How to vote in local elections in Spain

The next local elections will be held on May 28th, 2023 and both EU residents and non EU residents from countries that have a Voting Reciprocity Agreement will be able to vote.

If you are not a spanish citizen but are legally resident in Spain you may still have the right to vote in the local municipal elections too.

What do you need to do to register on the census?

Nationals of European Union (EU) countries

- You must be over 18 years of age
- You must be registered on the Padron of the place where you live.
- You must have declared your wish to vote in the municipal elections.

Both enrollment in the padron and the declaration of willingness to vote must be completed by January 30th, 2023 in order to vote in the local elections on May 28th, 2023.

Procedure:

If you have not previously voted in local spanish elections then you must make a Formal Declaration of Willingness to Vote in Spain for the Municipal Elections. This can be made online, by post or in person at the Town Hall of residence.

a) Online: EU citizens residing in Spain can express their intention to vote in Spain in municipal elections (and also in elections to the European Parliament if they wish) using the cl@ve system via the following link: https://sede.ine.gob.es/manifestacionVotoPermanente/presentacion

b) In the Town Hall of residence: By filling in the formal declaration form available at the town hall or trought the PDF document that you can download in this same page.

Remember that proof of identity must be shown, which can be using your foreigner card where the NIE appears, or with your passport of your country of origin.

Nationals of Non EU Countries (including UK citizens)

If you are a resident in Spain but a non EU National you may still be able to vote and stand in local elections if your country of nationality has an agreement with Spain. Those countries with agreements include:

Bolivia
Cape Verde
Chile
Colombia
Korea
Ecuador
Iceland
Norway
New Zealand
Paraguay
Peru
Trinidad and Tobago
United Kingdom

Only for UK Citizens:
As a citizen of the United Kingdom you can vote or stand in the upcoming local elections of May as long as you have been resident for 3 years. To do so, you must:

- Be registered on the municipal register (padrón)
- Confirm your registration on the electoral roll (censo electoral) by January 15th, 2023
- The Electoral Census Office (Oficina del Censo Electoral) will write to all non EU nationals (including UK nationals) who, according to the relevant databases, have the right to vote. They are due to send these letters at the end of November 2022.

If you receive a letter, follow the instructions to complete your registration either by post or online. If you do not receive a letter but believe you meet the requirements to vote, contact the town hall and register in person.

Remember that you will not be able to vote in the local elections in Spain on May if you are not registered on the census and registration closes on January 15th, 2023 for all non EU nationals.

Download the Formal Declaration of Willingness to Vote in Spain for the Municipal Elections here: