Registering your address
Padrón Registration in Valencia (Empadronamiento)
Anyone who lives in Spain must be on the padrón of the town where they usually live (Ley 7/1985, art. 15). In Valencia city registering is free, and non-EU residents without long-term residence renew it every two years (art. 16.1). We prepare the papers and book the visit.
Step by step with us
- Check that your lease or authorisation will be accepted
- Fill in the form for the whole household
- Book the town hall visit and brief you
Paperwork checklist
- Passport or residence card
- Lease, deeds or a utility bill in your name
- The dates that suit you
The basics
The Padrón Municipal de Habitantes is the list of residents kept by each town hall. In Valencia city the procedure is called “Altas y cambios de domicilio en el Padrón Municipal”, and the Ajuntament states that all padrón procedures are free of charge.
Applications in the city are made by appointment at the main Town Hall (entrance on Carrer Periodista Azzati, 2), at the OAC Tabacalera and at the district offices known as Juntas Municipales, such as Russafa, Marítim, Patraix, Abastos, Exposició, Trànsits, Benimamet-Beniferri, Pobles del Nord and Pobles del Sud. If you live in another town of the province, such as Torrent, Paterna, Gandia or Sagunto, you register at that town hall, with its own appointment system.
Once registered, you can request a volante or certificado de empadronamiento, which you will need for the TIE, the EU certificate, school places, your health card and many renewals.
Who it is for
- Everyone who lives in Valencia city or province, whatever their nationality.
- Non-EU nationals who need the certificate for their TIE fingerprint appointment.
- EU citizens preparing their registration certificate.
- Families enrolling children in a Valencian school.
- People who have moved within Valencia and need to update their address.
Paperwork checklist
- Passport or residence card (non-EU and British citizens); passport or national ID card (EU citizens).
- Your rental contract, title deeds or a recent utility bill in your name.
- If you live in someone else's home, their written authorisation and a copy of their ID.
- For children, birth certificates, legalised or apostilled and translated where needed.
Foreign public documents must generally be legalised or apostilled and come with a sworn translation if they are not in Spanish or Valencian. We check what applies to your family.
Step by step with us
- Address check. We review your contract or authorisation to make sure the town hall will accept it.
- Forms. We complete the registration form and prepare the documents for everyone in your household.
- Appointment. We book a slot with the Ajuntament de València, or with your town hall elsewhere in the province.
- Certificate. Once you are registered, we help you obtain the volante or certificate you need for your next procedure.
Waiting times in Valencia
The registration itself is done at the appointment, and some town halls hand over the volante the same day; others take a little longer. When the appointment falls depends on the office and the time of year, so we do not promise a date: you get our estimate for your district before you pay.
Fee for our help
From 60 € + VAT. Registering on the padrón in Valencia city is free; our fee covers the preparation and the booking. Handling your residence card or green certificate with us as well? We price the padrón together with it.
A typical case
A couple from outside the EU sign a lease in Benimaclet a few days after landing on long-stay visas. The police often ask for a recent padrón certificate at the TIE fingerprint appointment, so the padrón goes first. We check that the lease names both of them, or prepare the landlord’s authorisation for whoever is missing from it, register both at one appointment and then order the certificate the next step will need.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get empadronamiento in Valencia?
With us, you send your identity document and your proof of address. We confirm the town hall will accept them, fill in the form for "Altas y cambios de domicilio" and book the appointment. You attend with papers we have already checked. Registering is free; once you are on the register, the volante or certificate can be issued.
Do I have to go in person?
In most cases one visit to a council office is needed. We prepare everything beforehand so that it is short, and we tell you who in the household has to attend.
What if the town hall does not accept my registration?
The usual reason is a proof of address the office does not accept, such as a room let without the main tenant's authorisation. We check that point before booking. If the office still asks for more, we prepare what is missing and book again.
Can I register on the padrón with a room rental?
Usually yes, with your contract or the written authorisation of the main tenant or owner. We check your paperwork before the appointment.
Which office should I go to in Valencia city?
You can choose among the Town Hall, the OAC Tabacalera and the Juntas Municipales when you book. We pick the one that suits your address and your dates.
Does the padrón expire?
For Spanish and EU citizens it does not. Non-EU residents without long-term residence have to renew it every two years under article 16.1 of Ley 7/1985, or the council may cancel the entry. Certificates themselves are usually accepted only when recently issued.
I moved from Valencia city to a nearby town. Do I re-register?
Yes. You register at your new town hall, which notifies the change. Remember to update your address with the police and the Tax Agency too.
Do you deal with me in English?
Yes. We work in English and Spanish, by WhatsApp, phone or email, and every step is explained in English before it happens.
Source: Ley 7/1985, articles 15 and 16 (BOE). Laws and fees change, so we confirm the current ones for your case before you pay.
Want to see how the whole process works first? Read our free guide: Empadronamiento in València: requirements, offices and renewal.
You get a written quote with a closed fee before you pay anything. Official fees are listed separately.
Write on a working day and we reply within one business day, with a plan for your case.
WhatsApp, phone or email in English (or Spanish). No guessing what a form or an official letter means.
Expat Valencia is a service of Gestoría Beltrán Cifre SL, a gestoría registered in Spain.
Other services
Write to us
Planning your move to Valencia?
Tell us where your passport is from, what you need and which Valencian town you are heading to. A message that reaches us on a working day gets a reply by the next one, with the steps and a fixed fee in writing.
- Emailcontact@expatvalencia.com
- WhereOnline service for Valencia city and province. No walk-in office
- FormOr use the form: we reply within one working day
