The general elections in Spain are set to take place on Sunday, 29 November 2026. Spaniards residing abroad will have the opportunity to vote either in person at designated centres in their respective countries or by mail until 24 November. Those on holiday in Spain can also vote by post.
The extraordinary Council of Ministers meeting on 5 October 2026 approved the royal decree for the dissolution of the Cortes and the call for elections to the Congress of Deputies and the Senate, which will occur on 29 November 2026. This decree was published in the Official State Bulletin on 6 October and came into effect immediately.
Voting procedures for Spaniards living abroad
Spaniards who reside permanently abroad must be registered in the Consular Registration and in the Census of Resident Absentees (CERA). Those not already registered will need to do so. The electoral roll for these elections closed on 1 August 2026.
Consulting the electoral roll and filing complaints
The Census of Resident Absentees can be consulted from 12 to 19 October at consular offices or on the electronic headquarters of the National Statistics Institute (INE). During this period, any voter can submit a complaint at their consular office directed to the Provincial Delegation of the Electoral Census Office if they find themselves incorrectly included or excluded from the census. They can also update their registration details if they have changed since 1 August 2026. Complaints must be completed in person using the official form provided by the Consular Office and accompanied by a photocopy of one of the following documents: DNI (National Identity Document), passport, driving licence, Spanish nationality certificate, or certificate of registration in the Consular Registration.
Receiving electoral documentation
Residents abroad no longer need to submit a request to vote. The Provincial Delegations of the Electoral Census Office will send the following documentation by post to the registered address of each voter between 24 and 30 October, accounting for postal delivery times:
- Envelope with the address of the competent Electoral Board
- Voting envelopes
- Certificates of registration in the census
- Information leaflet
A second postal dispatch will occur from 4 November to no later than 8 November, containing the ballots unless there are challenges to the candidates, which may delay delivery until 14 November. Voters can also download the ballots from the INE website from the proclamation of the candidates until 7 November.
Deadlines for submitting votes
For in-person voting, voters can cast their ballots at embassies, consulates, or designated centres from 21 to 26 November. Consular offices will ensure the availability of official voting ballots and envelopes, as well as the necessary means to download voting documentation. Consular officials will require identification from voters.
For postal voting, voters can send their ballots by certified mail to their consular office from 6 October to 24 November.
Voting while temporarily in Spain
Spaniards living abroad and registered in the CERA who are temporarily in Spain during the electoral process can request a postal vote from 6 October to 19 November at any post office. Once the documentation is received, they must personally deliver the envelope containing their vote to the post office, where they will need to identify themselves with their DNI or a similar document, and send it by certified mail no later than 25 November. If they cannot deliver the documentation in person, they must authorise another person to submit it, accompanied by a photocopy of their DNI or similar document and signed by them.
Who can use the electronic voting application?
The application for electronic postal voting can be used by voters residing in Spain. Once the request is submitted online and accepted by the Electoral Census Office, they will not be able to vote at the polling station on election day. Voters residing abroad who are temporarily in Spain and entitled to vote in the elections can also use this application. However, it cannot be requested by voters residing in Spain who are temporarily abroad, nor by voters residing abroad who request it from their country of residence.
