LIVING

When buying a property or a car, or working here, it is obligatory to have an NIE number. In addition, the law has been changed for EU citizens, meaning they are no longer issued with residency cards, but must register for the NIE if planning to reside in Spain for more than three months. This is done either at the local Oficina de Extranjeros (Foreigner’s Office) or at certain designated police stations. The NIE means you can legally remain in Spain as a fiscal resident, for example if you stay here for more than 183 days a year.

Many foreign residents are missing out on some (mainly free) services by failing to empadronar-se (register as a resident with the local town hall). Every municipality in Spain holds a record of local residents (padró) in its town hall (ajuntament); the British equivalent would be the electoral roll. Although it’s not compulsory to empadronar-se (though there are steps in place to make it obligatory in the future), there are major benefits both for the individual and their locality, as the local government receives income depending on the number of people who have registered. Areas with lots of foreign residents often suffer as so few foreigners bother to empadronar, badly affecting funding for basic services such as policing, health centres, cleaning and maintenance.

The empadronamiento also offers holders the right to enrol their children in the local school. If places are limited, families who are on the padró have priority.

“Whilst we don’t know the exact figures, we know there are a number of unregistered foreigners living here,” said Generalitat spokesman Manuel Campillo. “The majority of them are most likely living here illegally or don’t want to empadronar for personal reasons, or maybe they are simply passing through.”