Is it possible to register with two different town halls in Spain or can you live in one place and be registered in another? Here’s what you need to know about having a padrón in two places.
Perhaps you have a summer home near the beach and another apartment in a city and split your time between the two, or maybe you rent a flat where you work during the week and another place where you go back to spend weekends.
There are several reasons why you may think about registering with the town hall in both places you spend time.
Or maybe you want to know if you can live in one place and be on the padrón in another in order to access a better school, health facility etc.
First of all, let’s look at what the padrón is and why you need it.
It’s essentially a type of census managed and conducted by the town hall of the area where you live and is also referred to by it’s full name – empadronamiento. It’s up to you to go and register within the first three months of moving to Spain or moving house within Spain.
When you register you will be issued with a padrón certificate which proves your address. You will need this for several administrative processes in Spain such as applying for public health card, getting your children into a local school, getting married and obtaining a social security number.
Each area or Town Hall also benefits from you registering for the empadronamiento, as they receive funding based on how many people are ‘empadronados’ there.
Padrón: How to register at your town hall in Spain
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So if you live in more than one place in Spain, you might be wondering if you can register on the padrón in both places in order to access the facilities in each.
The easy answer is no, you can’t. It’s actually illegal in Spain to be registered as living in two places at once.
Law 4/1996 states: “Every person who lives in Spain is obliged to register on the padrón of the municipality in which they habitually reside. Those who live in several municipalities must register only in the one they live in for the longest time per year”.
You must be registered in your usual place of residence or where you spend the most time, you cannot be registered in several municipalities at the same time.
If you are found out to have registered in different areas at the same time, you could face a fine or even be sent to jail in extreme cases.
This could be anywhere from €3 to €150 depending on the size of the municipality where you live. The bigger the town or city, the higher the fine.
If you have a criminal record or have been caught trying to defraud the system before, you could also face jail time between six months and three years, according to article 392 of the Penal Code.
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READ ALSO: Should non-residents in Spain register on the padrón?
Besides the fines and it being illegal there are several reasons why it’s not a good idea and will actually make life more difficult for you.
Problems with receiving aid
Firstly, you may have problems accessing benefits. This could be aid for rent, studies or any other benefits you may wish to apply for that are managed at a municipal or regional level.
Accessing public services
Secondly, you could also have issues accessing public services such as health care or public schools. For example, you must always go to your assigned GP in the municipality in which you are registered. If you want to access general medical care in another area you will have to apply for a temporary card there and they will not have access to your records. This may incur longer waiting times and issues with your medications etc.
Receiving notifications
Another problem could be when the authorities need to contact you and aren’t sure where to send the notifications. This could be to do with certain taxes such as the IBI property tax which is only sent to the place on the padrón in that area.
Voting
If you have the right to vote in Spain then you may also have issues exercising this right if you’re not registered correctly in one place.
READ ALSO: When and how you need to renew your padrón certificate in Spain
