Covers: Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia city councils. Each city council sets its own procedure.
This guide is for internationals who have just moved to Madrid, Barcelona or Valencia and need to join the local register of residents. After reading it, you will know why registration matters, how to apply in each city, which documents each council asks for, and how certificates and renewal work for foreign residents.
- Why the padrón matters
- Appointments and ways to apply
- Identity documents and paperwork rules
- Proof of address
- The certificate and renewal for foreigners
- FAQ
Why the padrón matters
Each ayuntamiento (city council) keeps its own padrón municipal (municipal register of residents), and empadronamiento (registering your address) is the act of joining it. Barcelona City Council calls it both an obligation and a right, and says a person does not need legal residence in Spain to register. In Barcelona, registration makes it easier to get public health care and basic schooling for children. It is also required for most procedures under the Ley de extranjería (immigration law), such as reagrupación familiar (family reunification) and arraigo social (residence based on social ties).
Spain’s regions (comunidades autónomas) run health care, and the council pages do not say what each regional health service asks for. Valencia City Council’s procedure page states that anyone living in several municipalities registers only in the one where they live for most of the year. Each city council sets its own procedure. Seville’s pages could not be read for this guide, so readers in Seville should ask their ayuntamiento.
Appointments and ways to apply
In Madrid, registration requires cita previa (an advance appointment) at one of the council’s Oficinas de Atención a la Ciudadanía (citizen service offices), booked through the council’s appointment system. The booking must be in the name of the adult taking part in the procedure. Each person can have only one appointment every 30 days, and one appointment covers one address. On the day, applicants bring the application signed by the adults, valid identity documents, and the documents proving use of the home with any authorisations.
Barcelona’s international welcome page lists three ways to apply. In person, after booking an appointment, registration is done on the spot and applicants can request up to two copies of the registration document. Online, the form is signed electronically in the Oficina Virtual de Trámites (virtual procedures office), and if everything is correct, a confirmation email arrives within approximately 7 days. By telephone on 010, the council posts instructions, and the signed form must be returned by post within one month. Applicants must be of legal age, live in Barcelona and not already be on the city’s register.
In Valencia, the applicant must be an adult or an emancipated minor. The council’s padrón offices take appointments through www.valencia.es or on 010. None of the pages for the three cities state a fee.
Identity documents and paperwork rules
Madrid and Valencia ask for identity documents that are in force. Barcelona accepts expired ones if the application to renew them is also provided. In Barcelona and Valencia, citizens of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland may use a residence card, a passport or a national identity document. An EU registration certificate must be accompanied by the passport or national identity document. Other nationals use a residence card, such as the TIE (foreigner identity card), or a passport, and Barcelona also accepts the UK withdrawal agreement residence document. In both cities, the documents required for children change at age 14.
Barcelona accepts documents in Catalan or Spanish, and Valencia in Spanish or Valencian. Documents in other languages need an official translation: Barcelona accepts one by a sworn translator or the Spanish consulate, and Valencia one by a sworn translator or any public administration. Valencia also requires foreign public documents to be legalised or apostilled, except those from EU states. It does not accept a printed and then scanned electronic document unless it carries a CSV (secure verification code). In both cities, an authorisation to register other people is valid for one month from the date on it.
Proof of address
Madrid’s list of housing documents requires at least one original. A rental contract for a home or a room must be in force, last at least six months and be signed by everyone named in it. Extended contracts and electronically signed contracts also need the latest rent receipt. Deeds or a nota simple (Land Registry extract) count only if nobody has registered at the address after their date. If someone has, a utility bill no more than three months old is also required.
Barcelona accepts a rental contract, deeds, a nota simple or the householder’s authorisation, and says a title or contract is not required. If an applicant has no documents, the council phones and then visits to check. In Valencia, the housing document must show the referencia catastral (cadastral reference). If it does not, a supporting document is added, such as the last IBI (property tax) receipt. Valencia also requires rental contracts to run for more than six months and to come with a rent payment made in the last two months, and month-to-month renewals do not count towards the six months. All three councils may ask for extra documents to check the details.
The certificate and renewal for foreigners
In Valencia, the certificado de empadronamiento (registration certificate) proves a person’s address and residence to other bodies. Valencia issues three types: individual, historical and housing. The housing certificate shows everyone registered at the address and is used for family reunification or invitation letters. It can be requested online, by calling 010 free of charge, or in person by appointment.
In Barcelona, registration does not expire, except for foreigners. Non-EU nationals without long-term residence renew every two years. EU citizens who hold the EU registration certificate (the green NIE), and people with permanent residence, confirm their registration every five years. EU citizens who do not appear in the register as EU citizens renew every two years. Madrid offers appointments to renew or confirm registration, and applicants bring the council’s letter and original valid identity document. Madrid’s page does not state how often this is needed, and Valencia’s pages do not cover renewal.
FAQ
Can I register without a rental contract?
Barcelona says a title or contract is not required and checks the address with a phone call and a visit instead. Madrid requires at least one document from its list, and Valencia lists the specific documents it accepts. In any other situation, each office decides.
How long does registration take?
In Barcelona, in-person registration is done on the spot, and online applicants receive confirmation within approximately 7 days. The Madrid and Valencia pages do not state processing times.
Is there a fee?
None of the pages consulted state a fee for registering or for the certificate. Valencia states that calls to 010 are free.
What happens when someone moves within the same city?
Madrid and Valencia both handle a change of address within the city as a padrón procedure, and Madrid asks for the same documents as for a first registration. Barcelona’s pages cover new registrations, so its offices decide.
Sources: madrid.es · madrid.es · ajuntament.barcelona.cat · barcelona.cat · barcelona.cat · sede.valencia.es · sede.valencia.es
Last verified: 4 November 2026 against the pages linked above. Rules and fees change; the responsible authority always has the final word.
This is general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice. For your own situation, ask the office that handles your case (the Oficina de Extranjería, your ayuntamiento, the Seguridad Social or the Agencia Tributaria), a lawyer (abogado) or a gestor administrativo.
Sources
- madrid.es: Trámites de Padrón y censo electoral con cita previa – Ayuntamiento de Madrid, accessed 4 November 2026
- madrid.es: 4. Documentos originales que acreditan el uso de la vivienda (necesario presentar al menos uno) – Ayuntamiento de Madrid, accessed 4 November 2026
- ajuntament.barcelona.cat: Empadronamiento, accessed 4 November 2026
- barcelona.cat: ¿Tienes que empadronarte en Barcelona? Te explicamos cómo hacerlo | Info Barcelona | Ayuntamiento de Barcelona, accessed 4 November 2026
- barcelona.cat: Registration in the municipal register of residents of the city of Barcelona, accessed 4 November 2026
- sede.valencia.es: Sede Electrónica, accessed 4 November 2026
- sede.valencia.es: Sede Electrónica, accessed 4 November 2026
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