What the service includes
- Requesting the certificate and managing the code, with the browser properly prepared.
- Support through the in-person identity check, the step that cannot be delegated.
- Download, installation and a real test: we do not consider a certificate good until something has been signed with it.
- Exported backup handed to the holder, with the export password. It is what prevents losing it when you change computer.
- Installation on your phone on request, and AutoFirma set up to sign PDFs.
If you prefer to do it yourself, the whole procedure is explained step by step in how to get the digital certificate, with separate guides to install it, renew it, use it on your phone and export the backup.
Individuals and companies are not the same
Individual. The certificate for individuals identifies the holder before any administration. It requires a NIF or NIE and an in-person identity check at a registration office.
Representative of a legal person. To act on behalf of a company you need the representative certificate, which requires proving the representation with up-to-date registry documents. It is the one any company needs to file taxes, receive mandatory electronic notifications and contract with the public sector.
Representative of an entity without legal personality, for co-ownership communities and similar, has its own type.
Confusion between these three types is common and costly: a company cannot operate with its director's personal certificate for everything, and a self-employed person does not need a representative certificate.
When you do not need a certificate but an authorisation
If all you want is for us to do the procedure, there is a faster alternative: registering an electronic authorisation in favour of the gestoría in the relevant register, or signing the specific authorisation each procedure allows. We act with our professional certificate and you do not have to obtain one.
That route makes sense when the procedure is a one-off. If you live in Spain on a stable basis, your own certificate pays off: notifications, employment history, padrón, Tax Agency, DGT and immigration files can be checked from home at any time.
On the obligations to deal electronically with the administration, the reference is article 14 of Law 39/2015, linked in the legal basis.
The three failures that reach us most
Certificate downloaded on a computer that no longer exists. Without an exported copy there is no possible recovery: the whole process has to be repeated, in-person identity check included.
Request made in one browser and download attempted in another. The certificate is downloaded on the same computer and browser where the request was generated. It is the number one cause of wasted request codes.
Renewal outside the window. Online renewal has a window before expiry. Outside it, back to the start with an in-person identity check. We see it every week.
Shall we handle it for you?
Registered gestora administrativa, ICGA Valencia. Fixed quote before we start and a free first consultation.
Frequently asked questions
Does the digital certificate cost money?
The FNMT certificate for individuals is free. This service covers the handling, installation and backup, not the certificate itself.
Can you get it without me going to any office?
The identity check is in person and personal, it cannot be delegated. What we can do is everything else, or handle your matters under an electronic authorisation without you needing a certificate of your own.
Is my personal certificate valid for my company?
Not for everything. A company needs a certificate of representative of a legal person, with the representation proved by up-to-date registry documents.
I lost my certificate when I changed computer, can it be recovered?
Only if you made an exported backup. If not, the whole process has to be repeated, in-person identity check included. That is why we always hand over the exported copy.
Can I use it on my phone?
Yes, by installing the exported file on Android or iPhone. We set it up if you ask.
Legal basis
- Law 6/2020 regulating certain aspects of electronic trust services
- Law 39/2015 on Common Administrative Procedure, art. 14 on electronic dealings with the administration
- Royal Decree 203/2021, Regulation on public sector action by electronic means
Official sources
- FNMT: certificates electronic office
- General Access Point of the Administration
- Electronic office of the Public Administrations
Written by Irina Klein. Reviewed by Elena Alonso Volostnova, registered gestora administrativa (ICGA Valencia). Updated on 5 October 2026. This page is general information and does not replace personalised advice on your case.