Millions of foreign nationals live legally in Spain, but holding residency, paying taxes or appearing on the local population register does not necessarily give them the right to vote on November 29.

Spain is set to return to the polls after Pedro Sanchez dissolved parliament and called a snap general election.

The vote will determine the make-up of the Congress of Deputies and Senate, as well as which party or coalition has the opportunity to form the country’s next government.

But can foreign residents participate? For the overwhelming majority, the answer is no.

Can British expats vote?

British citizens living in Spain cannot vote in a Spanish general election unless they have also acquired Spanish nationality.

This remains the case regardless of how long they have lived in the country or whether they hold temporary or permanent residency.

Having a green residency certificate, a TIE card, an NIE number or permanent status under the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement does not provide voting rights in national elections.

Being registered on the padron, owning a home, working in Spain or paying Spanish taxes does not change the position either.

Only Spanish citizens aged 18 or over who are included on the electoral register can vote in elections to the Congress and Senate.

A British person who has become a Spanish citizen may therefore vote, provided they are correctly registered.

This includes dual British-Spanish nationals who retained their British citizenship after acquiring Spanish nationality.

What about citizens of other EU countries?

Citizens of European Union countries who live in Spain are also excluded from Spanish general elections unless they hold Spanish nationality.

EU citizenship gives qualifying residents the right to vote in Spanish municipal elections and elections to the European Parliament, subject to registration requirements.

However, those rights do not extend to elections for Spain’s national parliament.

The same applies to citizens of non-EU countries that have reciprocal voting agreements with Spain. Some may be permitted to vote in municipal elections, but not in a general election.

This means that a French, German, Irish, Dutch or Italian resident of Spain cannot vote on November 29 solely because they are an EU citizen.

Who is eligible to vote?

The fundamental requirement is Spanish nationality.

Eligible Spanish citizens ordinarily living in Spain should be entered automatically on the electoral register through information held by their town hall.

The register for an election is based on the census closed on the first day of the second month before the election was called.