Step · City hall
Register at your town hall (padrón)
The padrón is your town council’s register of the people who live in the municipality. By law everyone who lives in Spain must be on the padrón of the municipality where they usually live, and you become a resident of the municipality from the moment you are registered. Each council sets its own office, booking, form and document list.
- Why it matters
- The law applies to foreigners as well as Spaniards. The padrón certificate is a public document valid for all administrative purposes. Registering does not by itself prove legal residence in Spain.
- When
- You start living in a municipality, or you move to a different one.
- Official page
- Ley 7/1985, de 2 de abril, Reguladora de las Bases del Régimen Local (arts. 15-18)
- Last checked
- 21 Oct 2026
In the guide: the 6 steps, what to bring (5 items), and 2 Easy to miss lines, with every official source.
One Easy to miss, on us
Registering as a foreigner does not by itself prove legal residence in Spain (Ley 7/1985, art. 18).