Deregister from the Spanish System

There comes a time for some people to decide that Spain is no longer the country they want to live in. Many return to their home country, whilst others take the plunge for new lands and adventures. 

Whatever the reason and wherever you go it is important that you de-register from the Spanish system. 

Some of this information will not apply to you as it depends what type of resident you have been. 

Padron

The padron is the official register that each townhall has, to keep record of the number of people living in its municipality. Therefore, it is important to get your name removed from this list. After you have applied to be removed from the list, you will have to go back again to the townhall to collect the certificate that confirms this deregistration has happened. Once you have this certificate you can deregister from the rest of the Spanish system. 

Residencia / TIE Card 

You will also need to cancel and surrender your residencia or TIE card at the Oficina de Extranjeria in your province. In exchange, they will issue a stamped document that includes the date of cancellation. This is the proof that you are no longer a resident in Spain. 

Tax 

Hacienda, the Spanish Tax Office need to know that you are no longer a resident of Spain. They will need a copy of your Padron deregistration and completion of the 030 form. In return, they will issue a certificate verify non – resident tax status. Very occasionally, they will also request a notification from the UK confirming that you have reregistered there. Deregistering does not prevent you from completing a fiscal (residential) tax return for the previous year if that was applicable to your circumstances. 

Medical 

If you are returning to your own country and have been in the Spanish medical system, you should hand in your medical cards to the main Centro de Salud for your area. Make sure that any forthcoming hospital appointments have also been cancelled to free the space for someone else. If you are moving to another country (not your homeland), besides carrying out the actions above you may consider getting a certificate from the Social Security office that confirms Spain is not responsible for your medical cover. I came across this situation recently when someone moved to France, and it is not so easy to do if you are not close by or able to converse with the office. 

Vehicle 

If you are taking a Spanish registered vehicle out of the country, then it is important to notify Trafico and apply for a ‘baja de exportación´ so they can remove the vehicle from their database and not charge you the annual tax. This should be prepared before the vehicle and you leave Spain, but the procedure will not be actioned until the vehicle has been registered in the new country. 

Driving Licences 

If you choose to do so, you can still use your Spanish licence in the UK for a period time or you may prefer to contact the DVLA and exchange it for a UK licence without taking a test. You will be able to drive in the UK with your EU driving licence until it expires, you reach 70, or until three years after you become a UK resident again. You can also still use your Spanish licence to hire vehicles in the UK too. For other countries, we recommend you check with the local authorities for more information. 

As always if you would like any further advice or assistance with any of the above you can contact us.

Other Services we provide

There are so many other matters that we can help you with, they are almost too numerous to list.

From SIM Cards and topping up mobile phones to the various licences required including tourism, fishing and dangerous dogs. We can help with utility companies and get you a digital signature.

If the time comes and you need to leave Spain, we can help with all that too.