Checking a Spanish document with its verification code (CSV)

Key rules

• Right portal: A CSV can only be checked on the site of the body that issued the document.
• Exact code: Enter the code exactly as printed, then compare the original shown with your copy.
• Not a signature: A CSV proves a copy is genuine but is not the same as a handwritten signature.
• Time limit: Verification works only while the original is available, and the issuing body sets how long that is.

What the code does

The CSV on an electronic document lets anyone verify it on the issuing administration's portal. You type in the code and the portal shows the original it holds. If your copy matches, it is genuine.

The CSV is a unique code printed on documents issued electronically by Spanish public bodies. It ties the document to the body that issued it. That is how a printed copy can be trusted without a stamp or a handwritten signature.

Where to check it

Check the code only on the site of the body that issued the document. Another administration's site will not recognise it.

Each administration has its own verification page in its sede electrónica. The page is usually called "Verificación de documentos" or "Verificación de copias electrónicas". Examples include the tax agency, Social Security, the police and Ministry of Interior, the immigration office, the traffic authority (DGT), and regional and city council sites.

If you are not sure where to start, the central state's general access point can help you find the right sede. Web addresses change, so use the address on the document or search for the issuing body's sede.

How to check

The checklist below gives the steps in order. In short: find the code, open the right sede, go to the verification page, enter the code exactly as printed, then compare what appears with your copy.

If the code is not accepted, ask the issuing office for a new copy.

Limits to know

• A CSV works only while the original stays accessible. The issuing body sets how long verification is available, so an old document may no longer check.
• A CSV is not a handwritten signature. It proves the copy matches the original held by the body. It does not replace a signature where one is required.
• Whoever asks you for the document, such as a landlord, bank or employer, can run the same check themselves.

Documents you need

• The electronic administrative document or printed copy you want to check, issued by a Spanish public administration and showing its CSV (Código Seguro de Verificación, the unique code printed on it).

• The verification page in the issuing office's online office (sede electrónica), usually called "Verificación de documentos" or "Verificación de copias electrónicas".

Checklist

• Find the CSV printed on the document and note which administration issued it.

• Open the online office (sede electrónica) of that issuing administration, not another one.

• Go to its page called "Verificación de documentos" or "Verificación de copias electrónicas". If you cannot find the right office, use the state's general access point to locate it.

• Enter the CSV exactly as printed on the document.

• Compare the electronic original shown with your copy to confirm they match.

Frequently asked questions

Can I check a CSV on any website?

No, a CSV can only be checked on the website of the office that issued the document. Each administration has its own verification page, so a code from the tax agency will not work on the Social Security site. If you are unsure which office issued it, look at the header of the document or use the state's general access point to find the right site.

Does a CSV work forever?

No, a CSV works only while the original document is still available, and the issuing office sets how long that is. If the check fails on an old document, ask the issuing office for a new copy.

Is a CSV the same as a handwritten signature?

No, a CSV is not a handwritten signature. It is an automatic way for the administration to prove who issued the document and that it has not been changed. If an office wants more than the printed copy, ask it what else it accepts.