Writing a formal email or letter in Spanish

Key rules

• Register: Start with usted in every first contact and switch to tú only when the other person does.
• Ordinary email: An ordinary email is not a registered filing and does not start or stop any deadline.
• Proof of date: For anything with a deadline, use a registry or registered mail and keep the receipt or stamped copy.
• Closing: Use "Un cordial saludo," or "Atentamente," with banks and offices, and add your name, ID number and contact details.

Use usted unless they use tú first

Write to offices, banks, employers and any landlord you do not know in the formal register, "usted". Use it for every first contact too. In practice, that means "usted" and the matching verb forms ("¿Podría indicarme...?", "Le escribo para...").

Tú is fine once the other person has used it with you. It is also normal with some landlords or flatmates who write casually, and in young, informal company. If you are unsure, start with usted and follow their lead.

Greetings that work

Pick one of these to open:

• "Estimado señor:" or "Estimada señora:" when you know who you are writing to.
• "Estimados señores:" when you write to an office or a company.
• "Muy señor mío:" is the traditional, very formal option.
• "Buenos días:" is simple and safe in an email.
• "A la atención de..." followed by a name or department, when you are addressing a specific person or team.

Put a colon after the greeting, not a comma, and start the next line with a capital letter.

Closings that work

Close with one of these, followed by a comma:

• "Atentamente,"
• "Un cordial saludo,"
• "Saludos cordiales,"
• "Cordialmente,"
• "Reciba un cordial saludo,"
• "Quedo a su disposición,"

"Un saludo" on its own is less formal. It is fine for a friendly landlord, but choose "Un cordial saludo" for a bank or an office.

Under your name, add your ID number and contact details so they can find your file. The FAQ below covers what to include.

An email is often not a formal filing

An ordinary email is not a registered filing and does not start or stop any deadline. Some offices answer emails for informal questions, but that does not count as an official submission. If a deadline matters (an appeal, a document, a request with a time limit), use a route that gives you proof of the date.

Valid routes for dealing with a Spanish public administration are:

• the office's online registry, where you can sign in with Cl@ve or a digital certificate
• an in-person registry office of any administration
• a post office, sent as registered mail with the envelope left open so the clerk can date and stamp the letter
• a Spanish embassy or consulate, if you are abroad

Companies and some other applicants must file electronically. Keep your receipt or stamped copy.

The decision block below helps you choose between these routes. You can still send an ordinary email alongside a filing, as a courtesy copy.

A template to start from

The template below gives you a formal email you can adapt for an office, a landlord or a bank. Change only the details and keep the greeting and closing.

Choosing between options

Should you send an ordinary email or make an official filing?

• Ordinary email: Use it for informal questions to an office. It is not a registered filing.

• Online registry with Cl@ve or a certificate: Use it when you are an individual who can sign in to the office's online portal, the sede electrónica. Companies and some other filers must file this way.

• In-person registry office: Use it when you can go in person. Any public administration's registry office can take your filing.

• Registered mail at the post office: Use it when you cannot go in person.

• Spanish embassy or consulate abroad: Use it when you are outside Spain and need to file with a Spanish public body.

If the message must count with an office, pick one of the official routes. An ordinary email never starts or stops a deadline.

Spanish template for a formal email to an office, landlord or bank

Copy the message below, replace everything in square brackets, and delete any line you do not need. Write to an office, a landlord or a bank you do not know with usted, as here. If the other person writes to you with tú first, you can switch to it.

Asunto: [Your request in a few words, e.g. "Solicitud de cita previa" / "Consulta sobre el contrato de alquiler" / "Solicitud de certificado de titularidad"]

Estimado/a señor/a:

Me llamo [your full name] y le escribo para [say what you need, e.g. "solicitar una cita para tramitar mi NIE" / "consultar una incidencia en el piso de [address]" / "pedir información para abrir una cuenta"].

[One or two short sentences with the key details: your contract or reference number, the address, the date, or what has happened.]

Le agradecería que me indicara [what you want back, e.g. "los pasos a seguir" / "la fecha disponible" / "los documentos que debo presentar"].

Adjunto [the documents you attach, e.g. "copia de mi pasaporte y del contrato"].

Quedo a su disposición para cualquier aclaración. Muchas gracias de antemano.

Atentamente,

[Full name] [Passport, NIE or DNI number] [Phone number] [Email address]

Other openings and closings

Pick the ones that fit the person you are writing to.

Openings

• "Estimados señores:" when you write to a team or a company and have no name.
• "Buenos días:" is acceptable and a little lighter, for example with an agency or a bank branch.
• "A la atención de [name or department]:" when you know who should read it.

Closings

• "Atentamente," is the safest choice for offices and banks.
• "Un cordial saludo," or "Saludos cordiales," suit landlords and agencies.
• "Cordialmente," and "Reciba un cordial saludo," are also correct.
• "Un saludo" is less formal. Use it only once the other person writes to you in a relaxed tone.

Tips

• Keep it short: one request per email.
• Put your ID number under your name. Offices and banks usually look for it first.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use tú with my landlord?

Yes, you can use tú with a landlord if they used it first or write casually, but start with usted if you do not know them. Follow their lead after the first exchange.

Is "Un saludo" polite enough to close an email to a bank?

No, "Un saludo" is less formal than a bank email calls for, so use "Atentamente," or "Un cordial saludo," instead. "Saludos cordiales," also works if the tone is friendly.

What should I put under my name in a formal message?

Add your ID number and your contact details under your name. This helps the office or company find your file quickly.