A digital certificate (certificado digital or certificado electrónico) is an electronic statement that links signature data to a person and confirms their identity. It lets you identify yourself online, deal with the authorities and sign documents. A trust service provider, such as Spain's FNMT, issues it, and you keep it on your computer, phone or a smart card.
In practice
The FNMT, Spain's Royal Mint (Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre), issues two main families:
- Personal or citizen certificate. Free for anyone of legal age, or an emancipated minor, with a DNI or NIE. There are four ways to get it: video identification, in person at an office, with the electronic ID card (DNIe) or with a mobile device.
- Representative certificate. For someone acting on behalf of a company, such as a sole or joint and several director, or of an entity without legal personality. The FNMT includes communities of owners, whose tax number (NIF) starts with H, in that last group. That certificate requires proving your identity in person, for example at a Tax Agency office, by appointment.
Watch the dates. All three types of representative certificate last 2 years. A personal certificate can be renewed in the 60 days before it expires, but once expired it cannot be renewed: you need a new one. In expiry tracking in Excel we explain how to keep track of these dates.
Do not confuse the certificate with other services that use the word "certified". A certified email or a qualified electronic registered delivery service proves that something was sent; the digital certificate is for identifying yourself and signing.
What the law says
- Article 3.14 and 3.15 of the eIDAS Regulation. Define the certificate for electronic signature and the qualified certificate, issued by a qualified provider and meeting Annex I.
- Article 25.2. A qualified electronic signature has the same legal effect as a handwritten one.
- Article 4.2 of Law 6/2020. A qualified certificate cannot be valid for more than five years.
- Article 14.2 of Law 39/2015. Must deal with the authorities electronically, among others: legal entities, entities without legal personality and professionals who must belong to a professional body, for that activity.
- Articles 9.2 and 10.2. The authorities accept, for identification and signing, qualified certificates from providers on the trusted list.
Common mistakes
- Letting it expire. An expired personal certificate cannot be renewed.
- Using your personal one for everything. To act for a company or a community of owners there is the representative certificate.
- Thinking it signs by itself. The certificate is the credential; you create the signature with it on each document.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) 910/2014 (eIDAS), consolidated text, arts. 3 and 25.
- Law 6/2020 on certain aspects of electronic trust services, art. 4.
- Law 39/2015 on the Common Administrative Procedure, arts. 9, 10 and 14.
- FNMT, citizen electronic certificate.
- FNMT, representative certificate for an entity without legal personality.
- FNMT: validity of representative certificates and when to renew a personal certificate.