This is a short but simple procedure, which after the pandemic was much more optimized and can be done online. However, it is worth asking what is the Digital Certificate and what is it for.
It is a document that contains the personal data of the person and allows them to identify themselves on the Internet and exchange information with other people and organizations, with the guarantee that only both can access it.
There are two types of digital certificates issued by the National Currency and Stamp Factory:
- Certificate for natural persons: It links the subscriber with signature verification data and confirms her identity, upon issuance it is valid for four years. This will allow you to carry out procedures safely with the Public Administration and Private Entities.
- Certificate of representative of legal entities: According to the initial letter of the NIF, companies, associations, public bodies and governments can request this certificate, there is a specific process to obtain this certificate. It is valid for two years.
Best of all, it doesn’t cost a single euro, it’s free and you only need to present your DNI or NIE, the easiest way to obtain it is through the Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre (FNMT). However, afterwards you must go in person to prove your identity at public bodies, such as the Tax Agency.
When the certificate is close to expiration, it is necessary to renew it. Or, if it has already been renewed previously, all you have to do is request the issuance of a new certificate. How to verify this? Here we share the step by step:
Verify validity: step by step
To begin with, you must enter the link www.sede.fnmt.gob.es/inicio in your browser, which will direct you to the website of the Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre.
Once in it, look for the option “Obtain electronic certificates“ on the left side of the upper bar and, depending on the type of certificate that suits you best, choose between the options of natural person or representative certificate.
When choosing both Natural Person and Certificate of Representative, extensive information about these documents will be displayed in the center of the web page. However, once the option is chosen, in the left sidebar you will select “verify status”, which will open a new page.
Located in this section, you will see a list of the types of certificates within the two categories: Individual, Representative, Public Employee, Public Employment and electronic seal, entity seal, electronic DNI.
Also, you will find the hyperlink button called “Request verification”, click on this link.
Note: It should be noted that for this online search, we must have the digital certificate that we want to consult previously downloaded and installed on the computer. To find out how to do it, we invite you to read our tutorials on “How to install the digital certificate in Chrome?“ or “How to install a digital certificate on Android?”
By clicking on the button, an external menu will be displayed where you will see the installed certificates, and select the one you want to consult. Immediately the page will display the search results where it will state whether it is valid or invalid and if it is working correctly.
Additionally, you can scroll through the results to see in detail all the data of the person, entity or representative and the data clearly from the certificate.
At the end of all this information will appear the dates of the beginning and end of the validity of the certificate. This way you will find out when your digital certificate is current and valid!
What if the Digital certificate is expired?
In this case, the Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre explains on its website the steps to follow to obtain the renewal:
- Adjust browser settings.
- Have prepared the digital certificate of the natural person/representative on the computer from which the renewal is to be requested. At the end of the process they will send a request code necessary to download the certificate at the end.
- Request renewal. In the case of requesting it through Internet Explorer, the date and time of the PC must be set to one prior to the expiration of the certificate. After renewing it, reset the updated date to be able to download it.
- One hour after making the request and with the request code that the user will have in their email, the renewed certificate can be downloaded and installed.
Do you need more information about Digital Certificate?
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