Keeping your digital certificate (certificado digital) and online ID working abroad

Terms used

• DNI — The DNI is the national identity card of Spanish citizens.
• FNMT — The FNMT is the Spanish public mint that issues the digital certificate used to identify you online.
• Certificado digital — The certificado digital is an electronic ID file that lets you sign in to and sign documents with Spanish public bodies.
• Cl@ve — Cl@ve is the government login system for Spanish online services, using a PIN, app or permanent password.
• DNIe — The DNIe is the Spanish national ID card with an electronic chip, issued to Spanish citizens.
• TIE — The TIE is the residence card for foreigners living in Spain.

Key rules

• Validity: An FNMT certificate is valid for 4 years, and leaving Spain does not cancel it.
• Renewal window: You can renew the certificate online only while it is still valid, in the window that opens 60 days before expiry.
• DNIe: The DNIe cannot be renewed remotely; you must attend in person at a police station in Spain or a consulate that issues it.
• Cl@ve: Keep the mobile number and email in Cl@ve working, and keep the ID behind your registration valid.

What survives when you leave

Leaving Spain does not cancel your digital access. Your FNMT certificate, your Cl@ve registration and your DNIe all keep working. The risks are expiry, a dead mobile number and steps that need you in person.

FNMT certificate

Your certificado digital is valid for 4 years, and leaving Spain does not cancel it.

• Renewing online: You can renew it online only while it is still valid. The window opens 60 days before expiry. No new identity check is needed.
• Use the same setup: Renew from the same computer and browser profile where you made the original request, using the certificate itself to log in.
• Limit on repeats: Online renewals can only be done a limited number of times in a row. After that you must prove your identity again.
• If it has expired or been revoked: You cannot renew online. Ask for a new request code online, then prove your identity in person at an accreditation office.
• Consulates: Many Spanish consulates act as accreditation offices. Take your request code and a valid ID or passport, and book an appointment. Not every consulate offers this, and some require you to be registered as a resident there. The FNMT website has a search tool for offices abroad.

Cl@ve

Your Cl@ve registration stays in force after you leave. It can lapse if you do not use it for a long time, or if the ID behind it, such as your TIE, expires. An expired ID can block you from registering again.

• Phone: Cl@ve needs a mobile number and an email to send activation codes. Foreign mobile numbers are generally accepted, but text messages abroad can be unreliable. The Cl@ve app, which uses a QR code or notifications, reduces your dependence on texts.
• Changing your number from abroad: Register again online with an electronic certificate or DNIe, or by video call. You can also go in person to an office or consulate.
• First registration from abroad: The online certificate route and the video route both work. Consulates can also register you in person.

Change your number while the old one still works. This is much easier than doing it after you are locked out.

DNIe

The DNIe is the electronic chip ID card for Spanish citizens. It cannot be renewed remotely. You must go in person for your photo and fingerprints, either to a police station in Spain or to a consulate that issues the DNI.

• At a consulate: Spanish citizens registered there can renew by appointment. The new card usually comes with its certificate, and it is normally sent to the consulate. Not every consulate issues the DNI, so ask before your card expires.
• Using it remotely: Once activated, the DNIe certificates work online with a card reader or the mobile NFC app.

What needs a Spanish phone or an in-person step

• A Spanish phone: nothing strictly requires one. Cl@ve works best with a number you can receive texts on.
• In person: first issue of the FNMT certificate, a renewal after expiry, and any DNIe renewal.
• Fully online: renewing a valid FNMT certificate, and re-registering in Cl@ve with a valid certificate or DNIe.

Use the decision, documents and checklist below to choose your route. Do the setup steps before you leave Spain if you can.

Choosing between options

Which route should you use to get or renew your Spanish digital ID from abroad?

• Renew the FNMT certificate online: Your certificate is still valid and inside its renewal window, and you can use the original computer and browser profile.

• Prove your identity at a consulate that offers it: You are getting a first certificate, or yours has expired or been revoked. Your consulate must act as an FNMT office, and you book by appointment.

• Register or re-register in Cl@ve online or by video call: You have a valid electronic certificate or DNIe, or you cannot get to an office. You can also use this to change your registered mobile number.

• Renew your DNIe in person: You are a Spanish citizen and your DNIe is due. It cannot be renewed remotely, so go to a consulate that issues the DNI, or a police station in Spain.

If your certificate is still valid, renew online. If it has expired, or you have never had one, you need an in-person identity check, so choose the consulate. A DNIe always needs you present.

Setting up digital access before you leave Spain

• Ask for your certificate on the FNMT website with your DNI or NIE, surname and email: Well before you leave Spain, on the same computer and browser you will use to download it

• Prove your identity in person at an accreditation office, such as a tax office, Social Security office, many town halls or a consulate, with the request code from your email and your original ID: After step 1; an appointment is usually needed. Foreigners bring the NIE or card plus passport

• Download the certificate with your ID number and request code, then save a password-protected backup copy: After you have proved your identity, using the same computer and browser as in step 1

• Register in Cl@ve online with your new certificate or by video call, or in person at a registration office with your ID: After you hold the certificate. Online routes work from abroad; a letter code sent to your address is slow from abroad

• Register as a non-resident foreigner in Cl@ve with your NIE certificate or card plus a valid passport: If you have an NIE but are leaving Spain; you can still register after you stop being resident

• Check the certificate with the FNMT verification tool, then log in to the tax agency or Social Security online office with it: Before you leave Spain

• Log in with Cl@ve PIN or Cl@ve Permanente and check the mobile number and email registered: Before you leave Spain

• Check the expiry date and test again from a different browser or device: Before you leave Spain

• If an online Cl@ve route fails, go to a registration office or consulate with your ID: If the certificate or video routes do not work for you

Documents you need

• Your FNMT request code, which you get after asking for the certificate online on the FNMT website. Bring it to the accreditation office.

• A valid ID or passport to prove your identity when you accredit it at a consulate or other accreditation office.

• A valid electronic certificate or DNIe, if you want to register or re-register in Cl@ve online instead of going in person.

• Registration at the consulate where you want to renew your DNIe, which applies to Spanish citizens only.

Checklist

• Check the expiry date of your FNMT certificate and put the start of the renewal window in your calendar; the dates are set out in the setup section of this page.

• If the certificate has expired or been revoked, ask for a new request code online and book an identity check at an accreditation office or consulate.

• Ask your nearest Spanish consulate whether it acts as an FNMT accreditation office and whether you need to be registered as a resident there.

• Check that the mobile number and email registered in Cl@ve still work, and install the Cl@ve app so you do not depend on text messages.

• Check the expiry date of the ID behind your Cl@ve registration, such as a TIE, and plan its renewal before it lapses.

• Ask your consulate whether it issues the DNI and how long it takes, before your DNIe expires.

What if you are locked out of Spanish accounts or portals abroad?

Start with what you lost

The fix depends on whether you lost the phone, the certificate or both. Most problems can be fixed from abroad. A trip, or a visit to a Spanish consulate, is the last resort.

You lost the phone registered with Cl@ve

If you only need a new password, use the reset code sent to your registered email. You do not need the phone for this.

If the phone number itself is lost or dead, you can change it online in two ways:

1. Log in to the Cl@ve portal with a valid electronic certificate or an electronic DNI (DNIe), then set the new number.
2. Use the video-identification option, where an official checks your ID on a video call.

If you have neither a certificate nor a DNIe, you must show your ID in person at a registration office or a Spanish consulate. A consulate may be close enough to avoid a trip to Spain.

Which routes are offered can change, so check the Cl@ve portal before you plan anything.

You lost the certificate

Act in this order:

1. Revoke it if it may be in someone else's hands. Use the FNMT website with your revocation code, phone FNMT, or go to an office in person.
2. Look for your backup copy. A file ending in .pfx or .p12 restores the certificate on a new device, if you remember its password.
3. If you forgot the password and have no way to recover it, nobody can retrieve it. Revoke the certificate and apply for a new one.
4. If it has expired, it cannot be renewed online. You need a new request and an in-person identity check. This can be done at a consulate abroad.

Check the FNMT website for the revocation options currently offered.

When a trip, or a visit, cannot be avoided

Some steps still need your physical presence, even with working digital access:

• Fingerprints for a first NIE or TIE, and for most TIE renewals.
• A DNI or passport.
• A first Cl@ve registration, if you cannot use a certificate or video-identification.
• Signing in front of a notary, for example to buy a property.

Two ways to avoid the trip:

• Consulate signing. A Spanish consulate can handle some in-person steps. For a notary power of attorney, you can sign it there.
• A representative. Someone in Spain with a power of attorney or a registered authorisation can act for you.

Rules vary by office and region, and online options are widening. Ask the specific office whether your case can be done remotely before you book flights.

Once you are back in

Update your phone and email with the tax agency and Social Security. Both can be changed online with a certificate, DNIe or Cl@ve. Without any of these, you need an in-person visit or a consulate. Current procedures and accepted credentials are listed on each office's online portal.

Frequently asked questions

Can I renew my FNMT certificate online once it has expired?

No, an expired or revoked FNMT certificate cannot be renewed online, so you need to prove your identity in person again. Ask for a new request code online, then book an appointment at an accreditation office. Some Spanish consulates abroad offer this.

Can I use a foreign mobile number for Cl@ve?

Yes, foreign mobile numbers are generally accepted when you register for Cl@ve, but text messages abroad can arrive late or not at all.

How do I change the mobile number registered in Cl@ve from abroad?

You can change your Cl@ve mobile number by registering again online with an electronic certificate or DNIe, or by video call.

Can I renew my DNIe at a Spanish consulate?

Yes, if your consulate issues the DNI and you are a Spanish citizen registered there. You book an appointment and give your photo and fingerprints.

Does my Cl@ve registration stop working after I leave Spain?

No, leaving Spain does not cancel your Cl@ve registration, but it can lapse if you do not use it for some time. It can also be blocked if the ID behind it, such as a TIE, expires, so check that ID's date.