Can Foreigners Vote in Spain’s Local Elections? Rules for May 2027
Which foreign residents of Barcelona can vote for the city council in May 2027, how to get on the electoral roll and the dates you must not miss.
Foreign residents can vote in Spain’s municipal elections on 23 May 2027 if they are EU citizens or nationals of one of 13 countries with a reciprocity agreement, including the UK, Norway, Colombia and Ecuador. EU citizens must register their wish to vote by 30 December 2026. Non-EU nationals apply between 1 December 2026 and 15 January 2027.
Who can vote in Spanish local elections?
Spanish electoral law (article 176 of the LOREG, the general elections law) gives the vote in municipal elections to residents whose countries let Spaniards vote in their own local elections under a treaty. In practice there are two groups:
- EU citizens living in Spain, under EU law.
- Nationals of countries with an agreement: Bolivia, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Iceland, Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago and the United Kingdom.
Everyone must be of voting age on election day and registered on the padrón of the municipality where they live. Other foreign residents, such as US or Indian citizens, cannot vote in Spanish municipal elections. No foreign resident can vote in Spanish general elections or in elections to the Parliament of Catalonia.
How much residence do non-EU voters need?
The requirements come from the Oficina del Censo Electoral (OCE, the electoral roll office within the INE, Spain’s statistics institute), in its 2022 resolution on agreement countries:
| Nationality | Legal, uninterrupted residence in Spain |
|---|---|
| Bolivia, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Iceland, Korea, New Zealand, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago | At least 5 years before applying |
| United Kingdom | At least 3 years before applying |
| Norway | More than 3 years |
You also need a valid residence authorization. If the office cannot check your residence period from its own records, it can ask for a residence certificate from the police.
How do EU citizens get on the electoral roll?
EU citizens must make a formal declaration of their wish to vote in Spain. A February 2026 OCE resolution sets out this procedure, and the same resolution also covers registering to vote in European Parliament elections in Spain. If you already did this for an earlier municipal or European election and still live in Spain, you stay on the roll and do not need to repeat it. For May 2027, according to the INE’s electoral roll page:
- Make sure you are on the padrón of your municipality. Our guide to registering on the Barcelona padrón explains how.
- Make the declaration in one of three ways:
- online at the INE’s electronic office, identifying yourself with Cl@ve, or with the code (CTT) printed on the letter the INE sends to EU residents, which works from 1 October to 30 December 2026;
- by post, signing the declaration in that letter and sending it to the OCE provincial office, with no stamp needed;
- in person at your Ajuntament (city council) with form DFA.
- Do both no later than 30 December 2026, or the registration will not count for 2027.
Getting Cl@ve is covered in our guide to the digital certificate and Cl@ve.
How do nationals of agreement countries apply?
For non-EU voters the roll is built afresh for each municipal election, so you apply every time. Under the 2022 OCE resolution, the window runs from 1 December of the year before the election to 15 January of the election year, both included; for May 2027 that means 1 December 2026 to 15 January 2027. Applications outside it are rejected.
- Check that you are on the padrón and that your residence permit and years of residence meet the table above.
- Wait for the INE’s letter, which contains your details and a processing code.
- Apply by post by signing the letter, adding your NIE and sending it to the OCE provincial office; or online with Cl@ve, or with your NIE and the code from the letter; or in person at your Ajuntament, showing your TIE and leaving a photocopy.
If no letter arrives, you can still apply online or in person within the window. Check the INE page in December, since the OCE confirms the procedure for each election.
What do municipal elections decide?
Municipal elections choose the councillors of each town hall, and the councillors then elect the mayor. In Barcelona that means the Ajuntament, which handles matters such as street cleaning, the Guàrdia Urbana (city police), local licences and taxes, and the padrón itself. Voting where you live is how foreign residents get a say in those decisions.
Bottom line
If you are an EU citizen who moved to Barcelona after the last European election, assume you are not registered and make the declaration now; it takes minutes online. British residents with three years of legal residence should put 1 December 2026 in their calendar, since the window is only six weeks long.
FAQ
How can I check that I am registered?
The INE’s electronic office has a service to check whether you are on the electoral roll. Check early: the INE notes that later claims from nationals of agreement countries are only accepted if the application was made within the deadline.
Do I need to register again for every election?
EU citizens who have made the declaration stay on the roll. Nationals of agreement countries must apply again for each municipal election.
Can I vote in the Barcelona elections if I live in L’Hospitalet?
No. You vote in the municipality where you live and are registered on the padrón.
