What is a digital certificate?

The present and the future of society is the digital world. The era of new technologies and digitalisation is unstoppable and it is increasingly necessary to have knowledge in this regard. In fact, if you stop to think about it, is there any administrative process today that does not give you the option of a digital certificate? Do you know what it is? If not, keep reading this post because we are going to tell you what it is and what it is for. 

What the digital certificate consists of

The digital certificate is an electronic document that serves to verify the identity of a person in a real and unequivocal way online. It allows you to carry out procedures with the national, regional and local public administration, as well as for other entities that request it, such as schools or universities. The online identification of the person is carried out with a public key and the certificate is issued free of charge and signed by an accredited entity recognized as a certification authority.  

In fact, it has a unique serial number and must be renewed every four years, as this is its period of validity. In addition, it can be requested by any adult with a DNI or NIE number, or even by an emancipated minor. 

For example, when carrying out online procedures at the Tax Agency, checking your points on your driving licence, requesting your birth certificate or any other online administrative procedure, you will need to present your digital certificate. 

Types of digital certificates

There are two types of digital certificates. On the one hand, the one included in the chip of the electronic National Identity Card, and on the other hand, the one issued by the Spanish Mint, FNMT.

The FNMT certificate is very important because it allows you to obtain the certificate of the company of which you are the administrator.

Both certificates are usually valid for procedures on public administration websites, so it is not important which one you actually have. 

In fact, having one or the other will depend on how convenient it is to apply for and use them.

In the Valencian Community there is also a digital certificate to do almost the same as the other two, but it does not work to obtain a company certificate.

How do I obtain the FNMT digital certificate?

To acquire a digital certificate you must follow certain steps. You have to access the FNMT’s electronic headquarters and download the software for generating keys. To do this, the FNMT itself recommends using browsers such as Chrome, Internet Explorer or Firefox.

Once the programme has been downloaded, install it on your computer and return to the FNMT website. There, you have to access the Certificates section and select the option you need. In this case, you will see two options, the one for an individual and the one for a sole and joint administrator representative. 

The option we are dealing with to obtain the digital certificate is the natural person option. When you click on this option, you will see all the information explaining what these certificates are and what the process consists of. In the left-hand column you will find the option “Obtain Software Certificate”. 

Within this section, you can click on “Request Certificate”, both in the left menu of the page and in the second point that appears in the centre of the information. 

When you click on this, a screen opens with a form to fill in your details, such as your ID, name, surname and email address. And once you have filled in the data, you have to click on the link to consult and accept the conditions for issuing the certificate and accept these conditions in the new window. Once you have done this, all you have to do is click on Send request to receive an email with your request number, which will be associated with your DNI. 

To prove your identity and download the certificate, you need to physically take the code to a registry office, by appointment, such as delegations, administrations or other offices such as the Social Security. 

Once you have the accredited code, you can download it from the FNMT website by opening the Tools tab, internet options, content and certificates. 

Although it may seem a little cumbersome to obtain, the reality is that when it comes to using it, it is quite simple. In fact, you won’t need any PIN or physical device as you will have it saved on your computer or mobile phone.

How to apply for an electronic DNI digital certificate?

Obtaining the digital certificate by electronic DNI is much easier than the previous one. Likewise, when you get your DNI at the National Police station, you can activate the chip and the certificates in the machines set up for this purpose in the establishment. 

The disadvantage with this type of digital certificate is that you will need a compatible card reader or the NFC chip of your mobile phone if it is a DNI after 2015 and an official application that is also compatible. 

What is the digital certificate for?

As we have already mentioned, the certificate serves to identify a person in a real and official digital way when carrying out online procedures. 

This allows these procedures to be carried out securely and ensures that no one can impersonate your identity in any type of digital administrative procedure. In addition, having a digital certificate allows you to speed up all the procedures you have to carry out, as well as saving time and money. 

In fact, if you are self-employed or an SME, with a digital certificate you can comply with most of the quarterly and annual forms that you have to file electronically. 

Here is a summary of the actions you can carry out with the digital certificate: 

• Consultation and registration in the municipal census.
• Check traffic fines.
• Consult and apply for subsidies.
• Check the allocation of polling stations.
• Electronic signature of official documents and forms.
• Communicated actions.
• Filing and settling taxes.
• Filing appeals and complaints.
• Completion of population and housing census data. 

After reading this information, you now know what a digital certificate is and what it is for. And, as you can see, you don’t need to take any complex steps to obtain it. You will only have to dedicate a few minutes of your time to take advantage of all the benefits of carrying out the necessary administrative procedures digitally.