How to register on the padrón in Alicante

Machine translation made with AI: it may contain errors. Please check the details in the official sources.

What empadronamiento is

The padrón municipal (municipal register of residents) is the register in which each town council records the people who habitually live in its area. If you live in the city of Alicante, the padrón that counts is that of Alicante City Council. The certificado de empadronamiento (certificate of registration on the padrón) serves as proof of address for other administrations.

Note: San Vicente del Raspeig, Sant Joan d'Alacant, El Campello and Mutxamel are separate municipalities, each with its own town council and its own padrón. If you live in one of them, see the section "If you live outside Alicante city" below.

Is it compulsory?

Under the Law Regulating the Bases of Local Government (art. 15), everyone who lives in Spain must be registered on the padrón in the municipality where they live for most of the year. This includes foreigners, whether or not they have legal residence. If you have a specific doubt about your case (for example, if you split the year between two countries), ask the town council.

Why it matters

Healthcare: the Valencian health card (SIP) requires you to be registered on the padrón in a municipality of the Valencian Community.
Schools: under Order 8/2024 of the Conselleria de Educación (article 31), the family address is proved with the legal representative's identity document and a recent water, electricity or telephone bill, or a rental contract. If the addresses on those documents do not match, the school may ask for a certificate of residence issued by the town council. Check the current admissions call.
Paperwork: the certificate is requested for immigration procedures, changing a car's registration, utility contracts and other procedures.

Where to apply

In Alicante, registering and changing your address on the padrón are done in person, by appointment, at two Oficinas de Atención Ciudadana (OAC, citizen service offices):

OAC "Séneca", at Calle Portugal, 17.
OAC "Labradores", at Calle Labradores, 14.

According to the municipal website, both are open Monday to Thursday (working days) from 8:30 to 17:00 and on Fridays (working days) from 8:30 to 14:30.

There is also an online route: the application can be submitted on the City Council's online office (sede electrónica), attaching the documents. For this you need a digital certificate or an electronic DNI.

The applicant must do the procedure in person. Only if they cannot attend due to force majeure may a representative go instead, with the signed authorisation form, proof of the reason for the absence and the original identity document of both people.

How to book an appointment

OAC Séneca: online at citaprevia.alicante.es or by telephone on 010 or 900 153 862.
OAC Labradores: by telephone only, on 010 or 900 153 862.

The 010 line is open Monday to Thursday (working days) from 9:00 to 17:00 and on Fridays (working days) from 9:00 to 16:00. The number 900 153 862 can also be used to call from outside the municipality.

If several people are registering at the same property, a single appointment is enough. The appointment must be in the name of the person who attends: anyone bringing a different document from the one used to book will not be seen. Keep the booking confirmation and, if you cannot go, cancel it.

Before you go: document checklist

All documents must be valid and originals, unless stated otherwise. Foreign official documents must come with a sworn translation into Spanish.

Hoja de inscripción (registration form) for new registrations or changes of address. According to the municipal website, it is only needed if you do the procedure on the online office. It can be downloaded from the procedure's page.
Identity document:

Spanish citizens: DNI, passport or driving licence.
EU citizens: passport or identity document of their country and the NIE shown on the EU citizen registration certificate (certificado de registro de ciudadano de la Unión).
Non-EU citizens: TIE (foreigner's identity card) or passport.

Proof that you occupy the property:

Owned property: if you bought it less than a year ago, a nota simple (land registry extract) or the title deed. Otherwise, the latest IBI (property tax) receipt or the latest landline telephone, water, gas or electricity bill in your name.
Rental: a valid rental contract in your name, the latest rent receipt and a copy of the identity document of all the owners.
Someone else's home: an authorisation and a photocopy of the DNI of all the owners, plus the title deed, the IBI receipt or a utility bill, depending on the case.

Minors: DNI, NIE or passport (over-14s, DNI) and family record book (libro de familia) or birth certificate. The authorisation of both parents or guardians is required. In case of separation, there are model sworn statements (declaración responsable) on custody on the municipal website.

For special cases (several owners, company-owned property, inheritances), check the full list on the procedure's page.

Deadlines and cost

Cost: according to the municipal website, all padrón procedures are free of charge.
Time to resolve: the Alicante City Council website does not give a specific time frame for registration.
Deadline for registering after you move: the official sources consulted do not set a specific deadline. It is sensible to do it as soon as possible.

Steps in brief

Gather the documents for your case (owned property, rental or authorisation).
Book an appointment for OAC Séneca (online or by telephone) or OAC Labradores (by telephone). Or submit it on the online office with a digital certificate.
Go to the office with the originals and the appointment confirmation.
Afterwards, ask for the certificado de empadronamiento. You can request it on the online office, by appointment at the OACs or the Juntas de Distrito (district boards), or without an appointment at the municipal ciberkioscos (self-service kiosks) (with an electronic DNI or the Tarjeta Ciudadana de Alicante).

If you live outside Alicante city

Each municipality has its own town council and its own padrón:

San Vicente del Raspeig: https://raspeig.es/area/padron-municipal-de-habitantes-pmh/
Sant Joan d'Alacant: registration is done in person at the OMAC office, by appointment. https://www.santjoandalacant.es/omac/
El Campello: registration in person by appointment or on the online office. https://www.elcampello.es/index.php?s=areas&id=16
Mutxamel: new registrations and changes in person, by appointment. https://ayto.mutxamel.org/tramites-padron/

Common mistakes

Turning up without an appointment, or with an appointment in someone else's name.
Taking a rental contract without the copy of the owners' identity document.
Registering at a property where you do not really live.
Not updating the padrón when you change address.
Not renewing your registration when it is due: under article 16 of the Law Regulating the Bases of Local Government, non-EU foreigners without a long-term residence permit must renew their registration every two years. If they do not, the registration lapses and Alicante City Council removes it from the register.

Disclaimer: general information, not advice

This guide is general information compiled from public sources as at 2026-10-14. Requirements, opening hours and telephone numbers may change. Always confirm on the Alicante City Council website (or that of your own municipality's town council). It does not constitute legal advice.