One afternoon of effort that saves years of queuing. With a digital certificate almost every Spanish authority can be dealt with from home — including those that are otherwise appointment-only.
| Period | Public opening |
|---|---|
| Identity check at Suma, Monday to Friday | 8:30 – 14:00 |
| Identity check at the town hall, Monday to Friday | 8:30 – 14:00 |
| Online applications | around the clock |
| Validity of the certificate | several years, then renewable online |
The identity check has to be done in person, once. Everything before and after it happens online.
Opening hours change. Please check before going: sede.fnmt.gob.es
The documents required change with the rules. Current list: sede.fnmt.gob.es
Cl@ve is the easier route, the certificate the more powerful one. Cl@ve works with a code sent to your phone and covers many everyday matters. The certificate is installed on your device and is accepted everywhere, including for signing documents.
Export it the day you get it. The certificate lives in the browser it was downloaded into. A new computer, a reinstalled system or a cleared browser profile, and it is gone — with no way back but the whole procedure again.
Once you switch on electronic notifications, deadlines start running when the notice is placed, whether or not you have read it. That is an advantage if you check regularly, and a trap if you do not.
The certificate is free of charge. Only your time is required — an hour or two in total, most of it waiting for the email.
You need a NIE. Registration is not formally required for the certificate itself, but many of the services behind it assume you are registered.
Both, ideally. Cl@ve is quicker to set up and enough for most enquiries. The certificate is required for signing and for some procedures.
Yes, from the exported file. Worth doing: many appointments ask for proof that is easier to produce from the device you are carrying.
Without a backup copy, the whole procedure has to be repeated, including the in-person identity check. Hence the backup.
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Procedure according to the FNMT, checked August 2026. The registration offices authorised for identity checks change — confirm before you go.
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