# From when are you resident?



## Pipeman (Apr 1, 2016)

I have a quick question regarding residency in Spain.

Is residency calculated from the date of arrival in Spain or the date when you register for residency (i.e. up to 90 days later)?


----------



## timwip (Feb 27, 2017)

I asked a lawyer that very question and the date of residency is when you file the empadronamiento.
This is you declaring the city that you are living there. You need this document to file for residency.


----------



## Pipeman (Apr 1, 2016)

So.... arrive in July and get Health Insurance. Then apply for Padron and residency 3 months later in October....

Following July the Health Insurance expires but you can't join Convio until October... ?


----------



## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

You don't have to wait 90 days to apply for residency. You can apply as soon as you arrive if your intention when you arrive is to live in Spain permanently.


----------



## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Yes, you are required to register within 90 days of arrival, not after 90 days.

And be aware that private health insurance policies include "waiting periods" whereby you will not be covered for certain kinds of treatment until a specified period has elapsed. Generally you would be covered for emergency treatment and GP visits straight away, but specialist consultations, hospital treatment or surgery would have waiting periods of beween 3 and 6 months depending on the specialism, and some things like psychiatric treatment can have a waiting period as long as 12 months (as can ante-natal and obstetric care). Therefore you can be paying premiums but still not covered for everything during the first 12 months.


----------



## Allie-P (Feb 11, 2013)

I applied for and received my residency in 2013. Residency documentation was required, prior to registering on the Padrón.

Each area is different, I applied in Fuengirola.


----------



## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

timwip said:


> I asked a lawyer that very question and the date of residency is when you file the empadronamiento.
> This is you declaring the city that you are living there. You need this document to file for residency.


As you have to be a resident (or intend to be) to go on the padron, I can't see how this can possibly be correct.

The law actually states something quite different.

It is within 90 days from arrival in Spain (although you can do it on day 1 if you wish) - there is no mention of the padron in the law.


----------



## Juan C (Sep 4, 2017)

snikpoh said:


> As you have to be a resident (or intend to be) to go on the padron, I can't see how this can possibly be correct.
> 
> The law actually states something quite different.
> 
> It is within 90 days from arrival in Spain (although you can do it on day 1 if you wish) - there is no mention of the padron in the law.


Right on the ball as usual.


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

timwip said:


> I asked a lawyer that very question and the date of residency is when you file the empadronamiento.
> This is you declaring the city that you are living there. You need this document to file for residency.


This is correct for non-EU citizens such as yourself.


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Allie-P said:


> I applied for and received my residency in 2013. Residency documentation was required, prior to registering on the Padrón.
> 
> Each area is different, I applied in Fuengirola.





Pipeman said:


> So.... arrive in July and get Health Insurance. Then apply for Padron and residency 3 months later in October....
> 
> Following July the Health Insurance expires but you can't join Convio until October... ?


Allie-P is (more or less) correct for EU citizens as you currently are, Pipeman.


Resident registration as an EU citizen as soon as possible after your arrival, then padrón afterwards.


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> As you have to be a resident (or intend to be) to go on the padron, I can't see how this can possibly be correct.
> 
> The law actually states something quite different.
> 
> It is within 90 days from arrival in Spain (although you can do it on day 1 if you wish) - there is no mention of the padron in the law.


timwip isn't an EU citizen & his information is correct for non-EU citizens.


----------



## Pipeman (Apr 1, 2016)

xabiaxica said:


> Allie-P is (more or less) correct for EU citizens as you currently are, Pipeman.
> 
> 
> Resident registration as an EU citizen as soon as possible after your arrival, then padrón afterwards.



Thanks, I guess I'll have to work out how to register as a resident without having 3 months Spanish banking history and do it as soon as I can


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

timwip said:


> I asked a lawyer that very question and the date of residency is when you file the empadronamiento.
> This is you declaring the city that you are living there. You need this document to file for residency.


Nope. You are supposed to be resident already when you file for empadronamiento. The Padrón is a list of residents in the town /village /city and is what the Ayuntamiento uses as the basis of their claim for funds from the government.


----------



## Juan C (Sep 4, 2017)

_Nope. You are supposed to be resident already when you file for empadronamiento. The Padrón is a list of residents in the town /village /city and is what the Ayuntamiento uses as the basis of their claim for funds from the government. _

Having been reminded here, I am pretty certain that my non EU wife had to be on the padrón before she could be processed for her Residencia (family reunification). We had to show we were living together


----------



## timwip (Feb 27, 2017)

As other people pointed out, I am not a EU citizen. As another person pointed out, each region is a little different. However, in my case, following is the sequence of activities:

1. I opened a bank account on a previous visit to Spain
2. I got my private health insurance on a previous visit to Spain.
3. In July 2019 I got my empadronamiento.
4. Later in July 2019, I applied for residency.
5. In late September 2019, I received my residency.
6. In October 2019, I received my tarjeta Sanitaria
7. In December 2019, I passed all the tests and received my driver's license. Spain does not recognize my US license; however, insurance does recognize my experience once I got it certificated by RACE. This way I got lower insurance rates, more points and no L on the car.


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

baldilocks said:


> Nope. You are supposed to be resident already when you file for empadronamiento. The Padrón is a list of residents in the town /village /city and is what the Ayuntamiento uses as the basis of their claim for funds from the government.


As has been mentioned, timwip isn't an EU citizen.

That changes things (& gives us an idea of how things will be for Brits from Jan 2021)


----------

