We got the padrón!

One of the requirements for our visas is obtaining the Tarjeta de Identidad de Extrajero (TIE), an ID card that shows our legal status to live in Spain as a foreigner. In order for the TIEs to be issued, we were first required to obtain the empadrónamiento (padrón). The padrón is the process by which residents register with the city.

Knowing this would be a simple yet complicated undertaking, we began gathering the appropriate documents shortly after we arrived in Valencia. We're learning that most tasks take much longer than anticipated until we figure out the best ways to handle particular nuisances.

Once we had everything we needed, it was off to the copy shop for duplicates of our lease, passports, and visas. Thanks to the patient copy shop owner, we walked away with everything required for our appointment to the tune of 4€.

Finally padrón day arrived! Feeling nervous and excited, we set off for our morning walk to the municipal government office in Ruzafa, a neighborhood adjacent to ours.

Despite booking online a week in advance, we discovered the office didn't have record of our appointment. Thankfully walk-ins are accepted and the wait was fairly brief.

After many tense moments, made more tense thanks to our rudimentary skills in conversational Spanish, the helpful government official said everything was "bueno", asked us to sign the application, and printed our padrón on the spot. Muchas gracias! 

Next up is the TIE appointment in late December. We got this!