I have received a letter from my local council in Spain saying I must reregister on the Padron under EC regulations they state.
Council of Registration, the inscription in the municipal Register of inhabitants from EC countries must be confirmed every 2 or every 5 years if you are already registered in the central register of Foreigners.

Is there such a law, does anybody know what this law is and whether its enforceable in law.
I would welcome your views.

do you actually live here?

I don't actually think there is such a LAW (unless others can show me otherwise).

I always thought that this was optional - although you actually need it for certain events.

Some would argue that one should enrol, but again, I don't think one actually HAS to.

we've had discussions about this recently

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...padron+renewal


apparently there is a law

I'll find it eventually & post it.........................

edit - this is taken from one of many Ayunatmiento bulletins

which roughly means


so perhaps it's not a law as much as a recommendation?

I agree, and that was my point. I too think it's just a recommendation (a nice-to-have).

I'm sure it's law that you have to register - it's just the renewal bit I'm not sure about

I'd be interested to see any law, or directive, or recommendation in writing.

I'll take a copy with me next time I attempt to register and see if it helps.

really?

you're having trouble signing on the padron???

Yes. Last time I thought all had gone well, then they wrote to me telling me they still needed some documents, some of which they had and some of which they had seen and checked off.

I guess they're not that desperate for the money in Málaga.

Yes there is a law.

http://noticias.juridicas.com/base_d...0-1986.t2.html

It is obligatory to sign on your local padron if your habitual residence is in Spain.

If you stick to the wording of the law then unless you spend more time in Spain than you do anywhere else you cannot sign on as it is not your habitual residence - it is an official census which determines all the population statistics for Spain.

Clearly, allowing hundreds of thousands of holiday home owners to sign on would distort the figures.

Because there seems to be little dialogue between local government and central government, the rules have been ignored by local councils who have encouraged anyone with property in their locality to sign on so as to get the maximum subsidy from central government.

It is especially evident in holiday areas where there is a high percentage of Spanish owned holiday homes. Spaniards are most definitely prohibited from being registered in two locations so they cannot sign on the padron - as a result all the foreign property owners are encouraged to do so.

As for the need to re register there do seem to be some circumstance where it might now be necessary but yet again, the various departments involved just don't seem to know what is happening. Up until 1985 it was necessary for everyone to renew every 5 years.

To be fair, if you accept it as a national census of inhabitants it would not be unreasonable to review it in the case of fopreigners who may have moved away. For Spaniards and resident foreigners who move within Spain, they automatically get removed from the old register when they sign on the new one.

I want a shaking head smiley, but this will have to do

And that is pretty much how it feels.

I have moved since the last failed attempt so it would have had to be changed anywa. That fun awaits me later this month. I will report back.

I'm still trying to find a copy of the consejo I was talking about

you seem to have the knack

I need something which refers not to my obligation but to theirs. They're supposedly obliged to register even those without legal status here, yet I can't get on.

Yes they are but you also have to produce the data they need and any proof they need to verify that you legally live at the palce you say you do etc etc.

It's all in that law I posted the link to - articles 57/8/9 and particularly 59/2.

Unfortunately it is sufficiently vague as to give them plenty of scope to make it difficult for you.

You could try getting a gestor to help you through it - they can usually smooth any path but it is quite wrong that you may have to pay fees just to comply with the law - but that's Spain isn't it?