Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

LIFE IN SPAIN

How Spain will warn you via SMS of nearby dangers 

On Wednesday February 22nd, the Spanish government officially activated a new mobile alert system that warns people in the country of nearby natural disasters or emergencies. Here's everything you need to know.

Published: 27 April 2022 15:20 CEST
Updated: 22 February 2023 10:47 CET
phone alert
Spanish government phone alert. Photo: Dean Moriarty / Pixabay

Spain’s General Directorate of Civil Protection and Emergencies, which belongs to the Ministry of the Interior, proposed the new “system of warnings for the population” in early 2022.

The system then went through various testing stages across different regions in October and November 2022 and on Wednesday February 22nd, it was officially launched across the country. 

Through this new ES-Alert service, the Spanish government will be able to warn people of any catastrophes or other potentially dangerous incidents that occur near the area where they are.

It will allow for a “much faster and more effective” response to particularly serious situations that may have a direct impact on the population, according to a statement from Spain’s Interior Ministry.

This could include anything from a huge snowstorm such as Madrid’s 2021 Storm Filomena, to a volcanic eruption like the one which took place on the Canary island of La Palma.

How will it work?

The alerts will be sent automatically to all mobile phones in the affected area, a process known as reverse 112, and will be available in any part of the Spanish territory with mobile phone coverage, whether it’s 2G, 3G, 4G or 5G. It will be managed from all the emergency centres in each region, as well as in the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.

You must, however, have a modern smartphone for it to be compatible with the system, it won’t work with a very old phone.

What about tourists and foreigners in Spain?

The technology used means that it won’t only be those with registered Spanish mobile numbers who will receive the alerts; anyone with a mobile phone in a specific area will receive one if their phone is switched on and connected to the network, regardless of their foreign phone number.

The alerts will be in Spanish, as well as in English and any regional languages such as Catalan. 

What will happen when I receive a message?  

The messages will be accompanied by an alarm ringtone and vibration so that users will know when an important notification has arrived. The alarm will play constantly until you’ve read the message. The system will only work with two alert levels out of the three established by the current Civil Protection Protocol.

The Filomena storm and the eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano in La Palma were alert level two incidents. 

Leonardo Marcos, general director of Civil Protection in Spain, has defined this service as a “112 in reverse”. 

The alert system is part of the measures included in the Plan for Connectivity and Digital Infrastructures and the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience. It is a result of the collaboration between the Interior Ministry and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation and is financed by European recovery funds.

Es-Alert is integrated into the National Alert Network and is managed by the Interior Ministry through the National Emergency Monitoring and Coordination Center (CENEM) of the General Directorate of Civil Protection and Emergencies. 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

PADRON

When and how you need to renew your padrón certificate in Spain

The padrón document you get when registering at your local town hall in Spain must be renewed periodically. Find out when and the steps on how to do it.

Published: 22 April 2024 13:09 CEST
When and how you need to renew your padrón certificate in Spain

The padrón certificate is used to show proof of where you live. Your town hall – or ayuntamiento – uses it to find how many people are living in the area and what their ages are.

The number of people living in each area will depend on how much money they will receive from the government. They use this money for local services such as schools, health centres, parks and police officers.

If you are a non-EU citizen with temporary residence (less than 5 years) in Spain, then you will need to renew your padrón certificate every two years.

You will also need to renew your padrón each time you move house, as it should have your current address. 

For some bureaucratic processes in Spain, you will also need to be able to show you have a padrón certificate that’s no older than three months. 

Depending on where you live, there are different ways you can renew it. This could be in person, online or by post.

READ ALSO – Padrón: 16 things you should know about Spain’s town hall registration

Generally, in order to renew your certificate, you will need:

  • A recent gas, water or electricity bill in your name
  • Your rental contract and receipt of your last rental payment
  • If you own your own property, you will need to show evidence that you own it, such as the property deeds

You will also need to show:

  • A valid residence card such as TIE
  • A valid passport
  • In addition, it is also advisable to bring your previous padrón certificate

For children you will also need the following:

  • Records of your digitised family book (libro de família)
  • A valid passport or residence permit of the minor
  • A passport of one of the parents which also contains the identification data of the minor
  • Birth certificate of your child

If you do not live in the same household as your child, you will also need:

  • A delegation for registration form, signed by the parent who lives with the minor.
  • Photocopy of the valid identification document of the parent who lives with the child.
  • In the case of minors under 14 years of age, it will not be mandatory for them to have an NIE, passport or identification document from their country of origin.

Remember that all your documents should be officially translated into Spanish or another local language such as Catalan, if they aren’t already.

READ ALSO: Can I get my padrón online in Spain?

In person

If you are applying in person, you will need to make an appointment at your local Ayuntamiento or town hall.

When the date for your appointment arrives you will need to complete the renewal form, which will most like look something like this, but may change depending on where you live. 

You will also need to bring originals and photocopies of all the documents above.

Online

If you have a digital certificate or Cl@ve PIN you are able to renew your padrón online. You will need to do this via your local government website.

First, you’ll need to identify yourself digitally with your digital certificate or Cl@ve PIN.

Next you will have to complete the renewal form and then attach digital copies of all the above documentation that’s required.

Then you’ll need to submit and sign it digitally.

By post

Although this is not the most common way to renew your certificate, some town halls may let you apply by post and will have details of the relevant address to send your documents and forms to online. 

SHOW COMMENTS