Falling behind on payments in Spain: your first steps

Terms used

• Burofax — A burofax is a certified postal notice that proves what was sent and when it was delivered.
• Monitorio — The monitorio is a court procedure in which you are ordered to pay a money debt or oppose it.
• Carencia — A carencia is a grace period in which you pay little or no principal on a loan.
• Quita — A quita is a write-off of part of a debt, agreed in exchange for paying the rest.
• OMIC — The OMIC is the town hall's free consumer information office.
• AEPD — The AEPD is Spain's data protection agency, which handles misuse of personal data.

Key rules

• Payment order: If a court sends you a payment order (monitorio), you have 20 working days from notification to pay or oppose it.
• Listing warning: A creditor must demand payment and warn you that the debt may be reported to a defaulter file before listing you.
• Priorities: Pay your home, utilities, taxes and Social Security first, and never take expensive new credit to cover old debts.
• Free help: Your town hall's consumer office gives free advice on debt disputes.

Start by confirming the debt

Act early. Late fees and interest are small at first, and creditors are more flexible with people who contact them quickly. Check that the debt is real, the amount is right and the dates match your records. If you dispute it, say so in writing. The letter template below can help.

What a creditor must do before listing you

Before putting you on a defaulter file, the creditor must demand payment and warn you that the debt may be reported. The warning usually comes in the demand letter, or in a clause of your contract. It must be provable, for example by burofax (a certified postal notice), certified mail or an email with proof of delivery.

If you were listed without that warning, the listing is unlawful. You can demand deletion and may claim damages. The data protection agency can fine the creditor. The file operator must also tell you within 30 days that you have been listed.

Notice before court action

No formal notice is legally required before court action on most debts, though creditors usually send letters, emails, calls or a burofax. Since 3 April 2025, many consumer claims need a prior attempt at an out-of-court settlement, such as negotiation or mediation. How that applies to a payment order can vary, so ask the court or a lawyer if you receive one.

In a monitorio, the court tells you to pay or oppose. You have 20 working days from notification. If you pay, the case ends. If you oppose in time, it moves to a trial. If you do nothing, the creditor can ask for enforcement, including seizure of accounts, wages and property. Open court letters the day they arrive.

Decide which debts come first

Protect first the debts with the harshest consequences:

• Rent or mortgage on your home, because of eviction or foreclosure.
• Electricity, gas and water.
• Taxes and Social Security debts, because the administration can seize accounts and wages without a court.
• Maintenance payments, court-ordered debts and secured loans such as a car loan.

Credit cards, personal loans and store credit come next, because those creditors need a court process before they can seize anything. Keep a simple budget of income and expenses. Do not take new high-cost credit to pay old debts.

Negotiate

Ask the creditor in writing for one of these:

• Smaller instalments or a longer term.
• A grace period (carencia).
• Refinancing or consolidating your loans.
• A lump-sum settlement at a discount (quita). This is more likely for debts sold to collection firms.

Explain your hardship honestly and keep a record of every letter and call. If you cannot pay your mortgage and your household is vulnerable, the banks' Código de Buenas Prácticas offers restructuring options. If you can never realistically repay, the Ley de Segunda Oportunidad lets individuals ask a court to discharge debts through a payment plan or liquidation. Get legal advice before using it.

Where to get free help

• Your town hall's consumer office (OMIC) gives free advice and handles complaints.
• The Junta Arbitral de Consumo offers free arbitration if the business has joined.
• For banks, complain first to the bank's customer service, then to the Banco de España's free complaints service.
• For wrongful listing, complain to the data protection agency (AEPD).
• Consumer associations such as OCU, FACUA and ADICAE also help, though some charge for membership.

The checklist, timeline and warnings below cover the rest.

Timeline and deadlines

• Creditor tries an out-of-court settlement, such as negotiation or mediation, for consumer claims: before filing in civil court, for claims filed since 3 April 2025

• The case moves to an ordinary or verbal trial if you oppose in time: after you file your opposition

• The creditor can ask for enforcement, including seizure of accounts, wages and property: if you do nothing within the 20 working days

Documents you need

• The creditor's written payment demand, which must warn you that the debt may be reported to a defaulter file if you do not pay in time. Ask the creditor for a copy.

• Your contract, if it contains the listing warning instead of the demand letter. Look for the clause that mentions reporting unpaid debts to a defaulter file.

• Proof that the demand reached you: a burofax receipt, a certified mail record or an email with proof of delivery. Without it, the creditor cannot easily show you were warned.

Checklist: your first week after a missed payment

Your first week after a missed payment

• Find out why the payment was missed (bank error, unexpected charge or a dispute) and the exact amount owed, including fees.

• Pay at once if you can, because late fees and interest are small in the first days.

• Make sure the account has enough money for your other direct debits, so you avoid more charges.

• Write to the creditor and ask for a payment plan or a deferral if you cannot pay in full.

• Draw up a simple budget of income and expenses, then rank your debts: home rent or mortgage, electricity, gas and water, taxes and Social Security, maintenance payments and court-ordered debts, and secured loans such as a car loan come first.

• Keep every letter, email and note of each call with the creditor.

• Open any court letter the day it arrives and act on it. If it is a payment order (monitorio), you have 20 working days to pay or oppose it.

• Check whether the creditor demanded payment and warned you in writing that the debt may be reported to a defaulter file. If it did not, a listing is unlawful and you can challenge it.

• Ask for free advice at your town hall's consumer office (OMIC) or a consumer association if you dispute the debt or it is growing.

• Compare the full cost before you sign any new loan to cover the debt, and avoid high-cost credit.

What to watch out for

• Being listed without a prior warning: A creditor that reports you to a defaulter file without first demanding payment and warning you is acting unlawfully. The data protection agency can fine it, and you can demand deletion and claim damages. Ask the creditor for its written demand and proof of delivery. If it cannot show them, ask for the listing to be deleted and complain to the data protection agency.

• Tax and Social Security debts: The administration can seize your accounts and wages for tax and Social Security debts without going to court. Left unpaid, these debts hurt faster than a credit card balance. Pay these debts or agree a plan with the tax office or Social Security early, before other unsecured debts.

• Taking new expensive credit to pay old debts: A new high-cost loan to cover an old debt usually makes the problem bigger and the repayments harder. Ask your creditor for smaller instalments, a longer term or a grace period instead.

• Ignoring a court payment order: If you do nothing, the court ends the process and the creditor can ask for enforcement against your accounts, wages and property. Pay or oppose the order within the deadline, and get advice from a lawyer or your town hall's consumer office the day it arrives.

Template: letter to negotiate or dispute a debt

Send the letter in Spanish. Fill in the blanks in square brackets and delete any paragraph that does not apply to you.

What makes the letter work

• Put your full name, NIE or DNI, and address at the top, plus the creditor's name and the contract or reference number.
• State clearly what you dispute or propose. Give the facts and dates, the amount they claim, and the amount you say is correct.
• Ask for one specific action with a deadline. 10 to 15 days is usual.
• List the copies of evidence you attach (payments, contract, earlier messages). Never send originals.
• Sign and date it, and keep a copy.

How to send it

Send it by burofax with certificate of text and acknowledgment of receipt, from the post office. It proves what the letter said, that it was sent and that it arrived, and courts accept it. It usually costs 25 to 60 euros depending on length and options, and an online version exists. Check the current rate before you pay.

Cheaper options are weaker:

• A certified email service proves content and delivery at a lower cost.
• Registered post with acknowledgment of receipt (carta certificada con acuse de recibo) proves delivery but not what the letter said.
• Plain email is weak evidence. Use it only as an extra copy, or to get a reference number from the creditor's customer service.

Letter 1: dispute a claim and ask for proof

[Su nombre completo] NIE/DNI: [número] Dirección: [dirección completa] Correo electrónico y teléfono: [datos]

A la atención de: [nombre del acreedor o empresa de cobro] Dirección: [dirección]

[Ciudad], a [fecha]

Asunto: Reclamación de deuda – Referencia/contrato n.º [número] – Disconformidad y solicitud de documentación

Muy señores míos:

He recibido su comunicación de fecha [fecha] en la que me reclaman la cantidad de [importe] euros en concepto de [concepto].

No estoy de acuerdo con esta reclamación por los siguientes motivos: [explique los hechos y las fechas. Por ejemplo: "el [fecha] pagué [importe] euros, como acredita el justificante adjunto" / "la deuda ya está prescrita" / "la cláusula de [intereses/comisión] es abusiva" / "el importe correcto es [importe] euros"].

Por ello, les solicito que, en el plazo de [10/15] días desde la recepción de esta carta:

1. Me remitan el contrato o documento que origina la deuda y un desglose detallado del importe reclamado (principal, intereses y gastos).
2. Si la deuda ha sido cedida, me acrediten documentalmente la cesión y su legitimación para reclamarla.
3. Rectifiquen o retiren la reclamación en lo que no sea correcta.

Asimismo, ejerzo mi derecho de acceso a los datos personales que conservan sobre mí y sobre esta deuda.

Mientras la deuda esté en disputa, les solicito que no la comuniquen a ficheros de solvencia patrimonial (como ASNEF). Si lo hicieran, reclamaré por ello.

De no obtener respuesta, presentaré una reclamación ante el Banco de España, la oficina de consumo competente o los tribunales.

Adjunto copia de: [lista de documentos].

Atentamente,

[Firma] [Nombre completo]

Letter 2: propose a payment plan

[Su nombre completo] NIE/DNI: [número] Dirección: [dirección completa] Correo electrónico y teléfono: [datos]

A la atención de: [nombre del acreedor] Dirección: [dirección]

[Ciudad], a [fecha]

Asunto: Propuesta de plan de pago – Referencia/contrato n.º [número]

Muy señores míos:

Me dirijo a ustedes en relación con la deuda de [importe] euros que figura a mi nombre con la referencia indicada.

Por motivos de [explique brevemente: pérdida de empleo, reducción de ingresos, enfermedad…], no puedo pagar el importe completo de una sola vez. Quiero resolver la situación y les propongo lo siguiente:

• Pago de [importe] euros al mes, durante [número] meses, el día [día] de cada mes. / Un pago inicial de [importe] euros y [importe] euros al mes después.
• [Opcional: quita o reducción de intereses y gastos a cambio del pago puntual.]

Les ruego que me confirmen por escrito, en el plazo de [10/15] días, si aceptan esta propuesta, y que me indiquen la cuenta y el concepto del pago.

Mientras se negocia este acuerdo, les solicito que suspendan nuevas reclamaciones y que no comuniquen la deuda a ficheros de solvencia patrimonial.

Adjunto copia de: [justificantes de ingresos y gastos, si procede].

Atentamente,

[Firma] [Nombre completo]

Before you send

• Offer only a monthly amount you can really keep paying. A missed payment weakens your position.
• Do not pay anything until you have the creditor's agreement in writing.
• Keep the burofax receipt, the delivery confirmation and your copy of the letter together. You will need them if the case goes to a complaint or court.

Frequently asked questions

Does a creditor have to send a formal notice before taking me to court?

No, no formal notice is legally required before court action on most debts. Creditors usually send reminder letters, emails, calls or a burofax (a certified postal notice). Since 3 April 2025, consumer claims generally need an attempt at an out-of-court settlement, such as negotiation or mediation, before the creditor files in civil court.

Can I settle a debt for less than I owe?

Yes, you can sometimes settle a debt for a lump sum at a discount (a quita), mostly when it has been sold to a collection or recovery firm. Banks are most flexible if you show real hardship and contact them early.

What can I do about a mortgage I cannot pay?

If your household is in a vulnerable situation, your bank must offer restructuring options under the Código de Buenas Prácticas (code of good practice). Ask the bank for them in writing. If you cannot pay your debts at all, the Ley de Segunda Oportunidad (second chance law) lets a court discharge them through a payment plan or liquidation.

Where can I get free help with a debt dispute?

Start with the OMIC, the free consumer office at your town hall, which gives advice and handles complaints. For a complaint against a bank, go first to the bank's customer service, then to the Banco de España's free complaints service. If you were wrongly put on a defaulter list, the AEPD, the data protection agency, handles it.