Reading letters from Social Security and your town hall

Terms used

• Plusvalía — The plusvalía is the local tax on the rise in value of urban land when a property is sold or inherited.
• Seguridad Social — The Seguridad Social is Spain's social security system, which handles registration, contributions and pensions for workers.
• SEPE — SEPE is Spain's public employment service, which pays unemployment benefits.
• NAF — The NAF is your Social Security affiliation number.
• Requerimiento — A requerimiento is an official request to send documents or correct data, usually with a short deadline.
• Reclamación de deuda — A reclamación de deuda is a formal demand to pay unpaid Social Security contributions.
• Providencia de apremio — A providencia de apremio is the enforcement order for an unpaid debt, adding surcharges and allowing embargo.
• Padrón — The padrón is your town hall's register of residents.

Key rules

• Deadline: The deadline printed in the letter is the one that counts, so note it and the notification date.
• Most urgent: A reclamación de deuda, a providencia de apremio and a fine come first.
• Electronic mailbox: Many notices arrive only electronically, so check your mailbox regularly.
• SEPE requests: Answer a SEPE requerimiento in time or your benefit can be suspended.

Start with who sent it and what it asks

Most letters only confirm something. A few demand money or action by a date. Look at the sender, then the type of letter, then the deadline printed in it. The deadline in the letter is the one that counts.

Many notices arrive only in an electronic mailbox, not on paper. Check yours regularly. A notice can count as received if you do not open it within 10 days of it being made available.

Social Security (Seguridad Social)

The Seguridad Social sends these letters:

• Alta or baja confirmation, and your NAF notice. These are informational. They confirm that your registration started or ended, or give your affiliation number. Keep them.
• Requerimiento. A request to fix data or send documents, usually with a short deadline. Answer it before the date.
• Reclamación de deuda. A formal demand for unpaid contributions. You get a period to pay or appeal. This is the most urgent type.
• Providencia de apremio. The enforcement stage. Surcharges are added, and it can lead to an embargo of your money or assets. Treat it as urgent too.

Notices usually arrive electronically, through the Sede Electrónica or Notific@. If you are self-employed or employed, check them often.

Unemployment office (SEPE)

If you claim unemployment benefit, SEPE may send:

• Resolutions that grant, deny, suspend or end a benefit. You can challenge one with a reclamación previa, normally within 30 days of notification.
• Requerimientos. These ask for documents or corrected data, usually within 10 days (15 days for some subsidy reviews). If you do not answer, the benefit can be suspended or the file closed.
• Cobro indebido notices. SEPE says you were overpaid and demands repayment. The letter gives a voluntary payment period and the option of deduction from future benefit. You can file allegations or a reclamación previa.
• Sanction notices. These follow a missed renovación de la demanda (the renewal of your job-seeker registration) or a missed citación (a summons to an appointment).
• Citations to appointments or training. Go, or you risk a sanction.
• Reduction or termination notices because of work, income or leaving Spain.

Notices come through the Carpeta Ciudadana, DEHú or registered post.

Your town hall (ayuntamiento)

Routine letters are padrón confirmations and annual bills. Many people pay the bills by direct debit. These include:

• Padrón confirmation of your registration. If you are a non-EU resident, your registration lapses unless you renew it every two years, so a renewal request matters.
• IBI (the yearly property tax), the waste charge (tasa de basura) and the vehicle tax (IVTM).
• Plusvalía assessments after a sale or inheritance.

Urgent ones are fines, an apremio and any notice with a deadline:

• Traffic fines (multas). There is a short window for a reduced early payment, often a 50 percent discount within about 20 days. You can also file allegations. Check the exact period in your letter.
• Providencia de apremio. Unpaid bills get surcharges.

Names, discounts and deadlines vary by municipality, so check with yours.

Letters from your community of owners

If you own or rent a flat, your comunidad de propietarios sends meeting calls, minutes and quota or derrama demands. These are private communications, not official notices. Do not ignore them: approved debts can still be pursued in court.

Misdirected or unclear mail

If a letter names someone else, such as a previous tenant, do not open it or throw it away. Write "not at this address" and return it to the post office. If you are unsure what a letter is or whether it is meant for you, ask the office that sent it. Do this before the deadline.

If you cannot tell what to do first, deal with any reclamación de deuda, providencia de apremio, fine or other notice with a deadline. The timeline and checklist below set out the order.

Timeline and deadlines

• Pay a traffic fine with the early-payment reduction: within 20 calendar days of the day after notification

• Renew your padrón registration if you are a non-EU resident: every two years

Checklist

• Identify the sender: Seguridad Social, SEPE, the ayuntamiento or your community of owners.

• Work out the letter type: a confirmation, a request for documents, a bill, a fine or a demand for payment.

• Find the deadline printed in the letter and the date it was notified.

• Answer any request for documents or corrections before its date, so a benefit is not suspended.

• Check your electronic mailbox regularly, because notices often arrive only there.

• Keep padrón confirmations and annual tax bills, and check whether they are paid by direct debit.

• Ask the office that sent the letter if you cannot tell what it is or whether it is meant for you.

Frequently asked questions

Which Social Security letters are the most urgent?

The most urgent Social Security letters are a reclamación de deuda, which demands unpaid contributions, and a providencia de apremio, which is the enforcement stage. A providencia de apremio adds surcharges and can lead to embargo. Letters confirming an alta or baja are only for your information.

What happens if I ignore a SEPE request for documents?

If you ignore a SEPE requerimiento, your benefit can be suspended or your file closed. These requests usually give you 10 days to answer, and 15 days for some subsidy reviews. Send the documents or corrections before the date in the letter.

Do I have to renew my padrón registration?

Yes, if you are a non-EU resident, your padrón registration lapses unless you renew it every two years. The town hall usually sends a letter asking you to renew or confirm it. Answer it when it arrives so your registration stays active.

Is a letter from my community of owners an official notice?

No, a letter from your community of owners is a private communication, not an official notice. It covers meeting calls, minutes and quota or derrama (special levy) demands.