Must you register your address, whatever your immigration status?

Key rules

• Who must register: Everyone who lives habitually in a town, whatever their nationality or immigration status.

Yes, you must register, whatever your status

Everyone living habitually in a Spanish municipality must register on the padrón in the municipality where they spend most days of the year. Nationality does not matter. Immigration status does not matter either. Spanish or foreign, with papers or without, adults and children: all must register.

If you split your time between more than one town, register in the one where you spend most of the year.

What happens if you do not register

There is no direct fine for failing to register. The real cost is practical: you lose access to the things that depend on it. These include your healthcare card, school places, residence procedures and voting.

So even though nobody fines you, not registering usually hurts you more than it helps.

Non-EU citizens: renew every two years

If you are a non-EU foreigner without permanent residence authorisation, you must renew your padrón registration every two years, counted from the date you registered. The town hall may write to you, but the duty is yours: note the renewal date when you register and renew at the padrón office with your passport before it passes. If you do not, the town hall cancels your registration, which breaks the continuous record that an arraigo application relies on. Whether the renewal rule applies to you.

The two-year renewal does not apply to EU, EEA and Swiss citizens or to non-EU foreigners who hold permanent residence authorisation. UK citizens covered by the Withdrawal Agreement count as non-EU for the renewal unless their residence document is a permanent one.

Address checks

Town halls can check whether you really live at the address you gave. Keep your address details accurate and update them when you move.

If you are still abroad or just arriving

You cannot register before you live in the municipality. You must be habitually resident there when you apply.

There is no fixed number of days: register as soon as you move in, and before your TIE appointment, which asks for the certificate.

If you are moving with children, every child must be registered at their home address, whatever their age or status, and a parent or guardian does it: registering your household.