Telling reliable help from unreliable advice

Terms used

• Padrón — The padrón is your town hall's census of residents, and registering in it is free.
• Tarjeta sanitaria — The tarjeta sanitaria is the public health card that gives access to the public health system.
• TIE — The TIE is the foreigner identity card issued to non-EU residents in Spain.
• NIF — The NIF is a tax identification number, used on invoices and by organisations.
• Arraigo — Arraigo is a route to residence for people who can prove ties to Spain, through an application.
• Colegiado — A colegiado is a member of a professional colegio, identified by a membership number.
• Hoja de encargo — The hoja de encargo is a written agreement stating an adviser's fees and the work they will do.

Key rules

• Regulated advisers: Ask any lawyer or gestor for their colegiado number and check it with their colegio before you pay.
• Official fees: Pay fees such as the TIE card only to the administration with an official form, never to an intermediary.
• Free services: Padrón registration and official forms cost nothing, so anyone charging for them is a warning sign.
• Payment: Refuse to pay into a personal account and insist on an invoice.

Start with who is regulated

Only some advisers are regulated professionals, and you can check each one in minutes. Lawyers (abogados) must belong to a Colegio de Abogados, which keeps a register of practising members. Procuradores and graduados sociales have their own colegios. A gestor administrativo belongs to a Colegio de Gestores Administrativos.

To check, search the colegio's member register online or call it. Ask the adviser for their colegiado number first. If they refuse or cannot give one, stop.

Immigration consultants and asesorías that belong to no colegio are not regulated professionals. They may be honest, but nobody checks their work or answers for it.

Check that an association or foundation exists

A real association or foundation is listed in a public register. Associations working across several regions are in the national register of associations. Others are in a regional register. Foundations are in the register of foundations, national or regional depending on their scope.

You can search these registers by name online, or ask for a registration certificate. Search portals differ by region. An association or foundation usually has a tax ID (NIF) that often starts with G. Public-utility status and NGO accreditation for aid are recorded separately, so ask for them if the group claims them.

Know what is free

Some things should never cost you anything:

• Registering in the padrón is free.
• Applying for the tarjeta sanitaria is free, though whether you qualify depends on your residence status.
• Official forms can be downloaded free from administration websites.
• Legal orientation from NGOs such as Cruz Roja, CEAR, Accem and Cáritas is free.
• Asylum applications are free.

Some official fees do exist, for example for the TIE card and for some permits. You pay these to the administration with an official payment form (tasa), never to an intermediary. If someone asks for money to get you an appointment or to file free forms, treat it as a warning sign.

Online claims to doubt

Be careful with posts in groups and forums that repeat these myths:

• "Registering in the padrón alerts the police." It does not. The padrón is not shared for immigration enforcement.
• "Three years in Spain give you residence automatically." They do not. Arraigo needs proof and an application.
• "Migrants get more benefits than citizens" or "irregular migrants get benefits automatically." Benefits need legal conditions or contributions.
• "Migrants do not pay taxes." They pay VAT and, if employed, social security.

For a straight answer, use the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security, the Defensor del Pueblo, or NGOs such as CEAR and Cruz Roja.

Before you pay anyone

Get a written fee agreement (hoja de encargo) and an invoice with VAT and the adviser's NIF. Do not pay into a personal account. Do not sign under pressure. The checklist below has the full list of questions, and the documents block shows what to request from a register.

Documents you need

• Registration certificate of the association or foundation, requested from its register (the national or regional register of associations, or the register of foundations). Ask for it if you want proof that the organisation is legally registered.

• The organisation's tax ID (NIF), which for an association or foundation often starts with G. You can ask for it and compare it with the register.

• The official payment form (tasa) issued by the administration, if you must pay a fee for the TIE card or a permit. You pay the administration with this form, not an intermediary.

Questions to ask before trusting an adviser or association

• Ask a lawyer for their colegiado number (bar membership number) and check it in the register of the Colegio de Abogados.

• Check that a gestor administrativo (a licensed paperwork agent) belongs to a Colegio de Gestores Administrativos, using the colegio's member register or by calling it.

• Avoid immigration consultants and asesorías that belong to no colegio, because they are not regulated professionals and cannot represent you in appeals.

• Look up a foundation in the register of foundations, national or regional, or request a certificate of registration.

• Ask for a written fee agreement (hoja de encargo) that states the fees and the scope of work before you pay anything.

• Ask for a written quote and an invoice (factura) with VAT and the adviser's tax ID (NIF) on it, and walk away from cash-only payments without a receipt.

• Refuse to pay into a personal account, and refuse to sign quickly under pressure.

• Walk away from anyone who guarantees a visa, residency or nationality, or who claims special contacts inside Extranjería or the police.

• Hand over original documents, passwords or digital certificates only against a written mandate.

• Ask for recent client references or reviews and contact them.

• Ask whether the adviser takes commissions or referral fees from landlords, estate agents, banks, insurers, schools or employers.

• Check that the adviser does not also act for the other side of your deal, and be cautious if the landlord, seller or employer recommended them.

• Ask whether the adviser holds professional liability insurance.

• Complain to the bar association's ethics body (comisión deontológica) or to your local consumer office if something goes wrong.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pay anyone to register in the padrón?

No, registering in the padrón (the municipal census) is free. Anyone who asks you for money to register you or to book the appointment is a warning sign. The same goes for downloading official forms, which is also free.

Are there official fees I really do have to pay?

Yes, some procedures such as the TIE card (your foreigner ID card) and some permits carry an administrative fee called a tasa. You pay it to the administration through an official form, never to an intermediary. Asylum applications are free.

Does registering in the padrón alert the police?

No, the padrón is not shared for immigration enforcement. Registering is safe and helps you prove how long you have lived in Spain. Be careful with posts claiming otherwise.

Do three years in Spain give me residence automatically?

No, three years of presence does not give you automatic residence. A route such as arraigo (residence based on roots in Spain) needs proof and an application. Ignore online claims that promise residence just by waiting.