An aviso de llegada is the slip Correos leaves in your letterbox when the postman could not hand you a registered letter (certificado) because nobody was in. The letter is waiting for you at the post office written on the slip.
Who it may be from
Registered post is how Spanish authorities send their official notifications: the tax office (a requerimiento), the town hall or its tax agency, the traffic authority (a traffic fine), Social Security, a court — but also a bank, a lawyer or a company. The slip shows a sender or a code, and a box marked when it is an official notification (notificación).
How to collect it
- Go to the post office on the slip within the time it gives, usually from the next working day.
- Bring the slip and your passport, NIE card or TIE.
- Someone else can collect it with a signed authorisation on the slip and their own ID.
Why you should not leave it there
An official letter that is not collected is not lost. After the delivery attempts the authority publishes a notice in the official gazette (the BOE's Tablón Edictal Único) and the letter counts as delivered — the period to pay, answer or appeal runs whether or not you read it. Many foreigners first hear about a fine or a tax this way, when the deadline has already passed.
If you live abroad, consider an electronic mailbox (DEHú) or a representative in Spain for official notifications. Once you have the letter, upload it here to have it explained and its deadline counted.
Prepared by Legal Help Tool. Last updated . General information, not legal advice.
