Getting help from social services (servicios sociales)

Key rules

• Assigned centre: You are served by the social services centre covering your area, normally matching your padrón address.
• Regional rules: Services and who runs them depend on your region, so use your own town hall's information.
• Urgent cases: Homelessness, violence or abandonment should be flagged as urgent at once, rather than waiting for a normal appointment.
• No fixed address: You can usually still get urgent or basic help, and the centre often helps you register.

Who runs social services

Your town hall usually runs them, but the rules come from your region. Each comunidad autónoma has its own social services law and pays for the system. Day-to-day "primary" services are run locally. Town halls handle this in larger municipalities. In smaller ones, a provincial council or a group of towns (diputación, consejo or comarca) often does it. Specialised services, such as residential care and disability services, are mostly run by the region.

The population threshold and the split of tasks differ by region. Your town hall's website will tell you who handles your area.

Find your assigned centre

Your local office is a Centro de Servicios Sociales. Depending on the region it may be called CEAS, CRAS or Centro Municipal de Servicios Sociales. Centres are assigned by area, so you go to the one that covers your address.

• Look for the social services section of your town hall's website. Most have a finder by address, district or neighbourhood.
• Call the municipal information line if you cannot find it. It is 010 in Madrid and Barcelona, and 012 in many regions.

Your centre is normally the one for the address where you are on the padrón. If you live somewhere other than your registered address, you will usually be told to update the padrón. Most benefits require padrón registration and a minimum period of residence.

If you have no fixed address or are in an irregular situation, you can usually still get urgent or basic attention from the centre covering the area where you are. The centre often helps you register. Practice varies by municipality, so ask.

Book your first appointment

Ask for a first appointment (cita previa) in one of these ways:

• Phone the centre or the municipal line.
• Go to the centre's reception in person.
• Use the online appointment system on the town hall's electronic office. Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia offer this.
• Some centres accept email or a form.

Large cities often send requests through a central appointment line or a general citizen service office. The channels differ by city, so check your town hall. A ready-made Spanish message you can send is below.

What to expect on waiting times

There is no national figure. In the largest cities the wait for a first appointment runs from days to several weeks. In busy districts of Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia it can be a month or more. Ask the centre how long the wait is when you book.

If it is urgent

Do not wait for a normal appointment if you face homelessness, violence or abandonment. Tell the centre straight away that it is urgent. Local centres often give same-day attention through a duty social worker.

Some places have dedicated emergency services:

• Madrid: SAMUR Social, open 24 hours, on 092.
• Barcelona: the urgent social care service for people on the street, on 900 703 030.
• Many other towns: an urgent social care service reached through the local police or 112.
• Gender violence, anywhere in Spain: 016 or 112.

Numbers and services differ by city, so confirm yours locally.

Timeline and deadlines

• Request your first appointment: as soon as you know which centre serves you

• Wait for your first appointment in a busy city: from a few days to several weeks, and a month or more in busy districts

Waits change by district and season; confirm the current wait with the local centre or your town hall.

Documents you need

• Padrón registration certificate (the municipal register of residents), issued by your town hall, showing your current address. It decides which centre serves you, and most benefits ask for it.

Checklist

• Find your assigned centre on your town hall's social services page, using your address or district.

• Call the municipal information line (010 in Madrid and Barcelona, 012 in many regions) if you cannot find your centre online.

• Request your first appointment by phone, in person at the centre's reception, or through the town hall's online cita previa.

• Ask the centre how long the wait is for a first appointment.

• Tell the centre at once if your case is urgent, such as homelessness, violence or abandonment, and ask for the duty social worker.

Spanish message to request a social services appointment

Send this by email or through the form on your town hall's website. You can also read it out on the phone or hand it over printed at the centre's reception. Channels differ by town, so check which ones your centre accepts. Many cities also have a municipal phone line or an online appointment booking on the town hall's website.

If your situation is an emergency, such as having nowhere to sleep tonight, do not wait for an appointment. Go to the centre in person and ask for the duty social worker, or call 112. For gender violence, call 016 or 112.

Message to copy

Replace everything in square brackets with your own details. Delete the lines that do not apply.

Asunto: Solicitud de cita previa urgente con servicios sociales

Buenos días:

Me llamo [nombre y apellidos], con [NIE / pasaporte / DNI] número [número], nacido/a el [fecha de nacimiento]. Estoy empadronado/a en [dirección completa, ciudad].

Solicito cita previa urgente con servicios sociales porque [describa su situación en una frase: por ejemplo, "no tengo ingresos y no puedo pagar la comida", "me han notificado un desahucio con fecha [fecha]", "me quedo sin vivienda el [fecha]"].

Necesito ayuda con [alimentos / vivienda / ingresos / otra necesidad].

Mi unidad familiar está formada por [número] personas. [Hay menores a cargo. / Hay una persona enferma o con discapacidad en casa.]

Puedo aportar [padrón, contrato de alquiler, notificación de desahucio, justificantes de ingresos, informes médicos, según el caso].

Pueden contactarme en el teléfono [teléfono] o en el correo [email], preferentemente [horario]. Hablo [español / inglés / otro idioma].

Gracias por su atención.

Un saludo, [Nombre y apellidos] [Fecha]

What the message says

In English, so you know what you are sending: you ask for an urgent appointment with social services, explain your situation and the help you need, list who lives with you, say which documents you can bring, and give your contact details.

Tips before you send

• Mention minors, illness or an eviction date if they apply. This helps the centre decide who to see first.
• Use the address where you are registered on the padrón. The centre that serves that address is the one that will deal with you.
• Keep a copy of the message and the date you sent it. Take it with you if you go to the centre in person.
• If you get no reply within a few days, phone the centre or go to reception and ask for the duty social worker.

Frequently asked questions

Who runs social services in my town?

Your town hall usually runs your local social services if your municipality is large enough, commonly above 20,000 people. Smaller municipalities are usually served by a provincial council or a county-level body.

Can I get a first appointment by email or online?

Yes, many cities offer online cita previa through the town hall's electronic office, and some centres accept email or a form. Phone and visiting the centre's reception also work in most places.

How long is the wait for a first social services appointment?

The wait for a first appointment ranges from a few days to several weeks, and a month or more in busy districts of the largest cities. Ask the centre for the current wait when you book. Urgent cases are often seen sooner.

What can I do if I have an emergency today?

Call your city's urgent social service, or 112, and ask for a duty social worker. Madrid has a 24-hour emergency social service on 092, and Barcelona has an urgent service on 900 703 030 for people living on the street.