Spanish life: the highs and the lows

The Padron, what it is, why you need it, and how to get it

The Padron is an administrative registration for residents of a municipality. It proves residency in the municipality when you live there (note, this is not proof of Residency, that is a legal concept, it proves you live permanently in a municipality (town, village, city). If you live in more than one place in Spain then you register where you live the most time.

You should only apply for a Padron if you live full time in Spain, the actual Spanish states: Toda persona que viva en España está obligada a inscribirse en el Padrón del Municipio en el que resida habitualmente. (All persons who live in Spain are obliged to apply for a Padron if they live full time in Spain).

The Padron proves how many people live in a municipality, this is needed to see how many resources an area needs and how much income from tax etc and area should provide. In this sense think of it as a census.

You need to have a Padron to vote in local Spanish elections,  and European elections  (Many thanks to those who corrected my assumption that it entitled the holder to vote in National elections, it doesn't).

To enroll your children in a local school you will need a Padron.

You cannot become a Spanish resident without having a Padron, and without Spanish residency you cannot get Spanish healthcare.

You need a Padron to change your driving licence to to a Spanish one.

Many people fear that as soon as you have registered as living full time in an area, by applying for a Padron, you will beome liable for tax, in fact whether you have a Padron or not you become liable to register for Spanish taxation after just a couple of months of living there full time, so there is nothing to lose by registering, but of course by the acting of signing up for one you are implying tax residency and liability.

But where do you get this magical registration from? Well that is simple, from the Town Hall, and each Town Hall has slightly different requirements. You will at the very least need your passport and one copy (take two, just in case). You should bring along any rental contracts, house deeds, utility bills.

The main thing is to ask them at the Town Hall (Ayuntamiento), they want as many people to be on the Padron as possible, so will be very helpful.

The NIE is the Numero de Identificacion de Extranjero, the identification number for foreigners living in Spain who do not have Spanish citizenship, and those who have business or other interests in Spain to use as identification.

The NIE is essential because it has to be on all documents relating to Spanish law and governance AS WELL as the passport numbers. The NIE number does not change (unlike a UK passport number). You will need it it to pay tax, get work, buy or sell a car, buy or sell a house, any economic activities such as mortgages or legal claims. And you must have it to change your driving license into a Spanish one.

Do not confuse this number with the DNI, the Documento Nacional de Identidad, this is for Spanish citizens.

The NIE is not a valid way of identifying yourself, you need photo ID for that

There are three ways to get your NIE

1. In person at specific police stations

2. The Spanish embassy of your country

3. through a legal authorized person, ie a solicitor through power of attorney,

If you do an internet search you will see companies that offer to do this for you, they save no time, can often make matters more complicated, and charge for the pleasure, avoid them is my advice.

This will be your first opportunity to see how different each region of Spain operates, so you will need to to go to the correct National Police station for your area, taking everything you possibly can in case they ask for it.

Here is the list of the right police stations to get your NIE, go to the one in your area even if another one is closer, ie, if you live in the Province of Malaga, go to the Malaga one, not the possibly closer one in a neighbouring province: https://www.policia.es/documentacion/oficinas/oficinas_extran.html

Firtsly you will need a filled in EX-15 form, available for download here: http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Embajadas/PRAGA/Documents/Formulario%20EX-15.pdf you will definitely need 2 photos, your passport plus a photocopy of the opened photo page. This is a link to a translated EX-15 form  http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/EDIMBURGO/en/Consulado/Documents/Guide%20to%20fill%20EX-15%20form.jpg

There is a fee of just short of 10 euros, some areas accept online payment, others don't, so I think it best to take the form the police station will give you and go to the nearest bank and pay it, then take back the receipt to the police station. I had to go to two banks because the first one said it was not 'their day for collecting the fee'.

Make a day of it, go early in the morning, clutch your google translate on your mobile (having used it to fill in the forms) and smile smile smile. Then have lunch and delightful stroll with your NIE tucked in your wallet.

Think how frightened a Spanish person would be trying to get a parking permit if they had no English, but the council would just try and do their duty, and so it is for the Spanish bureaucracy, there is no malice, just an incomprehension of what we want. Smile smile smile.