Registering your address (empadronamiento)Article 9 of 11 · 2 min read
Online or in person: how registration differs between town halls
Shows how Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Málaga let you register your address at the town hall: online, by phone or in person. For newcomers who want to know what to expect before they start.
Key rules
- Appointment: For in-person registration, book a cita previa first, because walk-in service is limited or absent.
- Online route: Online registration needs a digital certificate or Cl@ve, and then no appointment.
- Local rules: Each town hall sets its own channels, so check your own town hall's website.
Channels and appointments differ across big cities, and across Spain's town halls in general. In Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Málaga you can use three routes: online, by phone, or in person. If you have no digital ID, expect to book a cita previa and go in person.
Online registration
Online first registration works only if you have a digital ID: a certificate such as FNMT, or Cl@ve (Cl@ve Permanente or reinforced). All four cities offer an online route with one of these.
Many smaller towns still ask for an in-person visit for a first registration, especially for foreigners. Look at your own town hall's website to see what it allows.
In person
For most newcomers this is the normal route. You usually have no digital ID yet, and the office wants to see your proof of identity and proof of address.
Book the cita previa online or by phone; in Barcelona and Valencia the phone number is 010.
City by city
- Madrid: Online with certificate or Cl@ve. Call 010 or 915 298 210 for appointments and information. In person at the Oficinas de Atención a la Ciudadanía (Línea Madrid).
- Barcelona: Online with a certificate. Book by phone (010) or on the web. In person at the OAC offices.
- Valencia: Online with a certificate. In person at the citizen service offices.
- Málaga: Online with a certificate, by phone, or in person at the citizen services offices.
What to do
- If you have a digital certificate or Cl@ve, check whether your town hall's website offers first registration online.
- If not, book a cita previa and bring your documents to the office.
How to find your town hall's registration page and office
- Your town hall (ayuntamiento) website: Search for your town hall's name plus "empadronamiento" or "padrón" and open the result on the official ayuntamiento domain. Look under Trámites, Sede electrónica or Atención al ciudadano for the application form, the document list and the appointment (cita previa) link.
- Oficina de Atención al Ciudadano (OAC), or a district office (junta de distrito) in larger cities: Go to this office to register. The town hall's contact page lists its addresses and opening hours.
- Town hall information line (010) or switchboard: Call 010, available in many cities, or the town hall switchboard to ask which office handles registration and when it opens.
- Secretaría of the ayuntamiento: In a small town, ask at the secretaría of the town hall, which handles registration there.
More in Registering your address (empadronamiento)
- What registering your address (empadronamiento) is and why Spain needs it
- Must you register your address, whatever your immigration status?
- How to register your address at the town hall (ayuntamiento)
- Proof of address for registration: contract, deed or owner authorisation
- Registering your address without a rental contract in your name
- What to do when your landlord will not let you register
- Registering your address from a hostel, holiday rental or camper
- Registering your partner, children and other household members
- Does registering your address put your immigration status at risk?
- Should you register if you split your year between Spain and home?
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