To become a registered couple (pareja de hecho) in the Valencian Community, you must register with the Generalitat’s Register of Formalised Partnerships (Registro de Uniones de Hecho Formalizadas). Registration is free, requires both partners to be on the padrón (local census) at the same address in the region and is decided within three months at most. It is the step that unlocks rights such as 15 days’ paid leave, a survivor’s pension or a joint large family certificate. This guide explains the requirements, the documents and the two ways to do it.
Requirements
Under Law 5/2012 on formalised partnerships and Decree 34/2022, which regulates the register, both partners must:
- Be adults or emancipated minors.
- Live together in a relationship similar to marriage and wish to formalise it.
- Not be married or separated without a final judgment, and not have another registered partnership.
- Not be related in a direct line or collaterally up to the second degree.
- Be registered on the padrón together in a Valencian municipality when applying. The law does not require any minimum prior period.
Documents
- Valid identity document: DNI for Spanish nationals, passport and NIE for EU citizens, passport for others.
- Joint padrón certificate showing both live at the same address.
- Civil status certificate (proof of single status) or birth registration certificate. Foreign nationals usually need it legalised or apostilled and, where applicable, translated.
- If either partner was married: final divorce or annulment judgment, or the corresponding registration.
- Where applicable, proof of emancipation.
Two ways to formalise the partnership
1. Before the Generalitat register
Submit the application through the e-office with a digital signature, or on paper at a registry. Both partners must then appear in person together before register staff, by appointment, to declare their intention. According to the procedure page, appointments take place in Valencia (Calle Democracia, 77), Castellón (Plaza Juez Borrull, 10) and Alicante (Calle Churruca, 29).
2. Before a notary
The register appearance can be replaced by a public deed signed before a notary, stating names, dates of birth, ID numbers, nationality, address and the date cohabitation began. The deed is then submitted to the register. Notary appointments are usually easier to get, but there is a notary fee.
Deadline, cost and silence
- Cost: registration with the Generalitat is free.
- Deadline: three months from the application.
- Negative silence: if there is no decision within three months, the application is deemed refused. Registration is constitutive: until it is decided, the formalised partnership does not legally exist. If it is delayed, see our guide on how to complain when the Generalitat does not respond.
What registration is for
- Paid leave: Spain’s Workers’ Statute grants 15 calendar days of paid leave for marriage or registering a partnership.
- Survivor’s pension: Social Security requires the partnership to have been registered or formalised in a public document at least two years before the death, plus at least five years of stable cohabitation. Since 2021, financial dependence on the deceased is no longer required. That is why it is best not to put registration off.
- Immigration: registration serves as proof of the relationship in procedures such as the residence card for family members of EU citizens or family reunification, which have their own requirements.
- Family and benefits: Valencian rules allow registered couples to share a large family certificate, and registration proves the relationship to public bodies, banks and health services.
Being a registered couple is not the same as being married: there are differences in inheritance, joint tax returns and property regimes. If significant assets are involved, take advice and consider signing agreements before a notary.
Changing or cancelling the registration
Changes such as a new address must be notified to the register. The partnership is cancelled by mutual agreement, by one partner’s decision, by marriage or by death. If you separate, request cancellation: while it remains registered, it can prevent either of you registering a new partnership.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to register as a pareja de hecho?
Nothing at the Generalitat register. If you choose a notarial deed, notary fees apply.
How long do we need to have been registered at the same address?
Valencian rules set no minimum period: being on the padrón at the same address when you apply is enough.
Can we register if one of us is a foreign national?
Yes, with a passport and NIE if they have one, and a civil status certificate from their country, duly legalised or apostilled.
Is a registration with a town hall or another region valid?
Municipal registers and those of other regions have their own effects. For rights that Valencian law links to formalised partnerships, the relevant registration is the one with the Generalitat.