Electronic notifications (notificaciones electrónicas) you may be missing

Terms used

• DNI — The DNI is the national identity card of Spanish citizens.
• DEHú — DEHú is the single electronic mailbox where state, regional and council authorities leave official notices for you.
• Carpeta Ciudadana — Carpeta Ciudadana is the personal online portal where you see your files with the administration and open notifications.
• Cl@ve — Cl@ve is the state identity system, in PIN or permanent form, used to sign in to public services.
• DNI electrónico — The DNI electrónico is the Spanish electronic ID card, which you can use to sign in to public services.
• Sede electrónica — The sede electrónica is an authority's official online office, where it publishes notices and handles procedures.
• Autónomos — Autónomos are self-employed workers registered with Social Security and the tax agency.

Key rules

• Unopened notices: A notice you leave unopened is treated as delivered, so deadlines run without you reading it.
• Who is obliged: Companies, registered professionals and self-employed workers must use electronic channels; ordinary individuals may choose.
• Counting days: Response and appeal deadlines are counted in working days, starting the day after the notice is opened or deemed rejected.
• Technical failure: If a proven technical failure stopped you opening a notice, ask the office in writing to cancel the rejection.

An unopened notice still counts

If you do not open an electronic notice within 10 calendar days, it counts as rejected. The authority treats it as delivered and your deadlines start running, even though you never read it. Missing a notice can therefore cost you a response or appeal deadline.

Who must receive notices electronically

• Companies and other legal entities, and groups without legal personality, must deal with the authorities electronically.
• Professionals who must belong to a professional association are obliged for anything they do in that capacity.
• People who represent someone obliged, and public employees dealing with matters related to their work, are obliged too.
• Self-employed workers (autónomos) are obliged by sector rules, notably in Social Security and tax matters.
• Ordinary individuals can choose electronic or paper at any time. Rules may extend the obligation to some individuals, so check your own situation.

If you are not obliged, you can still be notified electronically if you choose it, or if a specific rule requires you to register. Once you are in the system, the 10-day rule applies to you in the same way.

Where notices arrive

Notices appear in DEHú, the single mailbox for notices from the state, many regions and many town councils. Carpeta Ciudadana, your personal portal, also shows your files and lets you open notifications.

Each authority's electronic office (sede electrónica), such as those of the tax agency and Social Security, can also issue notices. Some regions and town halls use their own platforms. The invitation or notice itself tells you which one applies, and your region or town hall can confirm. Court notices go through separate court systems, not these ones.

You sign in with an electronic certificate, a DNI electrónico or Cl@ve. The documents below list these.

When the clock starts

The notice counts as delivered the moment you open it. If you never open it, it counts as delivered when the 10 days run out. Your deadline to respond or appeal starts the next day.

Deadlines in days are counted in working days, without Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. If the last day is a non-working day, you have until the next working day. August is not excluded for general administrative procedures, though some court procedures treat it differently. Tax and court procedures can count differently, so read the deadline in the notice itself.

If you receive several notices through different channels, the first one sets the date for each person.

Exceptions

A rejected notice does not count when the rule or the nature of the act requires delivery by hand or on paper. It also does not count if a proven technical failure stopped you from opening it. In that case, ask the office in writing to cancel the effects of the rejection, and show the failure.

What to do

Sign in to the platforms regularly, not only when you expect something. The checklist below sets out the steps.

Timeline and deadlines

• The office makes the notice available at its electronic office or in your mailbox: day the notice is posted

• You open the notice: it counts as delivered at that moment: any time within 10 calendar days of being posted

• If you do not open it, it counts as rejected and the procedure goes ahead: after 10 calendar days

• Your response or appeal deadline starts, whether you opened the notice or it was deemed rejected: the day after you open it or after it counts as rejected

• Count the days in working days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays: from the day after the notice takes effect

• If the last day falls on a non-working day, you have until the next working day: at the end of the deadline

• If a technical failure stopped you from opening the notice, ask the office in writing to cancel the rejection and show proof: as soon as you find out

Documents you need

• An electronic certificate, issued by an authorised provider, to sign in to DEHú (the single electronic mailbox for official notices) and Carpeta Ciudadana (your personal portal for files and notices). You need at least one of the three ways to sign in.

• Your DNI electrónico, the Spanish electronic ID card, as another way to sign in to DEHú and Carpeta Ciudadana.

• Cl@ve, the state identity system, in its PIN or permanent form, as a third way to sign in to DEHú and Carpeta Ciudadana.

Checklist

• Set up a way to sign in: an electronic certificate, your DNI electrónico or Cl@ve (the state identity system).

• Sign in to DEHú, the single electronic mailbox for state, regional and council notices, and look for notices addressed to you.

• Open Carpeta Ciudadana, your personal portal, to see your files and open any notification waiting there.

• Check the electronic office of the Agencia Tributaria (Spain's tax agency) and of Social Security if you deal with them.

• Ask your region or town hall whether it uses its own notification platform.

• Open every new notice as soon as you see it, well before 10 calendar days have passed.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to receive official notices electronically as an individual?

No, as an individual you can choose electronic or paper notices at any time. You are notified electronically if you choose it or if a specific rule requires it. Self-employed workers (autónomos) are obliged in tax and Social Security matters, and companies, other entities and professionals who must belong to a professional association are always obliged.

Can I cancel a deemed rejection if I could not open the notice?

Yes, if you can show that a technical failure stopped you from accessing the notice, the administration must cancel the effects of the rejection. Notices that the rules require to be delivered physically do not count as rejected in the same way. Keep proof of the failure, such as screenshots, and ask the office in writing.

Does my response deadline start when I open the notice?

Yes, your deadline starts the day after you open the notice, or the day after it counts as rejected if you never open it. The deadline is then counted in working days. If several notices go out by different channels, the first one decides the date.

Which platform will my electronic notice arrive on?

It depends on who sends it, but most state, regional and council notices arrive through DEHú. Tax and Social Security notices may also appear on their own websites, and some regions and councils use their own platforms. Court notices use separate systems, so look at the invitation you received to see where to log in.