Great! You got the visa and you’ve arrived in Spain! Now what?

*Important disclosure: I’m not a lawyer, so please understand that the information shared in this blog post is from my personal experience and isn’t a substitute for legal advice. If you have concerns about your unique situation, consult with a lawyer or the embassy about it.

What is the ‘empadronamiento‘?

Basically, it’s a way of registering where you live, kind of like a census! Whenever you move to a different town, you’re supposed to register yourself at the city hall/OAC (oficina atención ciudadanía) . This is required if you are staying in Spain for 6 months or longer.

Step 1: Make an appointment

There are different websites for making an appointment and they all use different keywords. You’re looking for a dropdown menu that mentions ‘atención a la ciudadania‘ and then ‘padrón‘. 

Here are the links for Madrid and Barcelona

Step 2. Bring your documents

You will need:

• Application form (available at the office)
• Your passport or residency card (if from EU)
• Your rental contract
• Receipt of last rent paid or deposit (must have your name on it and the date)

The clerk will hand you the empadronamiento document and you’ll be on your way! That wasn’t so bad was it? Now, you can open a bank account, get married, and you have one of the documents that you will need for your NIE