If you live, work or run a business in Spain, sooner or later you will need a digital certificate. It is the easiest way to deal with the Tax Agency, Social Security or the town hall without travelling or booking appointments. Here is what it is and how a foreigner can get one.
What a digital certificate is
It is an electronic document that identifies you online, just as your passport or ID card does in person. The most widely used is the individual certificate issued by the Spanish Royal Mint (FNMT). It is installed on your computer and lets you sign and submit documents online with full legal validity.
What you will need it for
- Filing taxes and checking your tax data with the Tax Agency.
- Social Security procedures, such as registering as self-employed or checking your employment record.
- Receiving and reading official electronic notifications.
- Procedures with the DGT (traffic), the town hall or the Andalusian regional government.
- Authorising your gestoría to act on your behalf.
Requirements
The essential requirement is having an NIE. If you don’t have one yet, that is the first step: we can help you get it. You will also need a computer, an email address and valid identity documents.
Steps to obtain it
- Online application on the FNMT website using your NIE. You will receive an application code by email.
- Identity verification: with that code and your documents you must identify yourself at a registration office (for example, the Tax Agency or Social Security), usually by appointment.
- Download and installation of the certificate, from the same computer and browser you used to apply.
- Backup: export it with a password and keep it somewhere safe.
Common mistakes
- Applying from one computer and downloading from another: it won’t work.
- Changing browser or formatting the computer before downloading it.
- Not making a backup and losing it when you change computer.
- Letting it expire: it has limited validity and must be renewed in time.
We handle it for you
At TL Gestoría we take care of the application, the appointment for identity verification and the follow-up until your certificate is ready to use, in English, Spanish or Russian. See our digital certificate service and our prices, or contact us.
