When you move to Estepona or Marbella, two pieces of paperwork come first. You register on the padrón at the town hall. Then you get your foreigner number from the National Police. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens get it on an EU registration certificate. Most other nationals, including most UK nationals, get it on a TIE card.
Key points
- Everyone who lives in Spain must register on the padrón in the town where they usually live.
- Estepona: book at citaprevia.estepona.es. Marbella: book a cita previa, or file online with a Spanish digital certificate.
- Tenants bring ID and the rental contract. Estepona also asks for the latest rent receipt. Marbella asks for a recent utility or IBI bill.
- EU, EEA and Swiss citizens staying more than three months register with the police within three months of arrival (form EX-18).
- Non-EU citizens moving now usually need a long-stay visa first, then apply for a TIE (form EX-17).
- Police fees are paid with form 790 code 012 before the appointment.
This guide covers the padrón and these foreigner documents. It does not cover which visa to choose or tax residence. Each step links to the official page it was checked against in October 2026.
What is the padrón?
The padrón is the town's register of residents. By law, everyone who lives in Spain must register in the town where they usually live (Ley 7/1985, art. 15). If you split the year between two towns, you register where you spend most of it.
A padrón certificate (certificado de empadronamiento) is a public document that proves where you live (Ley 7/1985, art. 16). Registering is not the same as being a tax resident (Ayuntamiento de Marbella).
What the padrón is used for
| What | How the padrón is used |
|---|---|
| Health card | A first Andalusian health card needs a padrón certificate as proof that you live in Andalucía (Servicio Andaluz de Salud) |
| Public school places | The education office checks your family address with INE padrón data, or asks for a certificate if the data does not match (Junta de Andalucía). See schools in Estepona |
| Local services | Marbella lists access to your health centre, public education and municipal discounts (Ayuntamiento de Marbella) |
| Voting | EU and some other nationals, including British citizens, can apply to vote in local elections once registered (Ayuntamiento de Estepona) |
Good to know: The national rules accept a current home lease as proof of address. You show it with the last rent receipt (BOE, padrón instructions). Choose a 12-month home lease (vivienda habitual) that allows the padrón. Our guide to seasonal vs long-term leases explains why the contract type matters.
How to register on the padrón in Estepona
Where. The Ayuntamiento at Avenida Juan Carlos I 40 is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 14:00. You can also go to the Tenencia de Alcaldía in Cancelada (Ayuntamiento de Estepona).
Appointment. Book at citaprevia.estepona.es. Choose the office, then the service "Registro Padrón de Habitantes" (Ayuntamiento de Estepona).
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Download and fill in the registration form from the council's foreign residents page |
| 2 | Book a slot at citaprevia.estepona.es |
| 3 | Bring your valid passport, DNI or NIE, as originals |
| 4 | Tenants: bring the rental contract and the latest rent receipt. Owners: bring a nota simple from the Land Registry |
| 5 | Children: bring a birth certificate and the permission of both parents |
| 6 | Ask for a padrón certificate for each family member |
Sources: Ayuntamiento de Estepona.
Online. Estepona added padrón certificates to its electronic office in 2020, for people with an electronic signature (Ayuntamiento de Estepona). Most newcomers have no Spanish digital certificate yet, so plan on a first visit in person.
How to register on the padrón in Marbella
Where. The foreign residents department is in the Palacio de Ferias y Congresos "Adolfo Suárez", C/ José Meliá 2. There are also offices in Las Chapas (Calle Pinsapo) and Nueva Andalucía (Avda. Miguel de Cervantes 15). All open Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 14:00 (Ayuntamiento de Marbella).
How. Online with a digital certificate through the council's electronic office, or in person with a cita previa at a citizen service office (Ayuntamiento de Marbella).
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Fill in the form "Alta y Cambio de Domicilio" (Ayuntamiento de Marbella) |
| 2 | Book a cita previa, or file online if you have a digital certificate |
| 3 | Identity: passport or national ID card, or your NIE or TIE, with a passport photo |
| 4 | Tenants: rental contract plus a recent electricity, water or IBI bill. Owners: deeds, a valid nota simple or the latest IBI bill |
| 5 | Children: the same documents. If born in Spain, add the family book or birth certificate |
Sources: Ayuntamiento de Marbella.
Once registered, you can request an individual padrón certificate online through Marbella's electronic office (Ayuntamiento de Marbella).
Can you register without your own lease?
Yes, if you live in someone else's home. If someone is already registered at the address, you do not need your own lease. Instead, an adult registered there gives written authorisation, and that person must hold a title to the home (BOE, padrón instructions). In Estepona, the person who authorises you provides a copy of their ID and proof that they own or rent the home (Ayuntamiento de Estepona).
The town hall can accept other documents and may check that you really live there, for example through a local police report (BOE, padrón instructions). An expired passport is not valid unless you show the renewal application.
Good to know: Non-EU citizens without long-term residence must renew their padrón registration every two years, or it can lapse (Ley 7/1985, art. 16).
NIE, EU registration certificate or TIE: which do you need?
EU, EEA and Swiss residents need the EU registration certificate. Non-EU residents need a TIE. A NIE number on its own is for people with dealings in Spain who do not live here yet. All three are often called "the NIE", but they are different documents.
| Document | What it is | Who needs it | Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| NIE number on its own | Your foreigner identity number, for tax, property or other dealings | Anyone with economic, professional or social ties to Spain who is not yet a resident | EX-15 (Policía Nacional) |
| EU registration certificate (certificado de registro de ciudadano de la UE) | Proof that you are registered as a resident. It shows your NIE | EU, EEA and Swiss citizens living in Spain for more than three months | EX-18 (Policía Nacional) |
| TIE (tarjeta de identidad de extranjero) | A photo card for residents | Non-EU residents, including most UK nationals | EX-17 (Policía Nacional) |
If you will live here, an EU citizen does not need a separate NIE first. The registration certificate already includes the number (Policía Nacional).
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens
Stays of up to three months need only a valid passport or ID card (RD 240/2007, art. 6). To stay longer, you register in person within three months of entering Spain (Policía Nacional).
You must fit one of these cases (RD 240/2007, art. 7):
- You work for an employer or are self-employed in Spain.
- You have enough money for yourself and your family, plus health insurance covering all risks in Spain.
- You are a student at a recognised school or university, with enough money and health insurance.
No fixed amount of money is set by law (RD 240/2007, art. 7).
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Book a police appointment on the official cita previa system |
| 2 | Fill in form EX-18 |
| 3 | Generate form 790 code 012 online and pay it at a bank. You do not need an account there |
| 4 | Gather your passport or ID card and proof that you meet one of the cases above |
| 5 | Attend in person. The certificate is issued on the spot |
Sources: Policía Nacional.
Where. The Oficina de Extranjería of your province, or the police station (comisaría) where there is none (Policía Nacional). For Estepona and Marbella, that is Málaga province. The cita previa system shows which offices have slots for your procedure.
A NIE number only
If you are not moving here yet but need a number, for example to buy a home, use form EX-15. You apply in person at an Oficina de Extranjería or police station. From abroad, you apply through a Spanish consulate. You must give the reason for the request (Policía Nacional).
Non-EU citizens, including UK nationals
This route starts before you move. Non-EU citizens usually apply for a long-stay visa at the Spanish consulate in their country of residence. One example is the non-lucrative residence visa, for people who will not work (Spanish consulate in San Francisco). Other visas cover work, study and other cases. Check the page of the consulate for where you live.
After you arrive with that visa, you apply for your TIE within one month, at an Oficina de Extranjería or police station (Spanish consulate in San Francisco). The TIE form is EX-17, paid with form 790 code 012 (Policía Nacional).
UK nationals. If you lived in Spain before 1 January 2021, you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement. The TIE is your residence document. If you move now, check which visa or residence permit you need, as for other non-EU citizens (GOV.UK).
Good to know: Visa and residence rules depend on your nationality, income and family. Talk to an immigration lawyer or gestor before you plan dates or sign a lease.
How to book a police appointment and pay the fee
Booking a police appointment
Appointments for police immigration procedures are booked on the government's cita previa site. You choose the province, then the procedure, then an office. Apart from employer and family cases, the foreign citizen or an authorised representative books the slot (Administraciones Públicas).
Slots on the coast fill fast. Check at different times of day and keep your passport details ready.
Form 790 code 012
You pay police immigration fees with form 790 code 012. You generate it online, print it and pay at a bank. These are the amounts on the National Police fee page, checked on 9 October 2026 (Policía Nacional):
| Procedure | Fee |
|---|---|
| NIE number on request (EX-15) | €9.84 |
| EU registration certificate (EX-18) | €12.00 |
| TIE under the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement | €12.00 |
| TIE, first temporary residence | €16.08 |
| TIE, renewal of temporary residence | €19.30 |
| TIE, long-term residence | €21.87 |
Pay before your appointment and bring the stamped receipt. Fees change from time to time, so check the form when you generate it.
Padrón and NIE checklist
- Sign a 12-month home lease that allows the padrón, or get written authorisation from someone registered at the address.
- Book your padrón appointment in Estepona or Marbella.
- Bring passports, the lease, the last rent receipt and the form. For children, add birth certificates.
- Ask for a padrón certificate for each family member.
- EU citizens: book the EX-18 appointment within three months of arrival and pay form 790 code 012. Bring proof of work, income or study, plus health insurance if needed.
- Non-EU citizens: arrive with your visa and book your TIE appointment within the first month.
- Use the padrón certificate for your health card, then school applications.
- Keep copies of every certificate and receipt.
For more on settling in, read our guides to moving to Estepona, moving to Marbella and moving to the Costa del Sol with kids. If you still need a home, renting in Spain as a foreigner covers the documents owners ask for.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change, and each office can ask for extra documents. Check with a gestor, a lawyer or the office itself before you rely on it.