Obtaining a Digital Certificate / Digital Signature

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Some official sites in Spain/The Canaries now require, or soon will, that you have a Digital Certificate in order to access personal information. An example is La Oliva Ayuntamiento have stated that you will need the Digi Cert as well as/instead of a PIN to access things like your entry on the Padron/request Travel Empadron/view your IBI and Basura bills...…

This message is now showing on the La Oliva website:

Steps to follow to access the Citizen Folder
IMPORTANT NOTE

The access and identification by PIN to the headquarters does not comply with the current security regulations and we will be obliged to change it by identification by electronic certificate and / or cl @ ve. Throughout the current year we will proceed to the progressive update of the services in electronic headquarters, including among other electronic notification and access to files initiated in this administration. Therefore we recommend, for those who do not yet have it, proceed to request an electronic certificate in the National Currency and Stamp Factory (http://www.cert.fnmt.es/home) that in addition to providing access to new services, It will be valid to carry out procedures with any administration.

I obtained one recently and documented the process:

I have now been through the Digital Certificate process which I will describe below, however, the La Oliva website still says that initially you need to attend a Ayuntamiento office to identify yourself, register as a user and receive a PIN. Looks like a visit is still on the cards at least for now.

Obtaining a Digital Certificate:
This is the first time that I have been through this process in Spain or England and I found it quite long winded as I needed to translate a lot of text and the help videos were obviously in Spanish so I played them goodness knows how many times to make sure I understood what I was meant to be doing. Having done this one I'm sure that any future ones will be quick and easy now that I understand the basic principles. This certificate has a life of 4 years, some articles I have seen online suggest some certs are valid for 2 years. Just long enough for me to forget the process ……………….

This is a very abbreviated overview - if you are going to get one you need to read all the instructions. I followed the instructions for a PC with Internet Explorer as the Browser. There are different instructions (mainly in Spanish of course with an occasional section in English) for different hardware and browsers.

1. Make sure your browser is the latest version and with all current updates. Then, suspend updates until you have completed the whole thing.
2. Follow the instructions to prepare your Browser - I used the automatic configuration option which was quick and easy.
3. Request your certificate. You quote your NIE (letters and numbers, 9 in total), your surname and your email address.
4. An email is sent by return giving you a code. Print this email ready for the next stage.
5. Now the fun really starts! You need to take this email along with your NIE doc (I used green card) and passport to 1 of 5 places on the island to get your ID verified. There is 1 place in Gran Tarajal and 4 in Puerto del Rosario. You can click on an option to see the names/locations. They include AEAT (Hacienda, appointment needed); Gobierno; Ministerio de Administraciones Publicas; Gerencia de Servicios Sanitarios de Fuerte. I chose the last option as it is housed at the hospital and I had to go there anyway. I was pushed from pillar to post, upstairs and down, for over an hour until a kindly orderly managed to track down the right person for me! The main desk in 'Gerencia' were the worst culprits! For anyone else who decides to use the hospital - go down the corridor to the left of the main front reception desks and about 3 turnings down on the right look for a door with DRAGO on it. You need either Augustin Drago or Margarita. It was Margarita who dealt with me and she was one of the most helpful, friendly ladies you could wish to meet. Once I got to her the process on her PC was very quick and easy. She volunteered her name for any of my friends that might need the same service!
6. Back home and checked I had confirmation email from Margarita. All in order.
7. Download my certificate from the original site - NIE and code needed again.
8. Install certificate.
9. Export certificate to a secure external backup location (optional but advisable) and use a password. You will need this if you get a new PC.
10. Check it works! Opened La Oliva website, clicked on the Digital Certificate symbol and voila!
11. Reinstate Updates on your Browser.

IMPORTANT - the PC (or other piece of hardware) that you request the certificate on and the PC (or other piece of hardware) you install it on, eventually, must be the same and not have had any updates.
If you make another request using the same NIE it invalidates the original certificate.

Good luck!

Update - Thanks to Logitech Tom for providing far more accurate directions to Margarita's office! In my defence I think I was disorientated from playing Blind Man's Bluff on my visit.

Enter the main hospital entrance (not the emergency department - urgenticas).
Go to the left of the main reception desk (pic one).
Pass the registration office. (Pic two)
Look for doorway on left marked administration directive and turn down that corridor  (pic three).
Third turning to the left, and first office door on the left is Margarita.

She works 7:30 to 3:30, but arrive before 3pm please.

TOM - if you see this please could you add your pictures? Thanks.

[TrickyFox]

I had heard that all you had to do was go to the building opposite the church in the centre of Puerto and ask for a Firma Electronica and this information was from a councillor. DOH!

[Cotillo_Tom]

Here with the pictures if you follow the directions to the office in the hospital in the first post .

   
   
   

I was told if you go to the building by the church, you need a good level of Spanish whereas Margareta at the hospital like to practice her excellent English.

Tom.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Thanks Tom.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Update on where to find the relevant office in the hospital as it has moved.

Enter the hospital through the main doors. Immediately on your left there is a bank of lifts. Go up to the 1st floor. As you come out of the lift turn left and head down that corridor. Keep going until you see a sign DRAGO on the right hand wall. This is the office you need. Margarita no longer appears to work there. You need Señor Augustin, a very nice guy but with little English. Another guy working alongside had pretty good English and translated.

[gattaca66]

Using the excellent posts above, I’m in the process of obtaining my Digital Certificate. Went in to see Snr Augustin today, but as luck would have it he is on holiday until Monday. The latest directions to his office were spot on, btw.

The initial application was a torrid process in my case, though! Ideally, I want the certificate on my iPad or on my phone. The download system for Android is suspended, it seems, and the one for Mac via Firefox simply would not work for me. I downloaded the latest Firefox to the IPad, went through to the ID stage, and it then told me I was using unsupported browser, please use Firefox....despite the fact that this was on Firefox! In the end I tried it on my old laptop which I rarely use these days, and succesfully got to the point where it produced the paper to take for verification. Once its finally installed (not holding my breath), I will try to find out how to get it on my iPad...it MUST be possible!

Whoever said living here would be easy?!

[beachlife]

Update on where to find the relevant office in the hospital as it has moved.

Enter the hospital through the main doors. Immediately on your left there is a bank of lifts. Go up to the 1st floor. As you come out of the lift turn left and head down that corridor. Keep going until you see a sign DRAGO on the right hand wall. This is the office you need. Margarita no longer appears to work there. You need Señor Augustin, a very nice guy but with little English. Another guy working alongside had pretty good English and translated.

Just completed the work on the computer to get the digital computer.

So was wondering how long does it take for them to send the application code/request code.? Is it days or quicker? I imagine as its Friday perhaps no one in the office to process the application although hoping that its all done automatically by software, as hoping to go next week to meet Señor Augustin when he gets back from his holidays.

Many thanks for Tom & Tamara for their great work on this issue.

[beachlife]

Well don`t have to wait for an answer!! Just received the notification for the application so looks like I`m off on an adventure next week.

[Sam]

Well don`t have to wait for an answer!! Just received the notification for the application so looks like I`m off on an adventure next week.

Good luck next week.

[gattaca66]

Well, I just wanted to record a big ‘thank you’ to Tamara et al for all of the preceding advice. There was no-one in Augustin’s office on Monday, Tuesday was fiesta day in Puerto, so my wife and I popped in there today. Augustin and his compadre could not have been more pleasant and helpful, and the whole process for the two of us was completed in ten minutes or so. We were given printouts of our applications, and found emails received as soon as we got home. Followed the links in the emails and bingo! We each now have the certificates installed on laptops, and copied onto usb drives. I’ve accessed both the Agencia Tributaria and Ayuntamiento electronically, so it’s working. Just need to get it onto my iPad now, but that’s a challenge for another day. Anyway, for anyone prevaricating, the process works, and you can do it!