Walter Finch
FROM Thursday there will be one less headache for Palma residents on Mallorca aged over 65 as they will be able to go and register without needing to make an appointment beforehand.
Officially known as ‘doing the padron’ (empadronarse), over 65s should turn up at the Citizen Information Office in Son Moix to perform procedures such as registrations, cancellations, and changes of address.
Getting to grips with Spanish bureaucracy has long been a particular challenge for certain segments of the expat population and the improvement will be sorely welcomed.
Retirees and pensioners need to give their thanks to the Department of Social Justice, Feminism, and LGTBI, which introduced the measure.
Citizens over 18 who have a rental contract or own their property can also do the padron online, requiring the same forms as an in-person meeting.
Currently, the average monthly wait time for getting a padron appointment is almost 11 days from the moment it is requested by calling 010.
While Palma has a good record for getting the registrations done, the deputy mayor is still trying to bring down this ‘excessive’ time.
In January alone, a total of 94 registrations were processed.
Another problem is the absence rate, with as many as 21% of appointments missed.
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