A burofax is a letter sent through Correos, the Spanish post office, with legal proof: proof that it was delivered (acuse de recibo) and, usually, proof of its exact text (certificación de contenido). It can be sent online or from a post office. Unlike a letter from the tax office or a court, it comes from a private person or company — it is formal, but it is not an order of the authorities.
Why people send one
- Renting — a landlord announcing that the contract will not be renewed or claiming unpaid rent; a tenant giving notice or asking for the deposit back.
- A community of owners — claiming unpaid fees before going to court.
- A creditor or a business — a demand to pay, which also interrupts the time limit for the claim.
- A contract — ending it, pointing out a breach, or an offer that must be on record.
How it is delivered
The postman tries twice to hand it over against a signature, then leaves an aviso de llegada; the burofax then waits at the post office for up to 30 days. Refusing it or not collecting it rarely helps: Spanish courts have held that a notice which did not arrive because of the receiver's own choice or inaction still takes effect, unless there was a good reason.
Is there a deadline?
Not of its own — a burofax only proves what was said and when. The period is the one the letter gives, or the one the law gives for its subject: for example, the notice a landlord or a tenant must give before a tenancy ends (these rules are being changed in autumn 2026, so check the current one). That is why this page has no deadline calculator: upload the burofax in the chat and it is read for you.
Answering
If you disagree, answer in writing — a burofax of your own is the usual way, so your reply is on record too. Do not sign anything new before you understand it. A lawyer for landlord and tenant disputes or debt claims can read it and answer for you.
Prepared by Legal Help Tool. Last updated . General information, not legal advice.
