How to get a Certificado Digital

If you want to save huge amounts of time and money dealing with Spanish bureacracy, you need to know how to get a certificado digital. We have all the information you need here.

What is a Certificado Digital?

A certificado digital is a digital certificate that you download to your computer or smartphone. There are various types available, including Clave Permanente, Clave Pin, and special versions created by autonomous regions like Catalonia. On this page, we will focus on the one that is easiest to get and is most useful. It is issued by the FNMT (the authority that issues money in Spain) and is simply called ‘Certificado Digital’.

What does a Certificado Digital allow me to do?

Once you have the certificado digital downloaded onto your computer, you can access many government ministries and departments, to check the information they have about you; carry out processes; and even to make complaints. The certificado digital will save you hours of waiting in government departments, not to mention the time and money spent getting there in the first place! Some examples of the many things you can do online with the certificado digital include:

Get your certificado de empadronamiento (if your local town hall offers an online service. If they don’t, they soon will).
Check if you have any speeding fines and pay them. Check/change data about vehicles you have registered
Check your health data, get a health card (if you are entitled to it) and book appointments
Sign on as unemployed and get unemployment benefit (if you are entitled to it)
Pay your taxes or have your gestor do it for you (by sending them your certificado digital)

How to get a Certificado Digital

The easiest way to get your certificado digital without leaving your home and free of charge is by visiting:

https://certificadoelectronico.es/

You will need:

Your ID document (TIE or EU Passport)
Your computer or a smartphone with a working camera
Be in a place with good light and a good internet connection

You can also pay a small fee for additional services (in Spanish) if you want:

Express Service (approx 30mins when carried out Mon-Fri between 09-20h)
Personal support to download the certificate to your Windows PC or Mac, or to your Android phone, iphone or ipad.
Access to their portal where they have collected together all the links to most of the government departments you can access with your certificado digital.