Digital Certificate: A How-To Guide
With how many times per day I explain this one, it was high time to post it all here and just drop a link for those who need it!
MYTH: "Cl@ve" and "Certificado Digital" are the same thing.
TRUTH: They aren't.
They are two separate ways to validate yourself when you want to take care of Spanish admin online instead of in person, and they're EXTREMELY useful (I would go so far as to say "necessary"). My recommended system is to first get the Certificado Digital on your computer, and then the Cl@ve for your mobile device. The Digital Certificate does more, works better, and is the highest level of digital signature you can have, so start there.
Digital Certificate
- An irrefutable digital identity that is legally equivalent to a physical ID.
- Allows for the signing of electronic documents with the same legal status as a handwritten signature.
- Can be used to register for Cl@ve afterwards, for an advanced level of registration.
- Supports the highest security needs for any official procedures, such as filing taxes, registering a company, signing legal documents, and handling property or court-related procedures.
Cl@ve
- Unify and simplify access to public administration services with a single username and password.
- Uses either a temporary PIN (Cl@ve PIN) for sporadic use or a permanent password (Cl@ve Permanente) for more regular access.
- Provides a way to access services, particularly on mobile devices.
- Also offers a higher level of access (advanced registration) when linked with a digital certificate.
- For users who need to access online government services but do not need to sign documents with the same legal weight as an in-person signature
TO OBTAIN DIGITAL CERTIFICATE:
1. Make sure you are on the main computer that you will be using for your Spanish admin. That is where the certificate will live. I don't recommend doing it on your mobile phone, I recommend leaving that as a place for "Cl@ve Móvil" later on.
2. On your main computer, go to THIS WEBSITE and download the software to your computer. Click the "Generación de Claves" section, and it will be the link in the section that says "Descargar Configurador FNMT-RCM para la generación de claves".
3. Select your operating system and follow the instructions to generate the key
4. Find your nearest office to attend in person with your passport and NIE (NIE being the number on the white A4 paper, or on your mobile device, not the TIE which is a card). A lot of offices will require an appointment, but some you can walk into (those details are on the locator site - which is HERE). When you attend the appointment, you are proving your identity - that's the whole point of the visit, because your resulting Digital Certificate stands in for you needing to be anywhere showing your ID in person.
5. Within an hour after that appointment, they will send you one last Email, which you will use to then activate the Certificate on the same computer you installed the software to.
There is also tech support on the main first page you went to for your certificate, if you run into any issues along the way - and they are generally pretty helpful. Good luck!
