Official Government of Spain
Essential Spanish Government Websites Every Resident Should Know
Spanish bureaucracy has a reputation for paperwork, appointments and long queues. However, many important procedures can now be completed online without visiting a government office.
From checking your immigration application and employment history to paying taxes and researching a property, Spain’s digital government services can save residents a considerable amount of time.
Here are 11 essential Spanish government websites that newcomers, employees, self-employed professionals and property owners should know about.
Agencia Tributaria — Spanish Tax Agency
Official website: sede.agenciatributaria.gob.es
The Agencia Tributaria, commonly referred to as the AEAT, is Spain’s national tax authority. Its electronic office is the main platform for managing taxes and communicating with the Tax Agency.
Through the website, you can:
- Submit personal and business tax returns
- Check whether you have outstanding tax debts
- Pay taxes or apply to defer eligible debts
- Review previously submitted tax returns
- Download tax certificates
- Request proof of declared income
- Obtain a tax-residency certificate when eligible
- Read official tax notifications
- Make an appointment with the Tax Agency
Many services require electronic identification through Cl@ve, a digital certificate or an electronic Spanish identity card.
Seguridad Social — Spanish Social Security
Official website: seg-social.es
Spain’s Social Security website provides information about employment registration, contributions, benefits, pensions and healthcare entitlement.
One of its most useful services is the Informe de vida laboral, an official report containing your recorded employment history in Spain.
Through Social Security and its Importass portal, you can:
- Download your employment-history report
- Review your Social Security contribution bases
- Check whether you are officially registered as employed
- Access information about benefits and pensions
- Obtain Social Security certificates
- Check outstanding Social Security debts
- Update personal and contact information
- Register, modify or end your activity as an autónomo
Employees should occasionally check their employment history to ensure that employers have registered them correctly. Self-employed workers can use Importass to manage many procedures without visiting a Social Security office.
DGT — Driving Licences, Vehicles and Traffic Fines
Official website: dgt.es
The Dirección General de Tráfico, or DGT, is responsible for driving licences, vehicle records, traffic fines and many road-related administrative procedures.
The website allows you to:
- Check and pay traffic fines
- View your driving-licence points balance
- Make an appointment at a DGT office
- Track the processing of a driving licence
- Apply for or exchange certain driving licences
- Request an international driving permit
- Update your address for traffic notifications
- Obtain information about a vehicle
- Request a vehicle-history report before purchasing a used car
- Complete vehicle registration and ownership-transfer procedures
Before purchasing a second-hand vehicle, requesting a DGT vehicle report can reveal important information such as administrative restrictions, registration details and other recorded issues.
Drivers can also use the miDGT mobile application to access a digital driving licence, vehicle information and selected DGT services.
Immigration Portal — NIE, TIE and Residency Procedures
Official immigration services: sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es
Spain’s electronic administration portal brings together several important immigration services.
Depending on the procedure and province, you can use it to:
- Request an immigration appointment
- Book appointments for TIE applications and fingerprinting
- Access immigration fee-payment services
- Submit eligible residency applications online
- Upload documents to an existing immigration case
- Access the Mercurio online immigration platform
- Consult information about immigration procedures
Appointments for TIE cards, fingerprints and other police documentation procedures are normally selected through the official immigration appointment system.
You can check the progress of many residency applications through the official immigration application status service.
Official EX application forms and immigration information sheets are available through the Ministry of the Interior’s immigration section.
Not every procedure is available online, and appointment options vary by province and police station.
Cl@ve — Digital Identification for Government Services
Official website: clave.gob.es
Cl@ve is Spain’s common electronic identification system. It allows registered users to securely access numerous national, regional and local government websites.
Once registered, you can use Cl@ve for procedures such as:
- Accessing tax information
- Downloading Social Security reports
- Checking government applications
- Submitting certain forms
- Accessing Mi Carpeta Ciudadana
- Consulting immigration files
- Viewing official notifications
- Completing selected municipal procedures
Cl@ve reduces the need to create separate usernames and passwords for every public authority.
You must register before using it. Registration options include online registration with an electronic certificate, video identification in eligible cases and registration at an authorised office.
Cl@ve and digital certificates are not the same
Cl@ve is primarily an identification and authentication system. A digital certificate, such as an FNMT certificate, is a separate tool that can provide broader electronic-signature capabilities.
A digital certificate may be required when a procedure does not accept Cl@ve or when a formal electronic signature is necessary. (Cl@ve)
SEPE — Employment and Unemployment Benefits
Official website: sepe.es
The Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal, or SEPE, is Spain’s State Public Employment Service.
It manages many procedures related to unemployment benefits, employment support and vocational training.
Through the SEPE website, you can:
- Check information about unemployment benefits
- Apply for eligible benefits
- Check the status of benefit payments
- Download certificates showing your benefit status or payment amounts
- Make an appointment with SEPE
- Find information about employment programmes
- Explore publicly funded training opportunities
- Access services for employees, companies and self-employed workers
Employment registration and many training programmes are managed by the employment service of your autonomous community rather than directly by SEPE. For this reason, it is useful to check both SEPE and your regional employment portal.
Catastro — Property and Cadastral Information
Official website: sedecatastro.gob.es
The Sede Electrónica del Catastro provides cadastral information about properties throughout most of Spain.
You can use it to:
- Search for a property using its address or cadastral reference
- Check the officially recorded surface area
- View cadastral maps and parcel boundaries
- Review the recorded use of a property
- Obtain descriptive and graphic cadastral certificates
- Access information about properties registered in your name
- Check the property’s reference value when available
- Compare cadastral information with a property advertisement
This service is particularly useful before purchasing a house or apartment. It can help identify discrepancies between the advertised area and the area recorded in the Catastro.
However, the Catastro does not replace the Registro de la Propiedad, or Land Registry. Cadastral information mainly describes the property for administrative and tax purposes, while the Land Registry is used to verify legal ownership, mortgages and registered rights.
Detailed internal apartment plans are not available for every property. The portal normally provides cadastral maps and descriptive or graphic information rather than architectural plans.
BOE — Spain’s Official State Gazette
Official website: boe.es
The Boletín Oficial del Estado, commonly known as the BOE, is Spain’s official state gazette.
New national laws, regulations, government decisions, appointments and other official announcements are published there.
The BOE is useful for anyone who wants to:
- Read the official text of new laws
- Follow changes to immigration regulations
- Check new tax rules
- Monitor employment-law changes
- Search historical legislation
- Access consolidated versions of certain laws
- Review public notices and government announcements
- Set up personalised alerts through Mi BOE
News reports and social-media posts may simplify or misinterpret legal changes. The BOE is the primary source for checking the wording and publication date of Spanish national legislation.
The website also provides access to BORME, the Official Gazette of the Mercantile Registry, where corporate announcements are published.
Registro Mercantil Central — Company Registry
Official website: rmc.es
The Registro Mercantil Central is Spain’s Central Mercantile Registry. It provides official public information relating to registered companies and company names.
Its services can help you:
- Check whether a company name is registered
- Search for information about registered companies
- Verify that a business has a formal registry presence
- Request certain company information and certificates
- Find contact details for provincial mercantile registries
- Review corporate announcements through BORME-related services
Some searches, certificates and company reports require payment.
Checking the Mercantile Registry can be useful before signing a major contract, paying a large deposit or purchasing professional services. However, registry confirmation alone does not prove that a company is financially stable or trustworthy.
For proper due diligence, you may also need to review the company’s tax number, accounts, legal representatives, debts, licences and reputation.
Ministerio de Sanidad — Official Healthcare Information
Official website: sanidad.gob.es
The Ministry of Health publishes official national information about Spain’s healthcare system, public-health programmes and medical recommendations.
The website provides information about:
- Spain’s National Health System
- Public-health alerts
- Vaccination programmes
- Medicines and health products
- Patient rights
- Healthcare when travelling
- Cross-border healthcare
- Digital health services
- National healthcare strategies
Healthcare delivery in Spain is largely managed by the autonomous communities. Your regional health authority normally issues your health card and manages appointments, electronic prescriptions and medical records.
The Ministry’s digital-health section explains national services such as the individual health card, interoperable electronic prescriptions and the National Health System’s digital medical-record infrastructure. (Ministerio de Sanidad)
Your Local Ayuntamiento — Municipal Services
After registering on the municipal population register, or padrón, one of your first steps should be to find the official website and electronic office of your local ayuntamiento.
Municipal online services vary from one city to another, but they may allow residents to:
- Request a certificado or volante de empadronamiento
- Make an appointment at the town hall
- Submit municipal forms and documents
- Pay local taxes and administrative fees
- Apply for resident-parking permits
- Register children for municipal activities
- Access local sports and cultural programmes
- Apply for municipal grants or social assistance
- Report local problems and incidents
- Check the status of municipal applications
The padrón is maintained by the municipality where you normally live. Some councils allow residents to download proof of registration immediately, while others require an appointment or electronic identification.
To find the correct website, search for:
“Ayuntamiento de [your municipality] sede electrónica”
Check that the website belongs to the municipality before entering personal information.
How to Start Using Spanish Government Services Online
The best place to begin is by setting up an accepted electronic identification method.
For most residents, the most useful options are:
- Cl@ve
- An FNMT digital certificate
- A Spanish electronic DNI, when applicable
- An NIE or DNI linked to your government records
- A current Spanish telephone number and email address
Once your identification is ready, you can access many procedures without visiting an office.
It is also important to keep your address and contact information updated with the relevant authorities. Official notifications may have strict response deadlines, even when you do not open or read them immediately.
Final Advice for Newcomers to Spain
Do not wait until you urgently need a certificate or appointment before registering for digital services.
Set up Cl@ve or a digital certificate, create access to your local council’s electronic office and become familiar with the websites relevant to your situation.
A few hours spent organising your digital access can save many future visits to government offices—and make everyday life in Spain considerably easier.