You've found the EX-18 form. You've checked the official requirements list. It says you need proof of address — but it doesn't say empadronamiento specifically. So you wonder: can I just use my rental contract?
This is one of the most common questions EU citizens moving to Spain ask — and the reason the answer is frustrating is that it depends on which office you walk into, in which city, in which year.
What the Green NIE actually is
The "Green NIE" is the informal name for the EU Registration Certificate, issued via form EX-18. Its official name is the Certificado de Registro de Ciudadano de la Unión.
It is issued to EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens who want to formally register as residents in Spain — typically required once you intend to stay for more than three months. It includes your NIE number, confirms your legal residence status, and is what most institutions (banks, employers, schools) want to see when they ask for proof of residency.
The law vs. what offices actually ask for
The official EX-18 documentation checklist includes:
- Passport or EU national identity card
- Completed EX-18 form
- Proof of economic means (employment contract, payslips, autónomo registration, or savings)
- Private health insurance (if not employed or registered as autónomo)
- Proof of payment — Modelo 790 code 012
- Proof of address in Spain
That last item — proof of address — is where the ambiguity lives. The regulation says "address." It does not say "empadronamiento certificate." This gap between the written rule and what officers choose to accept is the entire source of conflicting information you'll find online.
Not sure what your local office will accept?
NIEasy knows what each province's Extranjería actually asks for — we prepare your documents accordingly.
- ✓ Province-specific document guidance
- ✓ Lawyer attends on your behalf
- ✓ NIE + Residencia in ~5 days
Why your rental contract worked 5 years ago
If you've read forum posts or blog articles from a few years back, you'll see plenty of people who sailed through the EX-18 process with just a rental contract. That was broadly true — and it's not true anymore across most major cities.
🕐 2018 – 2021
- Rental contracts widely accepted as proof of address
- Empadronamiento rarely explicitly required
- Offices generally applied flexible interpretation
- Less pressure on immigration staff to prevent fraud
📍 Today (2026)
- Padrón routinely required in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia
- Short-term rentals almost universally rejected
- Stricter interpretation of 'proof of residence'
- Fraud prevention concerns have tightened requirements
The shift happened gradually between 2021 and 2023, driven partly by increased fraud concerns around address documentation, and partly by a policy push to more strictly verify that applicants actually live where they claim.
When you might not need empadronamiento
There are scenarios where alternative proof of address is still accepted. But notice the word "might" — none of these come with guarantees.
| Proof of address document | Acceptance likelihood | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Empadronamiento certificate | Universally accepted everywhere in Spain | |
| Long-term rental contract (12+ months) | Usually accepted, but increasingly asked for padrón too | |
| Property ownership deed | Generally accepted, strongest alternative to padrón | |
| Short-term / holiday rental contract | Frequently rejected — doesn't prove permanent residence | |
| Notarised housing authorisation | Accepted in some offices, not others — use alongside padrón | |
| Friend / family letter of accommodation | Rarely accepted on its own — high rejection risk |
The pattern is clear: the more official and long-term the document, the higher the acceptance likelihood. The empadronamiento wins because it is issued by a government office, proves you've already registered at that address with the state, and carries a date of registration.
When you almost certainly will need it
Treat the padrón as mandatory — not optional — if any of the following apply to your situation:
You're applying in a major city
Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Málaga, Seville — all of these cities have tightened requirements. The larger the Extranjería office, typically the stricter the interpretation.
Your rental contract is short-term
Holiday lets, Airbnb-style contracts, or anything under 6 months signals impermanence. Officers increasingly treat these as evidence that you're not actually residing in Spain.
You're staying with friends or family
A letter from the property owner — even notarised — is high-risk without a padrón. The officer has no way to verify the arrangement independently.
You want to avoid a repeat visit
Cita previa appointments can take weeks to rebook. Being turned away because your proof of address wasn't accepted means going back to the end of the queue. The padrón eliminates this risk entirely.
You'll need empadronamiento anyway — so get it early
Here's the argument that settles the question for most people: even if you could get your EX-18 without a padrón, you'll need the empadronamiento within weeks anyway for almost everything else.
| What you're trying to do | Empadronamiento required? |
|---|---|
| Register with a GP / access public healthcare | ✓ Yes — required |
| Enrol children in a public school | ✓ Yes — required |
| Register a vehicle in Spain | ✓ Yes — required |
| Apply for social services or benefits | ✓ Yes — required |
| Prove length of residence for permanent residency | ✓ Yes — required |
| Exchange a foreign driving licence | ✓ Usually required |
| Apply for EX-18 Green NIE (Residencia) | Often required in practice |
The empadronamiento is not a painful bureaucratic hurdle — it's a 30-minute trip to your local Ayuntamiento with your passport and rental contract. Register early, and you're set for everything that follows.
Best strategy for 2026
Given where enforcement stands today, here is the practical playbook that gives you the highest probability of a smooth, single-visit EX-18 approval:
Secure your accommodation first
You need a stable address to register. A long-term rental contract (12 months) or property ownership is ideal. Short-term lets make everything harder.
Register on the padrón as soon as you move in
Go to your Ayuntamiento with passport + rental contract or property deed. The padrón certificate typically takes 1–2 weeks to be issued. Request it immediately — you'll need it in hand for the next step.
Some Ayuntamientos have waiting lists for empadronamiento appointments too. Book yours within days of arriving.
Apply for your EX-18 with the full document set
Bring: padrón certificate and rental contract (belt and braces), passport, EX-18 form, proof of economic means, health insurance certificate (if applicable), and Modelo 790 code 012 payment receipt.
Receive your Green NIE certificate
With a complete, correctly prepared application, the certificate is typically issued on the day or within a few days. This is your official proof of EU residency in Spain — and includes your NIE number.
Want someone to handle all of this for you?
NIEasy prepares your full document set, books your appointment, and sends a lawyer to attend — so you don't have to navigate any of this alone.
- ✓ Province-specific document guidance
- ✓ Lawyer attends on your behalf
- ✓ NIE + Residencia in ~5 days
Why you're seeing conflicting answers online
If you've searched this question and found posts saying "yes, always required" and others saying "no, rental contract is fine," both groups are probably telling the truth — about their own experience, in their own province, at their own point in time.
Spain's immigration rules are set nationally but applied at the provincial and office level. Each Extranjería has discretion, and there is no central enforcement of a single interpretation.
An article from 2019 or 2021 reflects a different enforcement climate than 2026. Requirements tightened significantly from 2022 onwards. Older information — even if accurate when written — may no longer reflect reality.
Someone who got their EX-18 in a small town in Extremadura with just a rental contract will have a completely different experience to someone applying in central Madrid. Both stories are true. Neither generalises.
Even within the same office, different officers may apply different standards. This is frustrating but real. The only reliable protection is over-documentation — bring everything, in every format, and let the officer choose what they need.
- Legally: Empadronamiento is not explicitly required — "proof of address" is the stated requirement.
- Practically: In most major cities in 2026, officers routinely ask for it. A rental contract alone is an increasing risk.
- Strategically: Get the empadronamiento first. It's free, it takes a week, it eliminates ambiguity, and you'll need it for everything else anyway.
If you'd rather not navigate any of this alone, NIEasy handles the entire Residencia process for you →