Which address certificate (certificado de empadronamiento) do you need?

Terms used

• Volante de empadronamiento — The volante de empadronamiento is a simple, current statement from the town hall of who is registered at an address.
• Certificado de empadronamiento — The certificado de empadronamiento is the formal, signed or sealed town hall certificate of your registration, with legal value.
• Certificado histórico — The certificado histórico lists all your past addresses and registration dates in one town.
• CSV — The CSV is the verification code on an official document that lets an office check it is genuine.

Key rules

• Right document: Request the type the office names: volante, certificado or histórico.
• Proving years: Only the histórico shows continuous residence over several years.
• Recency: Each office sets how recent the document must be: usually 3 months, sometimes 1 month or 15 days.
• Check the document: Make sure the issue date and verification code appear before you hand it in.

Ask the office which one it wants

Request the document the office names, not the one you think is best. Offices ask for a specific type, and a different one can be refused. Names and what each office accepts vary by town hall and by the body asking, so ask before you request anything.

The three documents

Volante de empadronamiento. This is the short, simple statement of who is registered at an address. It suits routine procedures such as school enrolment, a health card or local benefits.

Certificado de empadronamiento. This is the formal certificate, signed or electronically sealed by the town hall, and it has legal value. Offices ask for it for immigration (arraigo, residence renewals, nationality), courts and some benefits. It can be individual, for you alone, or colectivo/familiar, listing everyone registered at the address. If the office does not say which, ask.

Certificado histórico. This lists every address you have had in that town and the dates you registered at each. Choose it when you must prove living in the same place over years. Examples are arraigo (2 to 3 years), nationality (10, 2 or 1 years depending on your case) and pensions or subsidies that require years of residence.

Some town halls also issue a certificado de convivencia. Ask yours whether it offers one if an office requests it.

It must be recent

No national rule sets one validity period, so each office decides how recent the document must be. Most accept one issued in the last 3 months. Some want one issued within 1 month, and a few want one from the last 15 days. Ask the office for its limit.

The document shows its issue date and a verification code (CSV). Check both are there before you leave or download it. If the date is older than the office allows, request a new one. The timeline, documents and checklist below walk you through the steps.

Timeline and deadlines

• Request the document from your town hall: as close as possible to your appointment or filing date

• Hand in the certificate if the office accepts one issued within 3 months: within 3 months of the issue date, the most common limit

• Hand in the certificate if the office wants a fresher one: within 1 month of the issue date, or within 15 days for the strictest offices

• Request a new certificate if yours has gone out of date: if the issue date on it is older than the office allows

Documents you need

• Volante de empadronamiento: a simple, current statement of who is registered at an address. Your town hall issues it. Use it for routine procedures such as school enrolment, the health card or local benefits.

• Certificado de empadronamiento: the formal certificate, signed or electronically sealed by the town hall's Secretary or an authorised official. It has legal value, so use it for immigration (arraigo, residence renewals, nationality), courts and benefits. It can cover just you (individual) or everyone at the address (colectivo or familiar).

• Certificado histórico: lists all your past addresses and registration dates in that town. Your town hall issues it. Use it to prove continuous residence over time, for example for arraigo (2-3 years), nationality (10, 2 or 1 years), or pensions and subsidies that require years of residence.

• Certificado de convivencia: some town halls also issue this one. Ask your town hall whether it offers it and whether the office you are dealing with wants it.

• Whichever document you get, it must be recent. Most offices accept one issued within the last 3 months, but some want one from the last month or even the last 15 days, so ask the office that requested it.

Checklist

• Ask the office which document it wants: the volante, the certificado or the histórico.

• Request exactly the document the office named from your town hall, not a different one.

• Choose the histórico if you must prove continuous residence over several years.

• Request a new certificate if the issue date is older than the office allows.

Quick answers on address certificates

How recent does my certificate need to be?

It depends on the office asking for it. Most accept one issued in the last 3 months, but some want one from the last month or even the last 15 days. The issue date and a verification code (CSV) are printed on the certificate.

Can I get the certificate online?

Often yes. Many town halls let you request it on their online office (sede electrónica) with Cl@ve, a digital certificate or an electronic DNI, and download a PDF straight away. Small towns may offer only in-person or email requests.

Can someone else collect it for me?

Usually yes. They bring your signed written authorisation, a photocopy of your ID (DNI, NIE or passport) and their own original ID. Some town halls have their own form, so ask for it first.

Do I have to pay for the certificate?

In most towns the current certificate or volante is free. Some charge a euro or two, especially for historical or household certificates or paper copies.