Keeping address, phone and email the same across Spanish systems

Terms used

• Padrón — The padrón is the register of residents kept by your town hall, which proves where you live.
• Cl@ve — Cl@ve is the government digital identity system used to log in to public services online.
• DEHú — DEHú is the single official electronic mailbox where Spanish administrations deliver notifications to you.
• TIE — The TIE is the foreigner identity card issued to non-EU residents.
• CAISS — A CAISS is a Social Security care office where you can handle matters in person.
• Gestor — A gestor is a paid administrative agent who handles official paperwork on your behalf.

Key rules

• Separate updates: Each system keeps its own record, so you must change your details in every one.
• Unopened notices: Alert emails are only a courtesy, so open your mailbox yourself rather than waiting for one.
• Spanish number: A Spanish SIM is the safest way to receive SMS codes from banks and public bodies.
• Same address: Use the address from your padrón everywhere so records match.

Update each system separately

Changing your details in one place does not change them in the others. Go through the list below once, and again whenever you move or change number.

Use the same address everywhere, matching your padrón registration. Use a phone number and email you will keep.

Cl@ve (your digital login)

Cl@ve sends codes to the mobile and email on file, so this is the first one to fix.

• With Cl@ve Permanente: change the mobile and email in the Cl@ve app or on the Cl@ve website. You log in with a certificate, electronic DNI or Cl@ve PIN.
• Without it: go in person to a registration office (oficina de registro), such as a tax office or Social Security office. Take your passport or TIE.
• Some people can re-register by video identification instead.

Channels and appointments change over time, so check what is offered when you go.

Tax office (Agencia Tributaria)

Your address and contact details are held in the tax census.

• If you are not registered for business or professional activity, use modelo 030.
• If you are registered as a business or professional, use modelo 036. The simplified modelo 037 is being phased out in practice, so check which form the online office offers.
• Submit online with a certificate or Cl@ve, or in person with an appointment.
• You can also change your address under "Mis datos censales" in the online office.

Non-residents follow different rules. The tax office does not update Social Security for you.

Social Security

You need a Spanish Social Security number for this. You can change address, phone and email in these ways:

• Online in the Seguridad Social online office (Import@ss), under the contact data change option, with Cl@ve or a certificate.
• In the Import@ss app.
• By phone on 901 50 20 50 or 915 410 291.
• In person at a CAISS office, with an appointment (cita previa) and ID.

The notification address should match your padrón. Without a digital identity, you may need to prove your details in person.

Traffic authority (DGT)

This applies only if you hold a Spanish licence or a Spanish-registered vehicle. The DGT only partly picks up address changes from other records, so tell it yourself.

• Online through the DGT online office with Cl@ve or a certificate, under the address change services.
• By phone or appointment at a provincial traffic office (Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico).
• Through a gestor, who handles paperwork for you.

Changing the address on the vehicle record has no fee, and a new vehicle registration document is issued with the new address. Confirm the current procedure and any fees with the DGT. The DGT also has its own electronic mailbox for notices (DEV).

Official notifications mailbox (DEHú)

Official notices arrive electronically in DEHú, and some bodies, such as the tax office, the DGT and Social Security, also have their own mailboxes. Log in with Cl@ve or a certificate and set your email and mobile for alerts.

The alerts are only a courtesy. They do not change the legal position. A notification you do not open within 10 calendar days is treated as rejected and still counts as delivered. Check your mailboxes regularly, even if no alert arrives. Companies and some professionals must receive notices electronically. Individuals can opt in, or be required to for a particular procedure.

Your phone number

Get a Spanish SIM, prepaid or contract. You need ID or your NIE to buy one. Foreign numbers can sometimes be entered with their prefix, but SMS delivery abroad is unreliable. Some forms accept only Spanish numbers, and banks usually prefer a Spanish number for SMS security codes. Ask your bank what it accepts, then update your number with each body listed above.

Timeline and deadlines

• Log in to the official notifications mailbox (DEHú) with Cl@ve or a certificate and set your email and mobile alerts: as soon as you have your Cl@ve access

• Open each electronic notification: within 10 calendar days of receiving it

• If you do not open a notification, it is treated as rejected and still counts as delivered: after 10 calendar days

Documents you need

• Passport or TIE (foreigner identity card) to change your Cl@ve mobile and email in person at a registration office such as the tax office or Social Security. Not needed if you use Cl@ve Permanente online.

• Digital certificate, electronic DNI or Cl@ve PIN login to update your details online with the tax office, Social Security, traffic authority or official notifications mailbox.

• ID to change your Social Security contact details in person at a CAISS office. You also need an appointment (cita previa).

• ID or NIE to buy a Spanish prepaid or contract SIM, so you have a Spanish number for SMS codes.

Audit your name, address and phone across Spanish records

Records to compare and the fields that must match

• Compare your passport or national ID with your NIE certificate and your TIE (non-EU) or green EU registration certificate. Name spelling, given-name order, date of birth, nationality and passport number must match.

• Check that your name is written exactly as in your passport, with all given names in the same order, including accents, hyphens and whether you use one or two surnames.

• Check your NIE number letter and digits on every record that shows it. Your NIE never changes, so any difference is a mistake to fix.

• Report a new or renewed passport to the foreigners' office of your province soon after it is issued and before the old one expires, then check the new passport number appears on your records.

• Check your padrón certificate (the municipal address registration) for the same name, street, number, floor, door, postcode and municipality as your current home.

• Check your Social Security affiliation and health card for the same name, date of birth and address.

• Check your Agencia Tributaria tax record and your Cl@ve access for the same name, NIE, address, mobile phone and email.

• Update the mobile and email linked to Cl@ve. With Cl@ve Permanente, use the Cl@ve app or website. Otherwise go in person to a registration office (oficina de registro) with your passport or TIE.

• Check your bank account details for the same name, address, phone and email, and ask the bank to correct any old address.

• Check your rental or purchase contract, utility contracts, Spanish mobile contract, and employment contract or payroll or autónomo registration for the same name, address and phone.

• Check your driving licence and any civil documents, such as apostilled birth or marriage certificates, for the same name, date of birth, place of birth and marital status.

• Fix any mismatch with the body that owns the record: the Policía Nacional for NIE and TIE, your town hall for the padrón, the Agencia Tributaria for tax, the Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social for affiliation, and the Registro Civil for civil records.

• Start with the most common problems: name order, a passport number that changed after renewal, and old addresses.

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep my foreign mobile number for Spanish SMS codes?

Sometimes, but it is risky. SMS delivery abroad is unreliable and some forms only accept Spanish numbers. Most residents get a Spanish SIM (you need ID or your NIE) and then update it with each body.

Will an alert email tell me when an official notice arrives?

Not reliably. In the official notifications mailbox (DEHú) you can set email and mobile alerts, but they are only a courtesy. Log in with Cl@ve or a certificate and check it regularly.

Does the traffic authority (DGT) update my address by itself?

Only in part, so tell it yourself. Use its online office with Cl@ve or a certificate, a provincial traffic office (Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico), or a gestor. Changing the address on the vehicle record is free, and you get a new permiso de circulación with the new address.

Do I need a separate update for the tax office and Social Security?

Yes. Updating the tax office does not update Social Security, so notify each one separately. Keep the Social Security notification address the same as your padrón address.