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Spain PaperworkSpanish administrative procedures · English reference edition

Procedure · Certificado de registro de ciudadano de la Unión

EU registration certificate in Spain (form EX-18)

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens staying in Spain more than three months must register in person within three months of arriving. The certificate costs €12 and is issued on the spot.

Checked at source ·

Official fee
€12.00
Official name
Certificado de registro de ciudadano de la Unión
Forms
EX-18 · 790-012
Steps
7
Documents required
7

Source: Ministerio del Interior — Tasas — Extranjería. Checked .

Every immigration fee, with the official Spanish wording

Who needs one

Citizens of an EU member state, another EEA state or Switzerland who intend to reside in Spain for more than three months, and their family members who are themselves EU, EEA or Swiss nationals.

Step by step

  1. Check which of the four grounds you are relying on

    There is no general right to register: you must fall into one of four situations. You are employed or self-employed in Spain; or you have sufficient resources for yourself and your family plus health insurance covering all risks in Spain; or you are enrolled at a recognised educational establishment with health insurance and a declaration of sufficient resources; or you are a family member accompanying or joining an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen who meets one of the first three. Which ground you pick decides which documents you need, so decide before you gather anything.

  2. Apply within three months of entering Spain

    The application must be submitted within three months of the date you entered Spain. This is a deadline in the rule, not a guideline, and it runs from arrival rather than from when you decide to stay.

  3. Apply in person, at the immigration office for your province

    You are required to apply personally at the Oficina de Extranjeros of the province where you intend to stay or settle, or failing that at the corresponding police station. This is registration in the Registro Central de Extranjeros. Note the wording: personally. A representative cannot do this one for you the way they can for a NIE.

    Where: Oficina de Extranjeros of your province, or the corresponding Comisaría de Policía

  4. Bring form EX-18 and the evidence for your ground

    Form EX-18 plus a valid passport or national identity document — or, if it has expired, a copy of it together with your renewal application. Then the evidence for whichever ground you are using, in original and copy. If you are employed or self-employed you can often skip the paperwork entirely by consenting to the office checking Social Security or Tax Agency records directly.

  5. If you are not working: insurance and resources

    You need health insurance, public or private, taken out in Spain or abroad, giving cover in Spain equivalent to the National Health System for your period of residence. Pensioners meet this by certifying entitlement to healthcare charged to the state paying their pension. If you have no public cover, you can obtain it by taking out a convenio especial with the autonomous community where you are registered on the padrón — an option almost no English guide mentions. Separately you must show resources sufficient not to become a burden on Spanish social assistance.

  6. Understand how 'sufficient resources' is actually measured

    There is no fixed figure published as a requirement. Resources above the amount set each year in the State Budget Act for entitlement to a non-contributory benefit are treated as sufficient. Assessment is individual and takes your personal and family situation into account. Proof can be by any means admitted in law: property deeds, certified cheques, evidence of investment income, or a credit card accompanied by a current bank certificate showing the credit available on it.

  7. Collect the certificate the same day

    The certificate is issued immediately and shows your name, nationality, address, your foreigner identity number and the date of registration. It is a green paper or card document, not a photo ID, and it does not replace your passport.

Documents you need

  • Form EX-18

    EX-18

    The application for registration in the Central Register of Foreign Nationals.

  • Valid passport or national identity document

    If it has expired, bring a copy of it together with your application for renewal.

  • Proof of payment of fee 790/012

    790-012

    €12.00, payable at a bank, savings bank or credit cooperative.

  • If employed: employer's declaration or employment certificate

    A work contract registered with the public employment service, or proof of Social Security registration, is also accepted. Not required at all if you consent to the office checking Social Security records.

  • If self-employed: proof that you work on your own account

    Registration in the Census of Economic Activities, entry in the Commercial Register, or Social Security registration. Again not required if you consent to a records check at Social Security or the Tax Agency.

  • If not working: health insurance and proof of resources

    Insurance giving cover in Spain equivalent to the National Health System, and evidence of resources above the annual non-contributory benefit threshold.

  • If studying: enrolment, insurance and a responsible declaration

    Enrolment at a recognised centre; health insurance, where a European Health Insurance Card covering the whole period of residence is accepted; and a responsible declaration of sufficient resources. Participation in an EU educational exchange programme is itself accepted as sufficient proof.

Common questions

How long do I have to register after moving to Spain?

Three months from the date you entered Spain. The deadline runs from arrival, not from when you decide to stay or when you find somewhere to live.

How much money do I need to show?

There is no published fixed figure. Resources above the amount set each year in the State Budget Act for entitlement to a non-contributory benefit are treated as sufficient, and the assessment is individual, taking your personal and family circumstances into account. Any means of proof admitted in law is acceptable, including property deeds, evidence of investment income, or a credit card with a current bank certificate showing the available credit.

I am a pensioner. What counts as health insurance?

Certifying that you are entitled to healthcare charged to the state that pays your pension satisfies the requirement. If you have no public cover, you can take out a convenio especial with the autonomous community where you are registered on the padrón.

Can someone apply on my behalf?

No. The rule requires you to apply personally at the immigration office of your province, or failing that at the corresponding police station. This differs from a NIE application, which can be made through a representative holding sufficient power of attorney.

Does the certificate expire?

Its validity is conditional on you continuing to meet the grounds on which it was issued. You are required to notify any change of nationality, civil status or address to the immigration office of the province where you live, or failing that the corresponding police station.

What if I lose my job?

You keep worker status in defined situations: temporary incapacity from illness or accident; duly recorded involuntary unemployment after more than a year of employment, provided you register with the employment service; involuntary unemployment after a fixed-term contract of under a year or during the first twelve months, again with registration, in which case worker status is kept for at least six months; and vocational training related to your previous job.

Which office, in your province

Not every police station handles every procedure, and the assignment differs from province to province — in Alicante the residence card is issued at one address and the NIE at another. Pick your province to see the offices that actually do this one, with addresses and phone numbers.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. We do not cite other guides, because a copy gives us no way to notice when the original changes.

This is information, not advice

Your own case depends on your nationality, your current status and your history with the administration — none of which a web page can see. Confirm anything that matters with the responsible authority or a qualified professional before you act on it.