Certificado de Empadronamiento
Empadronamiento, what it is, and how to register at the Ayuntamiento (Town Hall) in Spain...
The Empadronamiento, also known as the Padrón Municipal de Habitantes, is a municipal register or census record, similar to an electoral roll. To register on the Padrón is to "empadronarse". Registering on the empadronamiento places a resident of a town on the list of local inhabitants.
Registration with the Padrón Municipal de Habitantes is obligatory for anyone planning to reside in Spain for more than six months per year. Residents may register individually or as a family. To be registered is to be "empadronado".
The Benefits of Registering
For each person registered in a municipality, the Ayuntamiento (town hall) receives funding for services such as policing, health centres, cleaning and maintenance. The register is used to serve as an official tally of how many people (legal or not) live in a community.
Registering on the Padrón Municipal ensures that the registrant is considered an official member of the community, and verifies their presence in Spain which is useful in a number of situations.
Foreigners without up to date documents (expired visa, or no passport) are also required to register; no penalties issued, neither are legal residency documents made available. The Certificado de Empadronamiento is entirely separate administrative process from residency applications.
When a Certificado de Empadronamiento is needed
The use of the Certificado de Empadronamiento varies greatly from one administrative region to another. In Madrid, Andalucia, Valencia (among others) it is needed in order to complete numerous actions. However, this is not consistent across all regions of Spain.
The Certificado de Empadronamiento may be required to achieve the following:
- Buy or sell a car
- Register a child in school
- Apply for the NIE (Numero de Identification de Extranjeros)
- Apply for residency (Residencia)
- Get married
- Vote
- Apply for a local health insurance card