The Town Hall of Torrevieja has detailed the requirements and deadlines that foreign residents must meet to exercise their right to vote in the municipal elections on 23rd May 2027. The local authority reminds residents that simply being registered on the municipal census is insufficient, and citizens entitled to suffrage must be listed on the Electoral Census of Foreign Residents in Spain (CERE). Foreign residents in Spain are not eligible to vote in next month´s national elections.
Deadlines vary depending on nationality. For citizens from other European Union countries, the procedure must be completed by 30th December 2026, whereas for nationals from countries with a reciprocity agreement with Spain, the period will remain open from 1st December 2026 to 15th January 2027.
EU citizens must express their intention to vote Residents in Torrevieja holding the nationality of another European Union member state must be at least 18 years of age on election day, not be deprived of their right to suffrage, and be registered in the city. They must also possess their home country identity document or passport, along with their European Union citizen registration certificate, known as the green certificate.
In addition, it is necessary to expressly state the intention to vote in municipal elections in Spain. Individuals who need to register must also complete this process before 30th December.
The declaration can be submitted online through the Electronic Office of the National Statistics Institute, using Cl@ve or the telematics processing code sent by the Electoral Census Office, by post following the instructions received, or in person at the Town Hall.
The Electoral Census Office planned to send letters at the end of September to community citizens who had not been contacted in previous municipal elections and who had not yet expressed their intention to vote. European citizens who have already made this declaration and remain registered in the electoral census will not need to submit it again.
United Kingdom and other countries with reciprocity agreements A different procedure must be followed by citizens coming from countries that maintain reciprocity agreements with Spain to participate in municipal elections. Currently, nationals from Bolivia, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, South Korea, Ecuador, Iceland, Norway, New Zealand, Paraguay, Peru, the United Kingdom, and Trinidad and Tobago can request their registration.
Among the requirements are being 18 years old on election day, holding a residency authorisation in Spain, being registered in Torrevieja, and accrediting the period of legal and uninterrupted residency established for each nationality.
Specifically, Norwegian citizens must have accreted three years of legal residency in Spain on the day of voting, whereas United Kingdom nationals must have justified at least three years of legal residency prior to the application. For the remaining countries with an agreement, generally at least five years of prior legal residency is required.
The period to apply for registration will open on 1st December and will remain active until 15th January 2027, inclusive. The Electoral Census Office plans to send letters at the end of November to facilitate the procedure, which can be completed online, by post, or in person at the Town Hall.
Unlike community citizens, nationals from countries with reciprocity agreements must request registration for the 2027 municipal elections even if they had already registered or voted in previous local elections.
The Town Hall also points out that those who meet the requirements but do not receive communication from the Electoral Census Office may go directly to the local authority within the established deadline to complete the procedure.