The word “sede” in Spanish means headquarters or official seat, so “sede electrónica” literally means electronic headquarters. It’s not just a basic website — it’s the legally recognised digital space where you interact with that institution. Everything you do there has the same legal validity as if you’d gone in person and signed on paper.
A public institution’s sede electrónica is its official online platform where it offers its digital services. It’s where you go to handle admin like filing forms, submitting tax returns, checking notifications, or requesting documents, all without stepping into an office.
Each government body has its own sede electrónica. For example:
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The Agencia Tributaria (AEAT) has its sede for taxes
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The Seguridad Social has one for social contributions and benefits
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Your local ayuntamiento (town hall) may have one for municipal matters like paying IBI or requesting empadronamiento
You’ll usually need a digital certificate, Cl@ve PIN, DNIe, or idCAT (if you’re in Catalonia) to log in and use most services. It’s the main way Spain handles official admin now and it’s a good service once you get used to it, but it can be a bit confusing at first.
