Registering (Empadronamiento) in Madrid: a complete guide for expats (2026)
Registering in the padrón (empadronamiento) is the first administrative step to take when you move to Madrid. Several other key steps depend on it: your public healthcare card, enrolling your children in school, applying for your NIE or TIE, and even registering a car. This guide explains which documents you need depending on your nationality, how to book an appointment or register online, and the mistakes that lead City Hall to reject an application.
What is the padrón and why is it mandatory?
The padrón is the register that certifies where you habitually live. It is not a residence permit and does not replace the NIE or TIE: it is the official proof of your address before Madrid's City Hall.
It is mandatory for anyone who lives in the city for most of the year. Without it you cannot access public healthcare, enrol your children in a public or state-subsidised (concertado) school, or apply for or renew your NIE, TIE or EU Citizen Registration Certificate.
A common mistake among new arrivals is thinking you need an NIE first. It is the other way round: City Hall accepts your passport to register you in the padrón, and that certificate is what you will then need to apply for your NIE or TIE.
Requirements to register in Madrid: documents by nationality
If you are a citizen of the EU, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland or Liechtenstein: a valid passport or national ID. If you already have an NIE, bring it too.
If you are a non-EU citizen: a valid passport with the corresponding visa, or your TIE if you already have one. If you do not hold a permanent or long-term residence permit, you will have to renew your registration every two years.
For children under 14: ID card, family record book, birth certificate or a passport that shows their details. From age 14, the same documents as for adults apply. To prove you are the child's legal representative you need the family record book or birth certificate and, in cases of separation or divorce, the court ruling that establishes custody.
Documents issued by foreign authorities (except those from EU countries) must carry an apostille, and a sworn translation may be required. If you need to request a birth certificate from your home country, start early.
Your ID document must be presented in its original, valid form: a printed copy, a photo or a PDF on your phone is not accepted.
The registration form (hoja padronal): what it is and how to fill it in
The hoja padronal is the official form used to request registration or a change of address in the padrón. It must be completed in capital letters and carry the handwritten signature of every adult being registered on it, so if several of you are registering at the same address, it is easiest to fill in a single form and bring everyone to sign. You can download it from Madrid City Hall's website or pick one up at the office. Phone and email details are optional, but filling them in makes the process smoother.
The document that proves your address
In addition to your ID, City Hall needs to check that you have the right to use the property.
If you rent: the lease in force for a home or a room, with a minimum term of six months and the cadastral reference (referencia catastral). If the lease has been extended or was signed electronically, you also need to provide the most recent rent receipt, showing the landlord's and tenant's names, the payment period and the address. If the person renting to you is not the owner, you need the owner's authorisation, either in the contract itself or in a separate document.
If you bought: the property deed, the purchase contract or a nota simple (land registry extract). If other people have been registered at the property since the date of the contract or deed, you must also provide a utility bill (water, electricity or gas) less than three months old.
If you live with someone: their signed authorisation together with a photocopy of their ID (we explain how this works below). City Hall may ask for additional documents to check that the information is accurate.
How long must the lease be?
Madrid City Hall asks for a minimum term of six months on the rental contract. In addition, the criteria of the state body that sets the rules for the padrón indicate that a temporary contract of under six months is not enough on its own to prove that the property is your habitual residence. That does not mean it is impossible to register with a seasonal contract: other factors can come into play, such as what the contract says or the reason for your stay. But you should not take it for granted, and Airbnb-style or tourist-stay contracts are the ones most often rejected, because the padrón requires proof of stable residence, not a tourist stay.
If you are about to sign a lease and need to register, check the length of the contract before you sign, not after.
Registering without a lease or in a shared flat
If you do not have a lease or deed in your name — for example because you live in a relative's home, in a shared flat or in a rented room — you can register with a registration authorisation (autorización de empadronamiento), which is part of the hoja padronal itself. There are two situations:
- If other people are already registered at the property: one of the adults, who holds a document proving use or ownership of the property, fills in and signs the authorisation. If those people do not have such a document either, one of them signs a declaration of residence (declaración de residencia) and, in addition, the person who holds the document that legitimises occupation (normally the owner) must sign the authorisation, and the document has to be provided.
- If nobody else lives at the property and none of the people registering is the holder: one of the holders signs the authorisation, proving their status.
In every case, photocopies of the ID documents of those who authorise or declare must be provided.
How to book an appointment to register in Madrid
You have three ways to do it:
- By phone: call 010, or 914 800 010 (+34 914 800 010 from abroad).
- Online or in person: at madrid.es/citaprevia or at any Citizen Service Office (Atención a la Ciudadanía – Línea Madrid).
- Online registration: through City Hall's Electronic Office (Sede Electrónica), if you have Cl@ve or a digital certificate. In this case the process can be completed without an in-person appointment.
Offices in central Madrid tend to be in high demand, and it is not unusual for the first available appointment to be a month or more away. If you need the certificate urgently, check availability at District Municipal Boards (Juntas Municipales de Distrito) further from the centre, where there are usually slots sooner.
What happens after the appointment
At the end of an in-person appointment you are given a registration certificate (volante de empadronamiento), which serves as proof while the full registration is formalised. The maximum period for City Hall to resolve the file is three months.
If you move home, you must also report it and register at the new address.
Common mistakes that delay the process
These are the most frequent mistakes:
- Submitting a rental contract of less than six months or without the cadastral reference.
- Bringing a contract signed by only one party.
- Submitting an Airbnb-style or short-stay platform contract.
- Bringing your ID as a copy, photo or PDF instead of the original, valid document.
- Not bringing the hoja padronal with the handwritten signature of every adult being registered.
- Not coordinating the landlord's authorisation in time when they cannot attend the appointment, especially if you register online.
Any one of these can undo weeks of waiting for an appointment.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Madrid City Hall accepts a passport for registration; the NIE is not a prerequisite.
No. You must present the original, valid document; a printed copy, a photo or a PDF on your phone is not accepted. It is a good idea to bring a photocopy as well, although most offices scan it on the spot.
The certificate is normally issued on the day of the appointment. Full processing of the file can take up to three months, although that provisional document already serves as proof for most procedures.
It is the official registration form. You can download it from City Hall's website or pick it up at the office, and it must carry the handwritten signature of every adult being registered.
It depends. City Hall asks for a minimum of six months, and a shorter contract is usually not enough on its own to prove habitual residence. The content of the contract and the reason for your stay are taken into account. Airbnb-style or tourist-stay contracts are usually rejected.
Yes, with a registration authorisation signed by an adult already registered at the property who holds a document of use or ownership, or by one of its holders if nobody else lives there, together with a photocopy of their ID.
Yes, through Madrid City Hall's Electronic Office, if you have Cl@ve or a digital certificate.
If you are a non-EU citizen without a permanent residence permit, yes: every two years. In other cases no, although you must report any change of address.
No, the registration itself is free. Some additional certificates may carry a small administrative fee.
If you are looking for a rental in Madrid and want someone to guide you through steps like this one too, at Lula Select we coordinate your property search and help you navigate what comes after, like registering in the padrón, so the move is as simple as possible. Find out how we work on rental searches.
