Which Spanish elections can foreigners vote in?

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called a snap election in Spain for November 29th, after the recent housing bill was rejected once again. 

What does this mean for foreigners in Spain and can you vote in the general election?

The general answer is no, only Spanish nationals have the right to vote in general elections; foreign residents, including EU and UK citizens, cannot. Some foreign residents can, however, vote in municipal or European parliament elections. 

Here’s what you need to know:

EU citizens

EU citizens living in Spain can vote in local and European elections, and can even be elected as mayors and local councillors. They cannot, however, vote in national or general elections. EU citizens who live in another EU member state can vote or stand or run in local and European elections across the block. 

This means that any EU citizen resident in Spain may vote in local or European elections, provided they are registered on the population census and have signed the appropriate voting paperwork.

Non-EU citizens

Generally speaking, if you’re a non-EU citizen, you cannot vote in elections in Spain or in the EU. However, according to Spain’s National Statistic Institute (INE), Spain does have bilateral agreements for voting in local/municipal elections with Norway, Iceland, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, New Zealand, Peru, Paraguay, South Korea, Trinidad and Tobago, and the UK. They still can’t, however, vote in general elections. 

British citizens

Following Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union, British citizens now do not have the right to vote in elections to the European Parliament, and still can’t vote in general elections.

According to Spanish government guidelines, Spain and the UK do, however, have an agreement on mutual recognition of the right to vote and stand in local elections.

British citizens residing in Spain are still entitled to vote and stand for municipal elections in Spain under similar conditions as they had been able to when still European citizens. 

Americans

Like most other non-EU citizens from countries that Spain does not have special agreements with, Americans cannot vote in municipal, European or general Spanish elections.

The only way that American residents living in Spain would be able to vote is if they have lived in Spain legally for 10 years and apply for Spanish citizenship. 

READ ALSO – Quiz: Can you pass the Spanish citizenship test?

How to register to vote in Spain

Only people included on the padrón municipal at the local town hall may vote. EU nationals and those from countries with voting agreements must actively declare their intent to vote (declaración formal de voluntad) or respond to notification forms sent by the Electoral Roll Office (Oficina del Censo Electoral / INE) ahead of specific municipal election cycles.

In order to do this you will need:

• your passport
• proof of address (you can use a utility bills or rental contract or similar)
• a completed registration form known as a volante de empadronamiento.

You can access the registration form via your local city or town hall website.

The process is free, and once you are registered you should visit the ayuntamiento again to declare your desire to vote. Just being on the register does not grant you voting rights, so you must actively declare in order to be included on the electoral roll.

What if I was born in Spain to foreign parents?

Legally speaking, in Spain the rules are on basis of jus sanguinis (Latin for right of blood), rather than jus soli (Latin for right of the soil) when it comes to citizenship and voting rights.

This means you don’t have the right to vote in general elections just because you were born here. 

Those who were born here and want to be able to vote in general elections need to get Spanish citizenship. They can do this after one year of residency. 

READ ALSO: How children born in Spain to foreign parents can obtain Spanish nationality