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The short answer
You register on the padró municipal with the Ajuntament de Barcelona by booking a citizen service appointment, then bringing your Nigerian passport or TIE, the registration form and proof you live at the address: your own lease or deed, or a signed authorisation from the owner or main tenant. Registration is a legal duty for anyone living in Spain, and non-EU residents without long-term residence must renew it every two years.
In Barcelona you will see the Catalan terms padró and volant alongside the Spanish padrón and volante. The legal basis is the same national law that applies in Madrid: Ley 7/1985, which requires everyone living in Spain to register in the municipality where they habitually live (art. 15).
The hard part in Barcelona: proof of address
Many newcomers in Barcelona rent a room, sublet or stay with friends at first, so the lease is not in their name. The register can still take you, but you need the right papers from the person who holds the address.
| Your situation | What to bring (typical) |
|---|---|
| Lease in your name | The signed lease and your ID |
| You own the flat | The deed (escritura) or a property registry note |
| Renting a room | Signed authorisation from the main tenant or owner, a copy of their ID, and their lease or deed |
| Living with family or friends | The same authorisation from the person registered there, with their ID |
| Joining someone already registered | Authorisation from an adult already registered at the address |
Ask the Ajuntament for its current authorisation form and accepted documents before your appointment. A landlord who refuses to sign is a warning sign about the arrangement; see landlord scams aimed at newcomers.
If the landlord will not sign
Some room landlords refuse to authorise registration, often because the letting is informal. You have a legal duty to register where you live (art. 15), and padrón data are kept by the Ajuntament for its own purposes (art. 17). Before you commit to a room, ask in writing whether you will be able to register. If the answer is no, think hard: without the padró you will struggle with the bank, the health card and later residence files, and an informal letting gives you weaker protection over the deposit. Ask the Ajuntament what it can accept in your situation rather than relying on someone who sells "padrón addresses", which is not a lawful shortcut.
Booking and attending
- Book an appointment for padró registration with the Ajuntament de Barcelona through its online appointment service or its phone line.
- Fill in the registration form for each person moving in.
- Attend the appointment at the citizen service office you booked, with originals and copies.
- Ask for a volant to take away, or request one later online or in person.
Your identity document is your Nigerian passport or your TIE. The register records your NIE or, if you have none, your passport number (Ley 7/1985, art. 16). Nigerian documents for children, such as birth certificates, may need an apostille and a sworn translation; the University of Deusto's guide explains who can translate.
Why it is worth doing in your first weeks
- Banks. Padrón data are legal proof of residence and usual address (art. 16), so it is the document banks prefer.
- Health and schools. Health centre registration and school places usually start from the padrón.
- Proving time in Spain. Later residence or nationality files may need you to show how long you have lived here. The padrón history is that record, so register from your first address.
Renewal and moving within the city
Non-EU residents without long-term residence must renew "cada dos años" (art. 16). Diarise it. If you move within Barcelona, update your registration to the new address; if you move to another municipality, register there and the change follows. Leaving Spain? Ask the Ajuntament how to deregister so that your record ends cleanly.
A worked example
Example only. Tobi rents a room in Gràcia from a main tenant. Before paying the deposit he asks the tenant to sign the Ajuntament's authorisation and give him a copy of their ID and the lease. He books an appointment, brings his passport, the form and the papers, and leaves with a volant he takes to the bank the following week.
What to check first
- Will the person whose name is on the lease sign an authorisation?
- Are your passport details and the form identical?
- Do you know your renewal date?
Registering in Madrid instead? See padrón in Madrid.
Where Pryme fits
While you sort out the volant and a Spanish account, a Pryme account opened with your Nigerian passport holds euros and naira, so you can pay a room deposit in euros or send money home. See the multicurrency account and sending money.
Questions people ask
Can I register on the padró in Barcelona if I rent a room?
Usually yes, with a signed authorisation from the main tenant or owner plus a copy of their ID and their lease or deed.
Do I need a NIE to register on the padró in Barcelona?
No. The register records your NIE or, if you have none, your passport number.
What is a volant de padró?
The Catalan name for the volante, a document showing you are registered at an address.
Do I have to renew my padró?
Non-EU residents without long-term residence renew every two years, under article 16 of Ley 7/1985.
Sources
- BOE: Ley 7/1985, Reguladora de las Bases del Régimen Local, arts 15-17 (consolidated text, 3 Oct 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Universidad de Deusto: Legalisation of foreign documents · accessed Oct 2026
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