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Each Ayuntamiento sets its own channels, appointments and document lists for the Padrón. Use this guide to understand the logic of an address change, then confirm the live steps with the municipality you now live in.
At a glance
- Same municipality
- Recorded as a change of data on your existing Padrón entry.
- New municipality
- Register in the new one and state the previous one; the old entry is then cancelled.
- Non-EU renewal
- Some non-EU residents without permanent authorisation must renew every two years.
Your checklist
First steps
Your checklist stays on this device.
Same municipality or a new one?
Spain’s technical instructions for the Padrón treat a move inside the same municipality as a modification of your existing entry, not as a deregistration followed by a new registration. Your Ayuntamiento may still present it inside a combined “alta and change of address” procedure.
A move to another municipality is handled by registering with the new municipality. The registration states where you were registered before, and the national statistics institute passes the change on so the previous municipality can cancel its entry.
You normally do not cancel the old entry yourself
When you register in the new municipality, the previous municipality cancels its entry as a result, with the cancellation dated to match your new registration. Do not leave an old entry active by assumption, and do not register in two municipalities at once; if you live in several places, you register where you spend more of the year.
Leaving Spain altogether is a different situation. Ask the Ayuntamiento you are leaving how to report it.
Choose the right channel in your city
Some cities, such as Madrid, publish “alta and change of address” as one electronic procedure; others separate the steps or ask for an appointment. Use the page of the municipality where you now live, and see our Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Málaga guides for local details.
Madrid’s service charter says a certificate is available immediately with an electronic ID and within up to 10 working days without one. Other cities can differ, so ask where the certificate will come from before you rely on it.
Non-EU residents: watch the two-year renewal
Some non-EU nationals without a permanent residence authorisation must renew their Padrón registration every two years. The renewal is an active step, and a municipality can declare a registration expired if it is not renewed.
The two-year period runs from the registration or the last renewal. After a move, ask the new municipality how it will count it and note the next date in your own calendar.
Common questions
Do I have to cancel my old Padrón registration when I move to another city?
Normally no. You register in the new municipality and state the previous one, and the previous municipality then cancels its entry. Leaving Spain is a different case, so ask the Ayuntamiento you are leaving.
Is a move inside the same city a new registration?
The Padrón instructions treat it as a modification of your existing entry. Your Ayuntamiento may still offer it as part of an “alta and change of address” service.
Do I need a new certificate after the change?
If another authority asks for proof of your current address, request a new certificate (certificado or volante de empadronamiento) after the update. An old one shows the old address.
Does updating the Padrón change my address on my TIE, bank or health card?
Do not assume so. Each authority and company has its own procedure, so check each one separately.
What if I live in two municipalities?
The Padrón instructions say you register in the municipality where you spend more of the year. Confirm with your Ayuntamiento if your case is unusual.
Official sources
Read this first
- BOE: technical instructions to Ayuntamientos on managing the Padrón (BOE no. 71, 24 March 2015)Rules for address changes within and between municipalities, the duty to register and the two-year renewal
- Ayuntamiento de Madrid: Padrón service charter 2026Example of a combined alta and change-of-address service and certificate timing; other cities differ
Rules can vary by nationality, work or study status, and city. Confirm your route with the official authority before you act.