If you are a resident and live here for 6 months and 1 day, you should register on the Padron. You should also have residencia. The Padron does not open the door for the authorities to check you out. They already have access to all of your personal details via your NIE number.

no, you can sign on the pardon .... just tell them you are here for more than 3 months.. you do not have to be resident.

Sorry Steve, you are wrong. Unless you are a resident, you should not sign on the Padron. By signing on, you are confirming that your habitual residence is in Spain, which in turn would tell the authorities that all foreigners on the Padron are tax residents. Don't you think that they are aware of who has gone back to the UK, or somewhere else. If they decide to do a check then there would be problems, as well as the municipality losing important revenue.

I don't think I am wrong .... but I think it could do with checking out ... I am on the padron and not a resident ... also when i bought a car here they required that I was on the pardon ... I also have many friends here in the Urbanization who are not resident but are on too ..... Spanish rules eh !!! I own a property here which may be the deciding factor. Have been on for 8 years now.

Also found this advice on the internet :-

"Every municipality in Spain holds a record of local residents; the Padron. This is held at the town hall (Ayuntamiento). The UK equivalent would be the electoral role. Anybody who owns a property in Spain should register, whether they live here permanently or not. Even if you are renting on a long term basis, you can apply to be registered. However, take note that you can only be registered on one Padron.

Is it related to Residencia?

No, this is not a Residencia and it does not require you to have Residencia or be applying for it. It does not mean that you have to pay any extra taxes. Remember that you will have to pay municipal taxes anyway, if you are a home owner

How do you register?

To register you need to go to your local town hall and produce your passport; NIE details and a copy of your escritura (title deeds, home owners only) or rental contract and you will be registered. If you say that you need proof that you are registered, they will issue you with a certificate, signed by the mayor. You can have an individual certificate (individual) or one that covers the whole family (familiar). If for any reason, they cannot issue a certificate on the same day, they can very easily give you a volante (a sort of temporary certificate which proves that you are registered).Once you are registered you will be described as empadronado. You will need to be familiar with this word as people may ask you about it. When you register you will be asked to sign a census form which gives you the right to vote in local council and European Union elections.

You will then be empadronado and an official member of the community."

Hope this clarifies.

Steve

We have been on the padron since 2006, but we are not residence, but we have now lived here for 2 1/2 years.

We went with every bit of paperwork we needed in triplecut, to Elche police station in March this year inc bank statements for proof of my hubby's pension .... but we were told that we cannot get a residencia as we only have a temporary SIP card, and we are not entitled to a full SIP card until my hubby is 65 in another 3 years time.

Tommy,
the pardon is a mess!
My partner died in October 2011, however, despite my best efforts on four separate occasions my partner is still on the pardon because The Satellite Town Hall cannot accept a death certificate in Swedish.
On the other hand my new partner was gladly put on the pardon despite the fact that my partner is non-resident.

Can anyone give a definitive answer: Will renewing the padron automatically entitle a person to vote in local elections? It used to be that to ensure your right to vote you had to complete a seperate form. Is it still the same, and if a person needs to confirm their registration on the pardon do the also need to confirm their entitlement to vote?

Linda Reed,
See EU-information http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/residence/worker-pensioner/rights-conditions/index_en.htm
Workers and pensioners
Updated : 12/2011
Rights, conditions and formalities
Display all
Staying abroad for up to 3 months
Staying abroad for more than 3 months
Workers
You have the right to live in any EU country where you work, are self-employed or have been posted to.
Job loss
If you lose your job while living in another country, you can keep your right to work and live there if you are:
temporarily unable to work because of illness or accident
registered with the relevant employment office as involuntarily unemployed after having been
employed for over a year on an indefinite contract
or
employed for less than a year on a permanent contract (in this case, you retain the right to equal treatment with nationals for at least another 6 months)
beginning vocational training (if you are not involuntarily unemployed, the training must be related to your previous job).
Pensioners
If you are a pensioner you may live in any EU country if you have:
comprehensive health insurance cover there
sufficient income (from any source) to live without needing income support.
National authorities cannot require your income to be above the level that would qualify you for basic income support.
Registration
During the first 3 months of your stay in your new country, you cannot be required to register (to obtain a document confirming your right to stay) but can do so if you wish.
After 3 months in your new country, you may be required to register with the relevant authority (often the town hall or local police station).
To obtain your registration certificate, you will need:
Employees / Postings abroad
Valid identity card or passport
Certificate of employment or confirmation of recruitment from your employer
Self-employed
Valid identity card or passport
Proof of your status as self-employed
Pensioners
Valid identity card or passport
Proof of comprehensive health insurance
Proof you can support yourself without needing income support.
You do not need to provide any other documents.
When you register, you will get a registration certificate. This certificate confirms your right to live in your new country; it states your name and address and the registration date.
Your registration certificate should be issued immediately and cost no more than the price nationals pay for identity cards.
It should be valid indefinitely (does not have to be renewed), though you may need to report any change of address to the local authorities.
If you have to register, you may be fined for not doing so but may continue to live in the country and cannot be expelled just for this.
In many countries, you will need to carry your registration certificate and national identity card or passport at all times. If you leave them at home, you may be fined but cannot be expelled just for this.

You can also re-register at the Tourist Information Centre by the Health Centre. They have a simple form there to fill in and sign. Take your old padron with you!

I can only add that I do not have recidencia but I do have a permanent SIP card and own property and a business here. but I am sighed on the pardon which was simple and prob took me about five minutes

"I do not have recidencia but I do have a permanent SIP card"
Please explain this mysterious information. How can you get permanent SIP-card and not be resident?

If you pay your Autonomo Social Security here then your entitled to a SIP card.

Now I am confused ......pay autonamo , run a business, permanent Sip, on the Padron............. but NOT a resident ???????

Seems to work for me. Spanish Social Security Office tend not to send my money back even though, I think, my NIE number highlights that I'm not resident.

Marko you say you pay your Autonomo Social Security here but you are not resident. And why are you not resident? Are you sure about your situation? It seems very very peculiar!

Thanks for your financial advice Reindeer but I'll stick with my accountant if you don't mind.

If you pay in to the social security system, autonomo or contract then you are deemed to be fiscally resident thus given residential status automatically. simple really.

Marko, my two questions and comment "It seems very very peculiar!" are not financial advice. Just to make it clear.

My accountant told me that I didnt need to sign for Residencia, and I never did. I was suprised when asked by the accountant to fill in these newish forms about bank accounts abroad. I said that I wasnt a resident and his reply backed up by a letter from Hacienda on my file was " if you pay Autonimo for more than six month there is no need to sign for residencia but you are classed by every branch of the Spanish government as a resident" In simple terms paying automino for over six months is equivalent of signing residencia.

Jesscapes, well if you live here why don't you have residencia, and you must sub let business , not own it.. I don't understand why anyone who comes here to live and has done for a long time does not have a residencia...

There is no leger requirement to have recidencia, as far as I know it is an advantage for tax reasons etc, but we pay into the system and over 500 euro a month that gives us a SIP card. we dp live here, own property and a business but there is no reason to have residentia. more important is you sign on the pardon because as I understand that gives everyone more services. I may be wrong but that's the way I understand it

plus we do rent the property as everyone does there, but the business is ours and believe me we know it every day. I have had no problem with a sip card or signing on the pardon, opening a bank account or buying a house, getting an NIE number or anything else to be honest. Think a few people here have a bit too much time on their hands to talk about rubbish. If you want to know anything ask the town hall or the police,,,its simple.

Read and try to understand! You must be registred for residencia if you stay longer than 3 months.
Real Decreto 240/2007, de 16 de febrero
CAPÍTULO III
Estancia y residencia
Artículo 7. Residencia superior a tres meses
5. Los nacionales de un Estado miembro de la Unión Europea o de otro Estado parte en el Acuerdo sobre el Espacio Económico Europeo estarán obligados a solicitar personalmente ante la oficina de extranjeros de la provincia donde pretendan permanecer o fijar su residencia o, en su defecto, ante la Comisaría de Policía correspondiente, su inscripción en el Registro Central de Extranjeros. Dicha solicitud deberá presentarse en el plazo de tres meses contados desde la fecha de entrada en España, siéndole expedido de forma inmediata un certificado de registro en el que constará el nombre, nacionalidad y domicilio de la persona registrada, su número de identidad de extranjero, y la fecha de registro

Jesscapes, I have had a business here for ten years, I wish I did have time on my hands, I was told to get a residencia things must have changed since then that's all so if were talking rubbish why comment yourself.. I thought that was what this was for , to pass comments and ask questions....

Then why does my daughter who has a contract have to have a residencia to get a full sip...

All I can say is I didn't, I have a full time contract and had a temp SIP for 3 months which im told was normal, that was replace d with a permanent one after the tree months, all I had to do was take in my contract and they got all my details from the pardon. The pardon I got within five minutes and was easy. I suggest if you are confused you go and ask someone and im sure they will tell you. Anyway I really don't see your panic about who is signed on. If anyone wants to do it then go for it/ As I understand (and I may be wrong) recidencia gives you less tax to pay if you pass property on etc and I think I also pay more charges on my bank account 38.50 euro for two years. NIE was done by someone else but was no problem to get just a bit of waiting. I bought half the house we live in and never got asked for anything other than my NIE. All I know is it was all done this year and I see little reason why its changed but I guess you never know in Spain.

From 28 March 2007, Royal Decree 240/07 requires that all EU citizens planning to reside in Spain for more than 3 months should register in person at the Oficina de Extranjeros in their province of residence or at designated Police stations. You will be issued an A4 printed Residence Certificate stating your name, address, nationality, NIE number (Número de Identificación Extranjeros) and date of registration

But, you have to cut all ties with the NHS to do that, and if you have a medical condition and been medically retired early, then to receive treatment here, you have to pay into the system, which my hubby cannot do on just his works pension, so we are in a catch situation.

You are breaking the law if you do not apply for it.If you have had residencia .
for 1 year and you are not paying into the system you can pay €60 a month. This covers you to go to the centrol salud and see the doctor, however it does not cover any medication.
And on another note about residencia, when your uk photo id driving licence expires the DVLA are not issuing new licences unless you can prove that you live in the UK and to get a Spanish driving licence you need residencia.

Sorry but I was told that just means you are a resident of Spain and no that you have residencia.Now you can not apply for to be self employed without residencia.

You are breaking the law if you do not apply for it.If you have had residencia . (Read my earlier post summerbreezeb)

Been there - tried to do that!!

I do understand your in a catch 21.That is why the government have brought in the €60 fee, its help all of us that don't fall into any category to claim free medical care here,
I was also told by the British consulate that if you claim from the UK via Newcastle you will only be entitled for one year. You then cannot claim even if you got back for at least 18 months.

When I read the comments it seems some people know more about Spanish life and laws than the Spanish. If you want to know go and ask the police or town hall. Linda love, do whats best for you im sure you wont get thrown out or locked up.

Thank you jescape, we will carry on as we are for now, as least my hubby's health is a lot better in this climate.

Jesscapes, there is my point why do you have a contract if you own a business... And I am not panicking ... It's just that no one seems to be told the same thing, I have played by the rules from the start maybe that's the problem to honest pay my dues, and Contract my staff, maybe I should do a bit of ducking and diving, and learn from the newcomers ...

I have often referred my own position to both the San Fulgencio Town Hall as well as our own small Town Hall and my opinion is that if you ask 5 people therein the same question you will get 5 different answers.

Yes you are right ,that's because the Spanish don't have to know these things they are entitled to health care.
We, like the other poster had to find a way to be able to live here, so I contacted Help at home and they set up a meeting in Playa Flamenca with a lady from the consulate. She explained all the ways we could get help.
So instead of listening to sarcastic comments why don't you contact Help at Home you will be surprised what you are entitled to.There is one in Quesada and one in Playa Flamenca.Im sure they will be able to help you.

I think every area must have different rules because if you dont have residencia for instance in Elche then you cant sign on the padron. This happened to 2 friends only 9 months ago - went to the Ayuntamiento in Elche tried to sign on Padron only to be told to go and do their residencia first. Can some one please explain this ??? thanks

The reason I have to have a contract and I don't really understand it, is because we are not married and only one of us can go self employed by law. So as my partner went self employed I had a full time contract. Don't ask me why this rule applies but it does or did a year ago when we took on the bar. It seems a stupid rule to me but there you go.

It's very confusing that you may have residencia without being a resident permanently here in Spain. If you are more than 3 consecutive months you must be registered, residencia, but that does not mean you are a resident for more than 6 months per year and therefore taxable in Spain.
Therefore, you can also get padrón without living here. You live in an other country but stay up till 6 months a year in Spain.
Confusing.
Ask the authorities if they understand the logic in this and you will get many different answers.

To be fair,I have been told that every town has it own set of rules,so we may all be right.

All the towns are bound by the same rules it just the Town halls interperate the laws differently. If the Spanish government want to tax you as a resident no amount of protesting that you have not signed as a resident will stop them taxing you.

Linda, surely when one of you reaches retirement age you will get your Pensionista SIP card, whoever retires first. I retired first, my husband is quite alot younger than me and he also has a Pensionista Card as he is a dependent ( I think that is the correct word ) = I take it neither of you are claiming OAP as yet.