Posted: Fri Apr 2, 2021 11:09am
However, it is not a good idea for non-residents to register.
This is because the padrón accredits your residency in Spain. If you are not resident in Spain, then any future attempt to become resident may be complicated by the fact that your name appears on a padrón municipal.
Case study: Belgium residents Bertrand and Anne Koen have a holiday home in a small town in Spain. Being EU citizens, they were able to register on their town padrón using only their passport (as the local mayor has not enforced any rule requiring an NIE to register).
After several years of being on the padrón, the Koens took full time retirement and moved to their holiday home. They transfered their fiscal residency to their Spanish home and applied for a residency permit from the Immigration Office.
As part of this process, they attempted to import their car. As recently arrived residents of Spain they were eligable for a tax exemption on the import duties on this vehicle.
But when the Tax Authority ran a check against the Koens, their names appeared on a padrón list. Since the padrón residency proved the Koens had been living in Spain for several years, the Tax Office cited this as proof that they are not eligible for the recently arrived tax exemption and charged them full import duties on their vehicle.
Who is obliged to register on the padrón?
Only Spanish residents are obliged to be on the padrón. If you are a Spanish resident you must apply to be on the padrón of the municipality in which you spend the most time during the course of a year.
There is no obligation for non-residents to register on the padrón or with their local authority.