Moving to Spain as an EU citizen: registration certificate and Padrón

For stays over three months, the EU registration certificate and municipal Padrón are separate procedures. The exact evidence depends on whether you work, study or support yourself.

Your checklist

First steps

Prepare valid identity documentsCarry a valid passport or national identity card. Decide which residence basis applies: employment, self-employment, study, sufficient resources or an eligible family route.
Register at your town hallEmpadronamiento is handled by the Ayuntamiento where you usually live. Check its current housing evidence, appointment and application channels; Spain’s national guidance says municipal registration is needed before applying for the residence certificate.
Book the EU registration appointmentFor a stay over three months, apply in person for the EU citizen certificate in the province where you will live. Check the current EX-18 form, fee model 790 code 012, appointment and status-specific evidence.
Arrange health and social securityAsk the competent authority which country covers you. Workers, students and people who are not working can have different evidence requirements; do not treat a Padrón or NIE as health enrollment.

Your checklist stays on this device.

The certificate is a residence registration, not the Padrón

Spain’s EU registration certificate records you in the Central Register of Foreigners and includes your NIE. The Padrón records your usual address with one municipality. One does not replace the other, and neither is a general work or health-insurance application.

Prepare evidence for your actual status

The national procedure asks for valid identity documents and evidence based on the residence basis. Examples can include proof of employment or self-employment; students may need enrollment and health cover; people not working may need sufficient resources and comprehensive insurance. Confirm the live list before the appointment.

Use local instructions for the Padrón

Each Ayuntamiento sets its own application channels and accepted proof of housing. If you move to Madrid, use the Madrid guide; for another town, follow that municipality’s official page. Keep a copy of both submissions and their receipts.

Common questions

Do EU citizens need a certificate to stay in Spain?

For stays over three months, EU/EEA and Swiss citizens must apply for the registration certificate within three months of entering Spain. Check the current provincial appointment and document instructions.

Is the Padrón the same as the EU residence certificate?

No. The Padrón is the municipal register of your usual address. The EU certificate is a separate national registration.

Does the certificate automatically give me public healthcare?

No. Healthcare and social-security responsibility depend on your work, insurance and residence situation. Check with the competent health and social-security authority.

Official sources

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Sources checked 20 September 2026

Spanish Government: registering your residenceNational procedure, three-month deadline, status evidence and local Padrón prerequisite
Spanish National Police: EU citizen registration certificateEX-18, appointment, provincial filing and supporting evidence
Madrid City Council: municipal registerMadrid example only; other municipalities publish their own Padrón procedure

Rules can vary by nationality, work or study status, and city. Confirm your route with the official authority before you act.

Moving to Spain as an EU citizen: registration certificate and Padrón

First steps

The certificate is a residence registration, not the Padrón

Prepare evidence for your actual status

Use local instructions for the Padrón

Common questions

Read this first

Related guides

EU Citizen Moving Within Europe: What to Do First

Register on Spain’s Padrón (municipal register)

Request a Spanish NIE assignment

Health cover when you move within the EU

Register on Madrid’s Padrón: the city process