Long-term residents
- EU citizen registration and the family member card, with proof of means and insurance.
- Withdrawal Agreement TIE for British nationals already resident before 31 December 2020, and the ordinary TIE for later arrivals. They are different procedures and confusing them costs time.
- Renewals and the move to long-term residency.
- Citizenship by residence, with the CCSE and, where applicable, the DELE A2.
- Driving licence exchange at the Alicante headquarters.
Work, hospitality and self-employment
The other half of Benidorm's files is not about residency but about money. Hospitality, retail and tourist services generate constant registrations and deregistrations, seasonal hiring and self-employed projects.
- Self-employed registration and quarterly obligations, including the VAT return, form 303.
- Residence and work permits, employed and self-employed.
- The inbound expatriate tax regime for those who move to Spain for work and meet the requirements.
The most expensive mistake here is the order: starting the activity before holding the permit that covers it leaves a trail that is hard to fix afterwards.
The padrón at the town hall
The registration certificate and its history are issued by Benidorm town hall. It is the preferred evidence of time in Spain for arraigo, renewals and citizenship, and the registration of non-EU nationals without long-term residency lapses if it is not renewed. Request the history and review it before filing anything that depends on how long you have lived in Spain.
You do not need to come to the office
Most of the work is done online, with a digital certificate or a power of representation, so where the client lives does not limit the service. There are two routes and both are routine:
- Digital certificate: you sign from wherever you are, and we prepare and file the application.
- Power of representation or electronic authorisation: we act on your behalf using the professional certificate of a registered gestora.
The exception is strictly personal acts, which nobody can do for you: proving your identity to obtain the digital certificate, giving fingerprints for the TIE, and taking the oath in a citizenship file. Those must be done in person, and always in the province where you are registered.
Shall we handle it for you?
Registered gestora administrativa, ICGA Valencia. Fixed quote before we start and a free first consultation.
Frequently asked questions
Which immigration office applies if I live in Benidorm?
Alicante, because Benidorm belongs to that province. TIE fingerprints are also taken in the province of Alicante.
I am a British resident of many years. Do I need to do anything?
If you were resident before 31 December 2020 you are entitled to the Withdrawal Agreement TIE. If you arrived later, the general third-country regime applies.
I want to register as self-employed for the season. Is that compatible with my permit?
It depends on the permit you hold. Not every permit allows self-employed work, and starting before checking causes problems at the next renewal.
Do I need to go to Valencia?
No. Everything is handled remotely with a digital certificate or power of representation, except strictly personal acts.
Do you work in English?
Yes, and also in Ukrainian and Russian.
Legal basis
- Organic Law 4/2000 on the rights and freedoms of foreign nationals in Spain
- Royal Decree 1155/2024, Regulation implementing Organic Law 4/2000 (consolidated text)
- Royal Decree 1690/1986, Population and Territorial Demarcation Regulation (consolidated)
- Law 14/2013 on support for entrepreneurs, arts. 74 bis to 74 quinquies on international teleworking
- Law 39/2015 on Common Administrative Procedure, art. 14 on electronic dealings with the administration
Official sources
- Catalogue of immigration procedures
- Electronic office: immigration appointments
- Check the status of an immigration file
- Benidorm Town Hall
- Provincial Traffic Headquarters (DGT)
- Official College of Gestores Administrativos of Valencia
Written by Irina Klein. Reviewed by Elena Alonso Volostnova, registered gestora administrativa (ICGA Valencia). Updated on 5 October 2026. This page is general information and does not replace personalised advice on your case.