Good to know · Residency
Leaving Spain or going away for a long time: who to tell
If you move abroad or will be away for a long time, official pages set out three things to look at: a foreigner can ask the council for a baja in the padrón for a change of residence abroad, the Reglamento de Extranjería has rules on absences for the long-term residence authorization, and the Tax Agency asks you to report a change of fiscal domicile (modelo 030). This card quotes those rules; it does not say what happens to anyone’s permit or taxes.
- Why it matters
- Leaving is rarely a single step. The padrón, your residence authorization, your tax address and your Social Security and health coverage are handled by different offices, and the rules on absences changed with the 2024 Reglamento and a 2023 Supreme Court ruling.
- When
- You plan to move out of Spain, to spend a long period abroad, or you already left and your records still show a Spanish address.
- How long it takes
- Change of fiscal domicile: within three months of the change, per the Agencia Tributaria FAQ.
- Official page
- Padrón Municipal: españoles residentes en el extranjero (IDA-Padrón)
- Last checked
- 25 Oct 2026
In the guide: the 5 steps, what to bring (3 items), the 3 offices with addresses and hours, and 4 Easy to miss lines, with every official source.
One Easy to miss, on us
INE’s guidance says foreigners who leave Spain are the only people whose own request for a padrón baja is accepted; it also says the same treatment applies to their minor children, even if Spanish.