Sede electrónica: what it is and how to submit documents through it

What is a sede electrónica?

Sede electrónica is an electronic address that belongs to a public authority and is available to citizens over the internet. The definition is given in Article 38 Ley 40/2015: the owner of the sede is responsible for the integrity, accuracy and currency of the information and services on it, must ensure secure communication and must certify the authenticity of the site with a qualified certificate [1].

In practice this means that official filings and official notifications go through the authority’s sede, not through an intermediary’s website. All the sedes in the table below are on gob.es domains.

Which sedes does a foreigner need and what for?

The list is not complete: the tax agency, the municipality and the Generalitat have their own sedes. How to get access through Cl@ve is covered in our article on Cl@ve and Mi Carpeta Ciudadana.

How do you identify yourself on a sede?

To file electronically you need a digital certificate, Cl@ve or an electronic DNI: this is stated in the guide of the Delegación del Gobierno en Madrid from November 2025 [6]. The UGE accepts applications only with an electronic certificate [3].

If you have no electronic means and you are not among the people obliged to file electronically, the administration must help you. At the oficinas de asistencia en materia de registros, an official can identify you and sign on your behalf, but only with your express consent, which is recorded [2]. How to get a digital certificate and access for a representative is described separately.

Do you have to apply electronically?

It depends on the procedure. As a general rule, an individual may choose between electronic and conventional filing unless a law or regulation requires them to use the electronic channel (Article 14 Ley 39/2015) [2]. Applications under Ley 14/2013, including the DNV, are accepted only electronically [3].

For procedures under the Reglamento, Article 197.2 RD 1155/2024 required electronic filing for, among other things, extensions of student stays and renovación no lucrativa [4]. On 8 July 2026 the Tribunal Supremo declared Article 197.2 invalid in its entirety and repeated this on 29 July; the court left the regulation free to reintroduce such an obligation if it is justified and proportionate [5]. The Madrid guide, written before the rulings, still names Mercurio as the mandatory channel for these procedures [6].

We have not been able to confirm from official sources which channel accepts your type of application today. Check the page for the procedure and confirm with a lawyer. How to apply for a residence permit through the sede step by step is described in the article applying for a residence permit through sede electrónica, and the steps for the DNV are collected in the route card.

When is an application considered filed?

The electronic registro accepts documents every day of the year, 24 hours a day. Deadlines are counted by the official time of the sede, and a document filed on a non-working day is deemed filed in the first hour of the next working day [2].

After you file, the system issues a recibo: a copy of the document with the date, time and entry number [2]. Keep it: the time limit that runs for the authority starts from the date and hour of filing in the electronic registro, and you must be informed of this date [2].

For UGE applications, the authority’s page says to pay the fee on modelo 790, code 038, point 7 [3]. Other procedures have their own form, for example modelo 790.

How do notifications from the sede arrive?

An electronic notification is deemed received at the moment you or your representative open it in the sede. If the electronic form is mandatory or you chose it, and you have not opened the notification within ten calendar days, it is deemed rejected [2].

So check your notification inbox regularly, especially after filing. A missed requerimiento can end with a finding that you have abandoned your application; read more in the article on desistimiento and caducidad.

Can a representative file on your behalf?

Yes. Ley 39/2015 allows a representative, but their authority has to be proven: by a power granted before a notary, by an apoderamiento apud acta made in person or in the sede, or by an entry in the electronic register of powers of representation [2]. In extranjería, Article 197.4 RD 1155/2024 lists the same methods and adds representatives under habilitación agreements and members of the Registro Electrónico de Colaboradores de Extranjería [4]. Who can act as your representative is covered in the article on the gestor and the abogado. A general overview of procedures in Barcelona is on the page Residence permit in Barcelona.

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ReloVictory · Sources reviewed 02.10.2026 · Not a substitute for individual legal advice.