This week I'm taking a look at some of the often overlooked aspects of living in Spain. Some recent personal experience with a very ill member of my family has highlighted a number of issues that have caused unnecessary work and problems. These were mostly due to the correct paperwork not being completed when first arriving in Spain, and when speaking with friends and acquaintances there is a surprising lack of knowledge about your rights and also your responsibilities when living permanently in Spain.
When considering to live in Spain permanently, your ability to receive care from social services is of the utmost importance and there is a key task that everyone should complete to ensure you do not encounter problems further down the line - registering with the local town hall. In fact, anyone living in Spain permanently has a legal obligation to register. The equivalent in the UK, for example, is the electoral role.
In Spanish, this registration is known as 'Empadronamiento' (The 'Padrón' is essentially a list of all the people who live in a certain town) and although it is not compulsory, it is of great benefit to both the local municipality and to yourself. The municipalities general funding is based on the number of registrants and therefore local services, such as the police and medical facilities, can be funded and staffed sufficiently to cope with the number of permanent residents in the area.
For the registrant, you are then able to take advantage of the social care services, vote, and generally have a much easier time when registering with local healthcare, schools and other administrative tasks related to the local municipality such as buying a property or car. From a property owning perspective, when buying property in Spain you will be able to claim up to 50% off of property taxes, as well as receive reductions in certain community charges and inheritance tax - this could lead to considerable savings on an ongoing basis, and would in itself make registration something that should not be missed out on.
Registering is very straightforward, requiring primarily that you have a permanent address, regardless of owning or renting. In the local town hall you can request a simple form to complete which is handed in along with some official identification, a recent utility bill and the deeds to your house or a copy of your rental contract - these are photocopied and returned immediately. At this point you are registered and nothing more needs to be done. A copy of the certificate is available after a couple of days but is not required to complete registration, and the certificate can be requested at any time in the future as required. When moving within Spain, you can simply register at the new town hall and the previous municipality will be automatically notified.
One thing to point out is that having a residency card is not the same, having 'residencia' does not entitle you or the local municipality to the support you or they deserve. Failing to register with the Padrón literally means that the local municipality misses out on deserved funds, and that if ever the worst happens, such as illness requiring social support or unemployment, the process of receiving help will be much smoother. My recent experiences are testament to this, not having registration has been an unnecessary stress and burden at a time when things are already difficult.
It's really a win, win situation, Empadronmiento is good for you, good for where you live, financially beneficial and can really help if things take a turn for the worst. If you or your family are coming to live in Spain, make sure it is one of the first things completed and, if you are already here, you really should register as soon as possible.
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