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Which document an office accepts depends on the rules of that office or procedure, not on this guide. Ask the body that requests the paper which one it wants.
At a glance
- Certificado
- Formal proof of registration, signed by the Secretary or electronically.
- Volante
- Informational; does not prove registration.
- Empadronamiento
- The registration itself, done once per municipality of residence.
Your checklist
First steps
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Three words, three different things
Empadronamiento is what you do: you register in the Padrón of the municipality where you live. Padrón is the register. The paper you ask for afterwards is a certificado or a volante.
People often say they need to “do the empadronamiento” when they mean they need the certificate. Keep the two apart when you read an instruction: one is a procedure, the other a document.
The certificado: the formal proof
The national statistics institute explains that the certificado is issued by the Secretary of the Ayuntamiento, or an official they delegate to, with the Mayor’s approval. It needs a handwritten signature or a qualified electronic signature, and a scanned signature is not valid.
It is described as the only document that proves registration, and it can also certify facts the municipality holds, such as the start and end dates of registration and previous addresses.
The volante: informational
The volante needs no official’s signature and can be generated by computer systems, but it must carry the Ayuntamiento’s seal or be printed on watermarked paper. It does not prove registration; it only reports it and the circumstances around it.
Where many applicants compete for a limited number of awards, a body may ask everyone for a volante and request a certificate only from those selected.
How Madrid and Barcelona name and issue them
Madrid says a certificate requested with electronic ID in its online office is issued immediately, and within ten business days when requested without electronic ID by phone or online.
Barcelona uses Catalan names: the volant de residència, which you receive at first registration, and the volant de convivència, which shows where a person lives and with whom on the request date.
Common questions
Is empadronamiento the same as the certificate?
No. Empadronamiento is the registration in the Padrón. The certificado and the volante are documents you can request after registering.
Which document proves that I am registered?
The national statistics institute describes the certificado as the only document that proves registration. A volante only reports it.
Can I use a volante for a formal procedure?
That depends on the body and its rules. Ask the office that requests the document before you rely on a volante.
How do I get a certificate in Madrid?
With electronic ID in Madrid’s online office it is issued immediately. Without it, request it online or by phone and expect up to ten business days.
Official sources
Read this first
- INE: Padrón certificates and volantesLegal difference between the certificado and the volante, who issues them and what each is used for
- Madrid City Council: Padrón service charter 2026How and how fast Madrid issues certificates and volantes
- Barcelona International Welcome: resident registerBarcelona’s volant de residència and volant de convivència
Rules can vary by nationality, work or study status, and city. Confirm your route with the official authority before you act.