Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa, Rojales, Guardamar, Pilar

Empadronamiento: town hall registration

The one piece of paper that opens almost every other door

The padrón certificate is asked for by the doctor, the school, the licence exchange, many municipal grants and half a dozen other procedures. It is free, and it is still where most people get stuck.

Free guide · PDF

The padrón, without a second trip for one missing paper

What your own town hall asks for, the one figure almost nobody brings, and the renewal that lapses with no warning.

Price

€89one person: the file, the filing and the certificateOrder this option →

€129one household, up to four people at the same addressOrder this option →

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What you get

Which documents YOUR town hall accepts: the list is not the same in Torrevieja as in Orihuela or Rojales.
The file assembled, including the property owner's authorisation if you are not the owner.
The application filed, in person or through the electronic office, whichever the municipality allows.
The padrón certificate in your hand, on paper or as a signed PDF.
A reminder when it is time to renew: for a non-EU national without permanent residency, the padrón expires.

Why this matters now

Spain's Local Government Act obliges everyone living in Spain to register on the padrón of the municipality where they habitually reside, and makes the padrón the proof of residence before any administration. It is not decorative: the doctor, the school, the driving licence and much of what a town hall grants all hang off it.

What this service is NOT

Registering is free, and we never charge for «getting» you the padrón: we charge for building the file and for going. Registering means declaring that you habitually live here, and that has tax consequences worth looking at first: if you are non-resident and this is a holiday home, we will tell you that you probably should NOT. The town hall decides, and it may ask for one more document. Appointment dates are set by the town hall, not by us: we try every day and take the first slot that appears, but we cannot promise a date.

Questions about this service

Which documents does the town hall ask for?

Two things: who you are, and that you live at that address. For the first, your passport or, for EU citizens, your national identity card, plus your Spanish residence card or certificate if you hold one. For the second, the national padrón instructions (Resolution of 17 February 2020) list the title to the property (the deed, the purchase contract or a Land Registry extract) or a current rental contract with the latest rent receipt. The town hall may accept other documents, such as an electricity or water bill, and each one has its own application form.

Can I register if I am non-resident?

You can, but think first. The padrón says you habitually live here, and that declaration is cross-checked against your tax position. If this is a holiday home, in most cases you are better off NOT registering, and we will say so even if it costs us the sale.

I rent and the contract is not in my name. Can I still?

Yes, with the owner's signed authorisation and a copy of their ID. It is the point where most files come back, because every town hall has its own authorisation form. We use yours.

I have homes in two towns, or I spend part of the year abroad. Where do I register?

In one place only. The law says that someone who lives in several municipalities registers only in the one where they live for most of the year. If that place is not in Spain, because you spend a few months here and the rest of the year in your own country, registering is normally not for you, and we will say so before charging anything.

Does it expire?

It depends on your nationality. If you are a non-EU national without a long-term residence permit, the registration has to be renewed every two years: if it is not, the town hall removes it as expired (Act 7/1985, article 16.1). If you are an EU citizen it does not expire, but the town hall checks from time to time that you still live there: after five years if you are on the Central Register of Foreign Nationals, after two if you are not, and if it cannot confirm it, it starts a removal procedure. We warn you before that happens.