"We want to convince them that it's necessary for the services in a town"

The head of the Malaga office of Spain's national statistics institute works closely with town halls across Malaga to get up-to-date information about the number of foreign residents living in the province. He and his team work with the local authorities and the British consulate in Malaga to inform British citizens of why it is important to keep their registration up-to-date.

KEY PADRÓN MESSAGES

Do I have to renew? Since 2009 foreign residents have been asked to update their details on their local town hall register every five years if they come from another European Union member country, and every two years for non-EU residents. Prior to 2009 this was not necessary.

Am I obliged to join the padrón by law? While registering on the padrón is not a legal requirement, anyone who uses municipal services (doctors, rubbish collection, schools etc) is strongly encouraged to be on it as they enjoy the benefits of the services that town halls provide.

What are the benefits? The more people on the padrón, the more funding a town hall is eligible for to provide those services. Town halls also offer benefits to residents in the form of discounts at sports facilities, discounts for pensioners etc.

Is my information shared with the taxman? Registration on the padrón is free and is not related to the tax office. While the police may use the padrón to obtain information in the event of a foreign resident being arrested or linked to a crime or incident, padrón information is not passed on to any of Spain's police bodies (Local, Guardia Civil or National Police) or any other public body automatically. Spain, like other EU countries, is subject to Data Protection laws which prevent the sharing of information.

How long do I have to live in Spain for to register? Anyone who spends at least three months in Spain is asked to register on the padrón.

·Instituto Nacional de Estadística (available in English): www.ine.es