Empadronamiento in Alicante (registering at the town hall)

What it is

Empadronamiento means registering your address on the padrón, the list of residents kept by your town hall (Ayuntamiento de Alicante). You'll need your padrón certificate for your health card, your TIE, school places and many other procedures. Registering is free.

This guide is for the city of Alicante. If you live elsewhere in the province (Elche, Benidorm, Torrevieja, Jávea, Dénia…), register at that town's own town hall.

Before you start

You'll need:

• ID for everyone registering: passport, TIE or EU ID card.
• Proof of your address, one of:
  • Renting: your rental contract in your name. Many town halls also ask for a recent utility bill or a copy of the landlord's ID.
  • Owner: your deeds (escritura) or a recent utility bill in your name.
  • Living in someone else's home: their signed authorisation, a copy of their ID, and proof they own or rent it.
• The registration form (hoja de inscripción padronal), available at the office or on the town hall's website.

Steps

1. Go to the right office. In Alicante, padrón registrations are done at the Labradores (C/ Labradores, 14) and Séneca (C/ Portugal, 17) citizen service offices (OAC), or online through the electronic office with a digital certificate or electronic DNI.
2. Book an appointment (cita previa): for Séneca at citaprevia.alicante.es or by phone, for Labradores by phone on 010 (900 153 862). One appointment covers everyone registering at the same address.
3. Go to your appointment with everyone's ID, your proof of address and the form. Bring originals.
4. Get your padrón certificate (volante or certificado de empadronamiento). Ask for one while you're there, because you'll need it straight away for other procedures.

Cost

Free.

Common pitfalls

• Missing landlord documents. If you rent, ask your landlord early for a copy of their ID and a bill.
• No contract, or your landlord won't help? The town hall must still register you where you actually live; it can check in other ways, for example with a visit. Ask at the office.
• Renewing or confirming: the town hall asks non-EU citizens without permanent residence to renew their registration every 2 years, and other foreign residents to confirm it every 2 or 5 years. Reply to the letter, or you can be removed from the padrón.
• Other procedures ask for a recent certificate (often less than three months old), so request a new one when needed.
• Book with the ID you'll bring. The ID document at the desk must match the one used to book.
• Renting? Bring your current contract, the last rent receipt and a copy of the landlord's ID.

When to ask a helper

If your landlord won't give you the documents, you live in a shared or unofficial flat, or the town hall asks for something not listed here, ask someone who registered in Alicante recently.