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Digital certificate in Spain: What it is used for, why you need it and how to get one
Learn more about Spanish digital certificates for completing official residency, tax and government forms online
You may have heard of a ‘digital certificate’ or ‘certificado digital’ in Spain, and perhaps even been asked to present one when trying to complete some sort of official government or tax process online. But what exactly is it, how does it work and why is it a good idea for residents and property owners to have one?
Here’s everything you need to know about the digital certificate, or digital signature, in Spain and how to get it online.
What is a digital certificate?
In Spain, a digital certificate is a virtual document which contains your identification data as authenticated by an official government body. The digital certificate is used to confirm your identity on the internet as a legally existing, physical person. You must have a digital certificate in order to be able to consult and carry out procedures with the public administration online.
What specifically is the digital certificate used for?
With an electronic ID certificate, you can handle your private and official affairs online, including modifying your data and making digital signatures, including those on the websites of public institutions such as the Tax Agency (Hacienda), Social Security (Seguridad Social) and similar.
You can use the digital certificate to:
- Submit and pay your taxes in Spain
- Complete your data on the population and housing census
- Consult and register your padrón in the municipal register (empadronarse)
- Check their driving fines
- Apply for government grants and subsidies
- Electronically sign documents and official forms
How to get a digital certificate in Spain
Here’s a step-by-step guide for how to obtain the digital certificate. It must be requested and installed on your computer via one of the several accepted certification authorities (Entidades Emisoras de Certificados Electrónicos).
The most common and simplest is the FNMT, the Spanish National Mint, which we will use for this example.
Step-by-step how to obtain the digital certificate through the FNMT:
- Access the certificates section of the FNMT website
- You have the option to confirm your physical identification to get a Digital Certificate either in Person at a government office (not recommended as it defeats the purpose of doing everything online); by video identification; with a DNIe electronic ID (which requires going through another whole online ID process); or by downloading the app on your phone.
- Whichever way you prefer to confirm your identity, you will need your Name, Email Address and NIF/NIE number to hand.
- You will be given a ‘Request code’ (‘Código de solicitud’) which you also need to make a note of until the process is completed.
- Once you have confirmed your identity via one of the above stated ways and it has been accepted, you can download the digital certificate onto your computer by clicking the link to ‘Download Certificate’ (‘Descargar Certificado’). Note that you will have to download it using the same browser with which you requested the code.
- You can check that you have installed it on your computer correctly back going to your internet browser and selecting “Tools –> Internet Options –> Content –> Certificates”. The certificate you just downloaded should appear here.
- It is a good idea to export the certificate it in order to have a backup copy.
- Now, whenever you’re asked to provide a digital certificate to prove you are who you say you are when completing official processes online in Spain, you can use the digital certificate when prompted at the appropriate stage.
For assistance with NIE, residency, tax and paperwork in Spain, contact a professional financial and legal service like Abad Abogados:
