Open Records Laws in Spain

Response Timeline

One calendar month from receipt by the competent body (Art. 20.1). Extension of one additional month for volume/complexity (Art. 20.2). Silence after deadline = denial (Art. 20.4).

No residency or citizenship requirement. Art. 12 grants the right to all persons.

How to Submit a Request

Accepted Methods

• Online portal
• Email
• Electronic registry
• In person
• Mail

Article 17.1 of Law 19/2013 allows requests by any means (cualquier medio) that permits verification of the requester identity, the information requested, and a contact address (preferably electronic). The CTBG has clarified that email is a legally valid submission channel. However, in practice some agencies refuse email requests and redirect to their electronic registry (sede electronica), which typically requires a Spanish electronic certificate (certificado digital) or Clave PIN. This creates a practical barrier for non-Spanish residents. Autonomous Communities have their own transparency laws and may have separate portals (e.g., Catalonia, Andalusia, Valencia, Basque Country). Some regions have created their own transparency oversight bodies; others delegate complaint resolution to the national CTBG. Law 39/2015 on Common Administrative Procedure (Art. 16.4) establishes that documents may be submitted via electronic registries, post offices, diplomatic offices, or any other means established by current regulations.

Fees

Exemptions

• National Security
  National defense (Art. 14.1.a)
• National Security
  National security (Art. 14.1.b)
• Foreign Relations
  International relations (Art. 14.1.c)
• Public Safety
  Public safety (Art. 14.1.d)
• Law Enforcement
  Prevention, investigation, and sanctioning of offenses (Art. 14.1.e)
• Equality of Parties
  Equality of parties in judicial proceedings (Art. 14.1.f)
• Administrative Functions
  Administrative supervision, inspection, and control (Art. 14.1.g)
• Economic Interests
  Economic and commercial interests (Art. 14.1.h)
• Economic Policy
  Economic and monetary policy (Art. 14.1.i)
• Industrial Property
  Professional secrecy and industrial/intellectual property (Art. 14.1.j)
• Decision-Making
  Confidentiality in decision-making processes (Art. 14.1.k)
• Environmental Protection
  Environmental protection (Art. 14.1.l)
• Personal Data - Special
  Specially protected data: ideology, union, religion, race, health (Art. 15.1)
• Personal Data - General
  Other personal data weighed against public interest (Art. 15.2)
• Personal Data - Public Officials
  Data related to public functions generally accessible (Art. 15.3)

Appeal Process

CTBG complaint is optional and substitutive (not a prerequisite for court action). Filed within 1 month of express or implied denial (administrative silence = denial after deadline). CTBG has 3 months to resolve; its resolutions are binding. Autonomous Communities may resolve complaints through the national CTBG (via agreement) or through their own independent bodies. Catalonia, Andalusia, and Valencia have their own oversight bodies. Other regions delegate to the CTBG. The CTBG publishes all resolutions online. Transparency International Spain ranks autonomous communities annually via the INCAU index.

Request Templates

Records Retention

Ley 16/1985, de 25 de junio, BOE núm. 155, de 29 de junio de 1985

View retention law →

Sources & References

• Full text of law →
• Primary source →
• Portal de la Transparencia →
• Consejo de Transparencia y Buen Gobierno (CTBG) →
• BOE - Ley 19/2013 →
• Law 19/2013 - English Translation →
• RTI Rating - Spain →
• Transparency International - INCAU →