a rental contract, a deed or an authorisation from the owner, issued by the landlord, owner or notary

• Padrón application form from your new town hall

• ID and proof of the new address for a DGT address change

• Your immigration file number, for changing your address in person at the registry

Set up so you never miss an official notice

• Register your new address at your town hall's padrón (the official residence register) after every move, with the application form, your ID and proof you can live there, such as a contract, deed or owner's authorisation.

• Tell each body your new address separately: the padrón does not change where tax, Social Security, immigration or traffic notices go.

• Change your tax address with the Agencia Tributaria (AEAT, Spain's tax agency) in its electronic office, using Modelo 030, or Modelo 036 if you are self-employed or run a business.

• Update your address and notification channel in the Seguridad Social electronic office, under the personal data options.

• Get an electronic way to identify yourself: an FNMT electronic certificate, the electronic DNI, or Cl@ve (the government login).

• Log in to DEHú, the electronic notification mailbox, and check that you can open the notification list.

• Set up the separate alerts offered by the Agencia Tributaria and Seguridad Social in their electronic offices.

• Keep your ID and the Correos arrival slip (aviso de llegada) ready to collect paper notices: a DNI, or a passport with your TIE or NIE certificate.

• Sign an authorisation for someone you trust if they may collect for you, and give them a photocopy of your ID. They bring their own original ID.

• Create a folder to keep each DEHú receipt, copy of the notice, registration receipt for anything you file, and screenshots, with the date and final deadline noted.

You moved and the notice went to your old address

A notice sent to your old address is normally valid

If the office sent it to the address you gave in your file, it counts even if you have moved. You are responsible for telling each office about a new address. Missing the letter does not stop the deadline to respond, and that deadline may already be running.

There are two exceptions. The notice may not count if the office already knew your new address, or if the address you gave was wrong from the start.

What happens to a notice you never received

1. The postal service makes two delivery attempts.
2. The paper notice is then held at Correos for 15 calendar days. The aviso de llegada left at the address shows the exact deadline for that item.
3. If nobody collects it, Correos returns it to the office that sent it.
4. The office can then publish it as an edict on the Tablón Edictal Único, on the BOE website. It may also appear first at the town hall or in the regional or provincial bulletin. Once published, the notice counts as delivered.

If you are a company or self-employed, or you are required to use the electronic channel, notices come electronically instead. They count as rejected after 10 calendar days if you do not open them.

How to get the notice and act in time

Start with the fastest option you can use.

• Search the Tablón Edictal Único. Look for your name or ID number. This shows whether an edict has been published about you.
• Check your electronic mailbox. If you are enrolled, look in Carpeta Ciudadana or DEHú. A digital certificate or Cl@ve lets you do this without going anywhere.
• Ask Correos. If the item was returned, ask the post office where it is held.
• Ask the office that sent it. Request a copy of the notice in writing or through its online office. You can also go in person, as the notice or edict says.
• Request access to the file. This lets you see everything the office holds on your case.

Once you have the notice, read the response deadline first. Respond within it, or ask the office straight away if you think the notice was not validly sent.

Tax and immigration offices have their own notification rules. If the notice came from either, ask that office what deadline applies to you.

Stop it happening again

Registering at your new town hall in the padrón does not update your address with every office. Tell each one separately: tax, Social Security, immigration and traffic (DGT). Do it in each office's own procedure, so future notices go to the right place.

Frequently asked questions

Does the padrón change where my tax and Social Security notices go?

No, changing your padrón address does not change where tax or Social Security notices go. Notices go to the address you gave in each procedure. The padrón is only proof of address for other bodies.

Do I need to deregister from my old town hall when I move within Spain?

No, you do not need to deregister when you move within Spain.

Is registering for the DGT electronic address compulsory for me?

No, registering for the DGT electronic address (DEV) is voluntary for individuals, though companies must do it. You register in the DGT electronic office with a digital certificate or Cl@ve.

How do I tell immigration about a new address if my file is still open?

Write to the immigration office (Oficina de Extranjería) or the provincial government office with your new address and contact details. You can use the electronic registry with Cl@ve or a certificate, or go in person with your file number.