Padrón in Spain
Padrón, or empadronamiento, is the municipal registration of your address. Move Spain prepares the registration and checks your proof of address against the rules of your own town hall.
How it works
- 1.Choose your destination.
- 2.Choose your service and pay securely.
- 3.Complete your registration and provide the required identity information.
- 4.Move Spain prepares and coordinates the official process. You attend in person where required.
The padron explained
What is the padron?
Padrón, or empadronamiento, is the municipal registration of a person at an address in Spain. It provides an official record of where you live, but it does not itself grant residency.
Who needs to register?
- · People settling at an address in a Spanish municipality
- · People who need an official municipal record of where they live
- · People using local administrative or public services that require registration
Why the municipality matters
Your Padrón is linked to the municipality where you live. Requirements and appointment procedures can therefore vary by location.
What Move Spain does
We identify the relevant municipality, help you prepare the required information and paperwork, and guide you through the municipal registration process. We also help arrange the required appointment or official step where applicable.
Move Spain is not a government body
Move Spain is a private service. We prepare and coordinate the process. The Spanish authorities control availability, make the decision and issue official documents.
Padrón questions
Clear answers about municipal registration and how Move Spain supports the process.
What is the padrón?+
The padrón municipal is the register of everyone living in a Spanish municipality. Registering is called empadronamiento and the certificate proves where you live.
Who has to register?+
Everyone living in Spain registers in the municipality where they actually live, regardless of nationality. Each person in the household is registered, children included.
Why do I need it?+
The certificate is normally required for healthcare, school places and further residency steps, and municipalities use it to plan local services.
Which documents are usually required?+
Identification for everyone registering and proof of the address, such as a rental contract, a deed or a recent utility bill in your name. Your town hall decides what it accepts.
What if the home is not in my name?+
Most town halls then ask for written authorisation from the owner or main tenant, together with their identification and the property document. The exact form differs per municipality.
Is the process the same everywhere in Spain?+
No. Every municipality sets its own requirements, appointment system and processing time, which is why we work from the rules of your own town hall instead of a general checklist.
Do I need an appointment?+
The procedure varies by municipality. Move Spain identifies the relevant municipality and helps arrange the required appointment or official step.
Is there a government fee?+
Official government or municipal fees, where applicable, are separate from the Move Spain service price.
Is padrón included in Move Start?+
No. Move Start (€39) covers NIE application preparation. Padrón preparation is included in Move Essential (€99).
What does Move Spain actually do?+
Move Spain is a private service, not the town hall. We prepare the registration, check your proof of address against the local rules and explain the step you complete yourself. The town hall issues the certificate.