Registering on the Padron in Aguilas

The Padrón Office of Águilas is in the Town Hall building in the Plaza de España

The Padrón department in Águilas is located within the main Town Hall building in Plaza de España and is open on weekdays from 9.00 to 14.00. Prior appointments can be made online here and punctuality is required (Town Hall telephone number +34 968 418 800).

The typical procedures administered in the office are the following:

Signing on to the register of inhabitants (“alta”) and changes in details such as address: the procedure must be carried out by a person aged at least 16.

Documentation needed: Original of valid passport, DNI or NIE and “catastro” number of the place of residence.

For newborns: Birth certificate or Libro de Familia. Both parents should attend.

For children: Birth certificate or Libro de Familia and ID document. Both parents should attend.

For rented accommodation: Rental contract or recent water bill in the name of the applicant as well as receipt for last rental payment.

For owned residence: IBI property tax receipt or recent water bill in the name of the applicant.

For updated certificates: Original of valid passport, DNI or NIE of the applicant.

What is the padrón?

Empadronamiento (or Padrón) - a list of all the people resident in a municipality.

Empadronarse - the act of registering yourself on this list with your local Town Hall.

Who should register?

Officially all residents in Spain are required by law to register on the padrón, yet many British expats still have not done so. Perhaps some view the padrón as a means of vigilance by the state, in big-brother fashion, but in reality, it is simply a way for the Town Hall to know how many people live in the area and to manage local administration procedures. The information provided at registration is confidential and protected by data protection laws.

How do I register?

You don't have to own your house to register, just have an address where you habitually live, no matter whether you are the owner, the tenant, or live with family or friends. Nor is registration a long, drawn-out registration process. Simply go to the padrón office of your Town Hall and fill in the form they provide.

Although you may have to return to collect your certificate, the actual registration is completed all on the same day.

What are the benefits?

Once you've completed the simple process, you can begin to enjoy the advantages of being on the padrón, such as:

Better public services: central Government allocates money to the different municipalities according to how many people are on the padrón. Therefore, if you are not registered, your Town Hall is losing money for the provision of health centres, police officers, fire fighters and schools.

Access to benefits and social care: you must be on the padrón for a certain period of time to take advantage of some income-related benefits and other aspects of social care available through local social services.

A reduction in taxes: depending on the municipality, registration on the padrón could mean up to 50% off Property Tax as well as reductions in certain community charges and inheritance tax. Furthermore, those on the padrón can also often enjoy discounted courses, leisure and cultural activities.

Voting rights: in order to register to vote in local or European elections you must be registered on the padrón.

An easier life: you'll find you need your padrón certificate to carry out various administrative tasks, such as register for healthcare, register your car with Spanish number plates or enrol your children in school.

For certain services (e.g. social services) you may be required to show a recent padrón certificate which is less than 3 months old. This is a normal procedure and Padrón offices will print a new certificate off for you on request.

Non-EU citizens are required to renew their padrón certificate.