Documents & getting started
idCAT Mòbil or idCAT Certificat: which one do I need?
They are two different things and the difference is reach. idCAT Mòbil works with Catalan public administrations. The idCAT Certificat works with the Generalitat and with other administrations that accept the certificate issued by the AOC consortium, and it also signs documents electronically. So if what you need is a Generalitat or council procedure, idCAT Mòbil is enough and it is faster. If you need to sign something, or a procedure refuses idCAT Mòbil, you need the Certificat — and check the site you are on before you rely on either, because “accepts the AOC certificate” is not the same as “accepts everything”.
Does this apply to me
The Certificat is for people 18 or over with a valid identity document and a personal email address. You can apply from the day after your 18th birthday. Accepted documents are a DNI from any Schengen country, a passport, a NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero, the foreigner identification number) with a second photo document if the NIE itself has no photograph, or a provisional NIE together with a valid passport. Immigration status does not by itself exclude you, but the fast route does depend on your documents.
What it costs
Free. The AOC’s own portal lists both idCAT Mòbil and idCAT Certificat as “Gratuït”.
What to bring
- Your original identity document, not a copy. If you show a passport or a non-Spanish DNI, bring a photocopy as well.
- A personal email address.
- A personal code you invent and must remember, because you need it to download the certificate later.
Where to go, and how to book
Two routes.
| Route 1 — video-identification from home | Route 2 — in person at an Entitat de Registre idCAT | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can use it | Available only if you hold a Spanish DNI or a TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero, the foreigner identity card) with a residence permit. | Available to everyone, including people whose only document is a passport. |
| How you request it | AOC portal, then a video check. | Online first, or by hand at the counter. |
Route one, video-identification from home. Available only if you hold a Spanish DNI or a TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero, the foreigner identity card) with a residence permit. You start on the AOC portal, fill in your details, invent your personal code, receive an SMS code, then do the video check from a phone, tablet or computer with a camera.
Route two, in person at an Entitat de Registre idCAT (an idCAT registration entity). Available to everyone, including people whose only document is a passport. You can fill in the request online first to save time at the counter, or fill it in there by hand. The AOC publishes a list of registration entities, linked from the Generalitat page as “Consulta el listado de entidades de registro”, but that list loads by script and its Barcelona contents cannot be read from the page. Check the list on the AOC site or call 010, Barcelona City Council’s information line, free from within the metropolitan area.
How long it takes
On the video route, an operator confirms your identity by email within 48 hours, Monday to Friday, public holidays excluded. You then have 30 days to press “Accept the idCAT request” in that email. After that you get a second email with the download link. For the in-person route the Generalitat publishes no timeframe at all; ask the registration entity when you contact it.
What happens next
You download the certificate once and install it in your computer’s browser. Once only. You need two things at download time:
- the download code from the email.
- the personal code you invented.
Keep both. If you lose the personal code you have to start the whole request again in person. If you already had a valid idCAT Certificat, accepting a new one revokes the old one.
What goes wrong
- People choose the Certificat when idCAT Mòbil would have done. The Certificat lives in one computer’s browser, it can only be downloaded once, and it has codes you can lose. On a shared or borrowed computer that is a real risk. Most people on a phone should get idCAT Mòbil first and only add the Certificat when a procedure refuses it.
- Second thing that goes wrong: letting someone else install it for you. Do it on your own device, and never leave the file, the download code or the personal code on a machine in a shop or an internet cafe.
- Third: paying. Anyone selling you a “digital certificate” for Catalonia is selling you something the AOC gives away.
Useful words
- Certificat digital, certificado digital: digital certificate.
- Signatura electrònica, firma electrónica: electronic signature.
- Entitat de registre: registration office where your identity is checked.
- Videoidentificació: identity check by video.
- Codi personal: the code you invent and must keep.
- Codi de descàrrega: the download code they send you.
- Revocar: to cancel a certificate.
- Instal·lar: install.
Read next
- How do I get idCAT Mòbil?
- Can I get it with only a passport?
- Which office books which appointment (cita previa)?
- Do I have to file a tax return in Spain, and where do I get free help?
Official source
Generalitat de Catalunya, “IdCAT Certificat”, with the requirements, the two request routes, the 48-hour verification, the 30-day window to accept, and the download and installation steps.
Sources & checks
Generalitat de Catalunya · idCAT Certificat ↗
Fact-checked against the official source shown above. Not yet reviewed by a community admin. For procedures, confirm current requirements with the relevant official service.