Information just released by the British embassy in Madrid, for UK passport holders resident in Spain.
*Voting in local elections in Spain*
“Lots of you have told us you are concerned about your continued right to vote in local elections here in Spain, following an ECJ ruling a couple of months ago and subsequent press reports, so we wanted to reiterate our earlier guidance.
The ECJ judgement, which concerned a UK National resident in France, does NOT affect UK nationals’ right to vote and stand in local elections in Spain. These are provided by the bilateral agreement between the UK and Spain, which allows UK nationals who have lived in Spain for more than 3 years to vote and stand in local elections.
UK nationals can vote and stand in local elections in Spain once they have been resident for 3 years. To do so, you must:
• be registered on the municipal register where you live (padrón municipal)
• confirm your registration on the electoral roll (censo electoral), within the dates set by the electoral authorities before each election
Your town hall may not allow you to register on the electoral roll at other times, so don’t worry if you are not able to register at this point.
You can find more information at gov.uk/livinginspain#voting
Cover Photo: Dreamstime.com
