Empadronamiento: how to obtain, cancel, renew, change address, and download the document on your own

Empadronamiento is usually the first administrative procedure most expats face when arriving in Spain. Besides the first-time registration, you might encounter other processes related to empadronamiento during your time in Spain: eg. changing your empadronamiento address, canceling or renewing the empadronamiento registration. In this article, we will explain how to manage different processes in person or online. You must have capable medical insurance that fulfills all the visa/residence permit (NIE/TIE) requirements.

 

1. How to register the empadronamiento for the first time?

2. How to cancel the empadronamiento?

3. How to change the address within Barcelona?

4. How to download the document of your empadronamiento?

5. How to renew your empadronamiento?

 

 

1. How to register the empadronamiento for the first time?

 

Depending on the city you are living in, the process may be a little different. But generally, you need to ask for an appointment (pedir una cita) in the nearest local Town Hall (Ayuntamiento) before going for this registration.

 

You can search for “empadronamiento + the city you live” in search engines or “ayuntamiento” in map apps to find the nearest city town hall and their accepted way of making an appointment (online/offline).

 

Take Barcelona as an example:

 

• Search for “empadronamiento Barcelona” in any search engine and you will be redirected to the official website of the empadronamiento section of the government of Barcelona “ajuntament barcelona”.
• In the ¨selección temática¨ section, select ¨OAC: Atención presencial en la oficina¨(tema) and ¨padrón gestiones¨(subtema). Then click on "continuar".

• Usually, there are not any appointments available. You can try several times later or ask for a lawyer to get it for you.

 

When you get the appointment, you need to go to the city town hall personally to complete the procedures.

 

 

2. How to cancel the empadronamiento?

 

Let’s continue with the example of Barcelona. When searching for empadronamiento on the website, there are two processes you can use to cancel the registration.

 

• Baja del Padrón Municipal de Habitantes de Barcelona por cambio de residencia:
  • If you need to leave the city of Barcelona, you need to cancel the registration using this option. To carry out this process, you still need to ask for a “cita”. Later, attend the appointment offline.
  • If you want to change your address, it will still be in the city of Barcelona. You need to change the address, which will be talked about in the next section.

 

• Baja por defunción en el Padrón Municipal de Habitantes: Cancel the registration for the death. This process can be processed online.

 

 

3. How to change the address within Barcelona?

 

You have three options:

 

• Via phonecall
• ask for a cita
• online: click on "iniciar el trámite"

 

4. How to download the document of your empadronamiento?

 

The validity of empadronamiento only lasts for three months. If you need to use the document once it’s expired, there’s no need to ask for an appointment again. You can download it online easily.

 

You need to have at least one of the following authentications to access your ¨Espai personal (personal space)¨:

 

• Certificat digital(digital certificate)
• Cl@ve
• IdCat

 

When entering your personal space, click on “datos de empadronamiento”-”descarga el volante de residencia“. You will get a new empadronamiento document issued the same day you download.

 

5. How to renew your empadronamiento?

 

If you are not a Spanish citizen nor an EU citizen, you need to carry your residence card or passport and the rental contract to renew your empadronamiento every 2 years. Like before, you need to ask for a cita.

 

Empadronamiento is one of the most important documents to apply for a residence permit. Another essential document would be capable medical insurance that fulfills all the visa/residence permit (NIE/TIE) requirements. Our expat insurance is already trusted by more than 100000 expats. You can get it online with just a few clicks. We are an English-speaking team that is always here to help with whatever you need. Click on “buy now” or talk to us!

 

This article is strictly for informative purposes, we want to help inform the public of difficult processes but we can not help out with the entire process. We can only fulfill the health insurance requirement.

Do you qualify for the Empadronamiento? If this isn´t for you, maybe see if one of these articles better fits your needs:

• Digital Nomad Visa
• Golden Visa
• Non-lucrative Visa
• Family reunification visa
• Working holiday visa
• Spanish Student Visa
• How to apply for the student NIE/TIE in Spain for the first time?

 

Our content will be updated according to the most recent legislation. Last update: 17/07/2023