Plain answers about the letters, deadlines and forms expats in Spain run into most. Written in plain language, with the Spanish terms kept intact so you can match what you see on the paper.
Hacienda & AEAT letters
What is an AEAT notification (notificación de la Agencia Tributaria)?
An AEAT notification is an official communication from the Agencia Tributaria (Hacienda). It can be a request for information (requerimiento), a proposed assessment (propuesta de liquidación), a penalty notice (sanción), or a routine confirmation. It does not, by itself, mean that you owe money.
Start with the issuing body, document type, expediente or CSV, the action requested, and the deadline printed on that notice. The notice and its own procedure control the route and timing; do not assume every AEAT letter has the same deadline or response method.
Official source: AEAT — respond to a received notification
Related next step: Read: how to respond to an AEAT requerimiento
I got a letter from Hacienda — what do I do?
Open and keep the letter or notification. First note: (1) who issued it; (2) the document type — for example, requerimiento, propuesta, liquidación, or sanción; (3) the expediente or CSV; (4) exactly what it asks for; and (5) the deadline and counting rule written there.
A propuesta, liquidación, and sanción are different procedural stages, so do not decide to pay or challenge something from a generic FAQ. Use the procedure named on the notice; if the Spanish wording changes the decision, have the actual document read carefully.
Official source: AEAT — respond to a received notification
Related next step: Read: how to respond to an AEAT requerimiento
What is a requerimiento from Hacienda?
A requerimiento is a formal request from the AEAT for information or documents, such as evidence for a deduction, a missing record, or clarification of a tax return. It is not automatically a fine or a debt. The notice itself identifies what you must send, its deadline, and the correct submission route.
Follow that named route, send only what is requested, and keep the receipt. If the notice concerns a proposed assessment, penalty, or a high-value tax position, get case-specific advice before choosing a response.
Official source: AEAT — respond to a received notification
Related next step: Read: how to respond to an AEAT requerimiento
How do I respond to a requerimiento from the AEAT?
The safe reply route is the one named in the notification. AEAT uses different online services for different notices. For a received notification, access can depend on its CSV and on whether you are filing yourself or through a representative; some routes accept a CSV or Cl@ve, certificate, or DNIe, so do not assume every case requires the same digital ID.
Prepare the documents requested, label them clearly, use the named channel, and save the electronic receipt (justificante).
Official source: AEAT — respond to a received notification
Related next step: Read: how to respond to an AEAT requerimiento
How long do I have to respond to an AEAT letter?
Do not calculate an AEAT deadline from one generic rule. The notice states the deadline and how it is counted, and that can vary by procedure and delivery channel. Check whether it uses calendar or working days, the date it starts from, and whether holidays matter.
If the notification is electronic, its effect can also depend on the delivery method and whether electronic notification was mandatory or chosen. If the deadline is unclear, use the official AEAT information for that procedure or get help before it passes.
Official source: AEAT — respond to a received notification
Related next step: Read: how to respond to an AEAT requerimiento
Enforcement & unpaid debts
What is a providencia de apremio?
A providencia de apremio is the formal notice that starts executive tax collection for an unpaid debt. The General Tax Law sets the enforcement process and possible surcharges, but the particular notice controls the debt, amount, payment deadline, and any available route to object.
Do not infer a fixed surcharge, seizure, or remedy from a generic explanation. Check the underlying debt, identifiers, dates, and instructions on the notice, then use the official route it names and keep every receipt.
Official source: BOE — General Tax Law: executive surcharges and apremio
Related next step: Read: how to respond to a providencia de apremio
What happens if I don't pay a Spanish tax debt?
An unpaid tax debt can move beyond the voluntary payment period. The General Tax Law provides for executive surcharges and enforcement, but the amount, stage, and available remedies depend on the actual file. A later tax notice does not by itself tell you that an immediate bank seizure or a particular surcharge applies.
If the notice says apremio, compare its identifiers, amount, and dates with the original debt, act through the official channel named there, and get case-specific help before a high-stakes payment or challenge.
Official source: BOE — General Tax Law: executive surcharges and apremio
Related next step: Read: how to respond to a providencia de apremio
Residency & extranjería
What is a requerimiento de subsanación in a residency application?
A requerimiento de subsanación asks you to complete or correct missing information in an immigration application, such as a document, translation, or payment record. It is not necessarily a final refusal. The notice identifies what is missing, the exact deadline, the submission route, and the consequence of not responding.
Immigration procedures vary, so do not assume a standard 10-day window or automatic archive. Submit through the named Extranjería channel, keep the receipt, and use a status service only to check status — not as proof that you filed a response.
Official source: Migraciones — online extranjería procedures
Can I appeal a resolución desfavorable from Extranjería?
Read the final section of the resolution that identifies any recurso, review route, and deadline. The available options depend on the particular immigration decision, permit type, and procedure, so do not assume there is always the same reposición or court route.
In some cases the correct next move may be to correct a defect, submit a new application, or use the specific review route stated in the decision. If a deadline or legal strategy matters, get qualified immigration advice with the resolution in front of you.
Official source: BOE — Law 39/2015: common administrative procedure
Other common letters
I got a DGT traffic fine — how do I check and pay it?
First identify who issued the fine. The DGT has its own official process; a fine from an ayuntamiento or autonomous community must be handled with that authority, not through a generic DGT route. Compare the notice's case number, alleged facts, deadline, and payment or allegation instructions.
DGT guidance warns that payment, any reduction, and objections can have linked procedural effects, so read the exact notice before choosing a route. Confirm unexpected messages through the issuer's official site or the paper notice, not an email link.
Official source: DGT — what to do after receiving a fine
Related next step: Open Ask Guiri
What is the IBI letter from the ayuntamiento?
IBI (Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles) is municipal property tax. An IBI bill or reminder is governed by the particular town hall or local tax office, not by one universal AEAT schedule. Check the sender, property or cadastral reference, period, amount, payment method, deadline, and any review instructions on your notice.
Do not assume instalments, a surcharge, or an appeal route from another municipality applies to yours. For a correction or payment question, use the issuing municipality's official tax channel.
Official source: BOE — General Tax Law
Related next step: Open Ask Guiri
Is a burofax legally binding in Spain?
A burofax is a Correos document-delivery service. Depending on the added service selected — for example, delivery proof or certified content — it can help show what was sent or delivered and when. It does not, by itself, make every claim, deadline, or contract term legally valid, and it does not decide a dispute.
Keep the document, envelope, attachments, and delivery information; then read the exact demand and response route it contains. Get qualified advice if it concerns a legal dispute, housing termination, or a significant debt.
Official source: Correos — Burofax Premium
Related next step: Open Ask Guiri
Top 5 letter topics — how to respond & where to find deadlines
AEAT tax letters — how do I respond and where are the deadlines?
For an AEAT tax letter, the deadline and reply channel are the ones on the actual notification. AEAT's own guidance says to check whether that notice names a different route before you use a general reply service. Record the expediente or CSV, what is requested, the deadline and how it is counted, and the official channel named on the notice.
Submit only through that channel and save the presentation receipt. If the wording or deadline is unclear, get the actual document reviewed before it passes.
Official source: AEAT — respond to a received notification
Related next step: Read: how to respond to an AEAT requerimiento
Social Security letters — how do I respond and where are the deadlines?
Social Security notices can come from the TGSS or INSS and cover very different procedures, such as registration, contributions, benefits, or debt. The issuing body and the notice determine the action, deadline, payment, and review route. Do not apply one generic 10-day, one-month, or surcharge rule.
Use the official electronic office or Import@ss only when the notice points there or the relevant service supports the action, and keep the receipt. Follow the specific procedure instructions for benefit, debt, or review decisions.
Official source: INSS sede
Related next step: Read: digital access in Spain
Regional government notifications — how do I respond and where are the deadlines?
Each autonomous community and public body can use its own notification system. Law 39/2015 provides general administrative rules, but the specific procedure and notice govern how and when you respond. Do not assume a 10-working-day deadline or that one digital credential works everywhere.
Use the channel named on the notice, save the receipt, and only consult the relevant official holiday calendar after you know how that deadline is being counted.
Official source: BOE — Law 39/2015: common administrative procedure
Related next step: Read: digital access in Spain
Sede electrónica — how do I actually use it and where do I find my notifications?
A sede electrónica is an agency's online office, and its access methods and features vary by agency and procedure. Mi Carpeta Ciudadana can take you to DEHú to consult pending notifications from bodies connected to that service; it is useful, but it is not a guarantee that every notice from every body appears there.
Under Law 39/2015, the effect of an electronic notification can depend on access and on whether electronic notification was mandatory or chosen. Check the issuing agency's own channel and the actual notice rather than relying on one inbox or login method.
Official source: Mi Carpeta Ciudadana — Mis Notificaciones / DEHú
Related next step: Read: digital access in Spain
Responding to a requerimiento — what's the exact process and timeline?
Use this safe sequence: (1) keep the notice or PDF; (2) record the issuer, expediente or CSV, requested documents, deadline, and counting rule; (3) read the official reply route named in that notice; (4) prepare only the documents requested; (5) submit through the channel and access method allowed for that case; and (6) store the receipt and copies.
AEAT says individual notices can point to different routes, and its tools may accept a CSV or digital identification depending on the path. Do not assume an extension exists or will be granted; only request one before the deadline if the notice or applicable rules permit it.
Official source: AEAT — respond to a received notification
Related next step: Read: how to respond to an AEAT requerimiento
Using Guiri safely
When should I use a public guide versus Ask Guiri?
Use public pages when you need orientation: what a term means, which office usually handles a route, which portal to open, or what documents people usually prepare. Use Ask Guiri when the answer depends on your own PDF, deadline, rejection, address proof, permit type, tax amount, uploaded file, or appointment screen.
How many documents can Guiri Pro scan?
Guiri Pro is designed for repeated document help and includes 30 document scans per month. Use scans for the documents where the exact wording matters: tax letters, TIE notices, padrón PDFs, appointment confirmations, rejection letters, and portal errors.
Can Guiri read my Spanish government letter?
Yes. Guiri can read a government PDF or image, extract the deadline, identify the issuing office, explain the Spanish wording, and turn it into next steps. For contested, high-value, appeal-heavy, or legally strategic decisions, use that explanation as preparation for a qualified professional.
Do I still need a gestor?
Sometimes. If you need representation, tax strategy, company filings, payroll, inheritance, court work, or someone to act on your behalf, use a gestor, abogado, or qualified advisor. If you need to understand the letter, prepare documents, or decide what route you are looking at, Guiri is usually the right first step.
Can Guiri help with city-specific padrón documents?
Yes. Padrón rules are municipal, so Guiri separates Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Sevilla, and other city routes. Start with the city page, then run the padrón checklist for your housing situation: renter, owner, hosted resident, or no standard address proof.
Which Spanish digital access tool should I set up first?
Start with the task. If you only need basic login, Cl@ve is often enough. If you need formal filing or signing, you may need an FNMT digital certificate and AutoFirma. If you need Social Security records, use Import@ss. If you need a cross-government inbox, check Mi Carpeta Ciudadana.