Request copy

Another very interesting feature offered by the new Notarial Citizen Portal is the possibility of requesting and obtaining, 100% online, any copy of a public document that we have signed with any Notary Public in Spain, which can be very useful for citizens and professionals in many areas.

Thus, with the Citizen's Notarial Portal, from now on, as we will see, any person who has signed a public deed before a Notary Public, will be able to request telematically to obtain a copy of said document. Also, thanks to the Notarial Citizen Portal, as we will see, in certain cases, this copy will be archived in an online document repository, so that we will always have it at our disposal, stored in a secure space, which will allow us to access it whenever we want, from any place or device.

We will now see how to access this option, what it is used for, as well as the steps to follow.

What is a notarial copy?

As is well known, when a person goes to a notary's office to sign a public deed(for example, a purchase of real estate, an acceptance of inheritance, a donation, a power of attorney, etc.), the original document signed at the notary's office is called the "matrix", which is filed and kept by the notary who authorized the document.

However, as is logical, those interested in this document, in accordance with the law, have the right to obtain a copy of their deed, that is to say, a duplicate of the document they have signed, which will allow them, for example, to prove their rights before third parties, register their rights in the Property Registry, pay the corresponding taxes, carry out formalities before the administration (such as registering in the municipal census, etc.).

What types of notarial copies are there?

Regarding the typology of existing notarial copies, it is necessary to specify that, broadly speaking, there are two types of copies, that is:

• Authorized copies: Copies that consist of an exact reproduction, on notarial paper, of the signed deed, in which only the signature of the notary appears, which has the same probative value as the original deed with the signature of all the grantors.
• Simple copies: Copies issued by the Notary, with a merely informative value (i.e., without legal validity), consisting of an exact copy of the original deed, printed on white sheets, without the letterhead or signature of the Notary who authorized it.

Also, it is necessary to know that nowadays, the copies of the deeds can be obtained in a double format, that is:

• Physical or paper support: Those issued on physical paper to be delivered "in hand" to the customer.
• Electronic support: Those that are generated through an electronic document (PDF) to be sent by electronic means (for example, through the Notarial Citizen Portal, by Email, with a USB, etc.). In the case of authorized electronic copies, they are also generated with a secure verification code that serves to validate their authenticity and equal in validity to the stamped paper copy.

How can I obtain a simple copy of my deed?

When you sign a deed before a Notary, if you want to obtain a simple copy of the deed, there are currently three main ways to obtain it:

1. Physical copy in Notary's office: When you sign your deed, if you request it, you will be able to obtain a simple physical copy, that is to say, printed in paper, that will be given to you "in hand", so that you can make with it the managements that you need (like giving it to a third party, presenting it before the City council, etc.).
2. In electronic format via Email: Also, if you need it, you can ask your Notary to send you to your Email a simple copy of your deed, so that you can carry out the steps you need (such as, for example, attaching it as PDF to an electronic administrative procedure, etc.).
   
   This way, to date, has been very useful and the most used by citizens, although at present, thanks to the new functionalities of the Notarial Portal that we will see in this guide, it is destined to disappear progressively.

3. In electronic format through the Citizen's Notarial Portal: In effect, from now on, as we will see in this practical guide, through your user of the Citizen's Notarial Portal, you will be able to request a simple copy of any of your deeds from your Notary, which will also be archived forever in a document repository within the PNC itself, so that you will always have it at your disposal at any time and through any device.
   
   As you will see, in this practical guide, in the following questions, we will show you how to request your simple copy through the Citizen's Notary Portal.

How can I obtain an authorized copy of my deed?

On the other hand, if you have signed a deed before a Notary Public and you need an authorized copy of it, you currently have two options:

1. Traditional" physical authorized copy: That is, the "traditional" copy, in paper support with the cover page of the Notary with whom you have signed, which will be delivered to you "in hand" in the notary's office (or, if applicable, by mail if you request it), once you sign your deed, if you request it.
2. Electronic authorized copy: New format of authorized copy, in electronic support, which is generated by means of a Secure Verification Code (or CSV), that is to say, a unique identification number, of 20 digits, which uniquely and unequivocally identifies each copy and allows access, verification and subsequent downloading.
   
   If you wish, from now on, when you sign any deed (or at a later time, if you need it later), you can also ask your Notary to issue this type of electronic authorized copy (paying the corresponding cost), which will facilitate its circulation more easily in the economic-legal traffic.
   
   In this modality, the citizen (or any other person to whom the CSV is sent), in order to access and verify the authenticity of his digital document, will only have to access the PNC, and select in the main page the option "Verify electronic authorized copy"(HERE you can access) and, once there, enter said CSV, which will allow him to view and download the document, ensuring the authenticity and integrity of the electronic authorized copy in question.

What is a second copy?

As we have explained, when a person goes to sign a deed before a Notary Public, once he has signed the deed, it is normal for him to request, at least, an authorized copy of his document (that is, a first copy) and, if necessary, a simple copy.

Thus, the second copies are those that the interested party requests at a later moment after the signature of the document (for example, some months or even years after the execution of the deed) because he/she needs a new copy (hence the name "second copy") to carry out some procedure, and these copies can be either simple or authorized, and in both paper and electronic format.

In this area, as we will see in this practical guide, thanks to the Citizen's Notarial Portal, requesting and obtaining these second copies, from now on, will be much easier, faster and more agile for the citizen, with all the benefits that this may entail.

Let's see what is this second copies, when I can need them, how I can request them, and what interesting news brings us the Notarial Citizen Portal in this area.

When do I need a second copy of a deed?

The truth is that, normally, when we go to a Notary Public to sign a public document, the most usual thing is that the client takes the copy or copies of the deed (whether simple and/or authorized).

<ejemplo>Así pues, por ejemplo, si Juan compra una vivienda en un Notario de Barcelona, lo normal es que Juan, una vez firmada la misma, solicite una copia autorizada y una copia simple de su escritura de compra, para poder acreditar que esa vivienda es suya, para poder inscribir su derecho de propiedad en el Registro, para pagar los impuestos de la operación, etc.<ejemplo>

However, the truth is that, once the act or contract has been executed, in the future, it may happen that the grantor or interested party may need to obtain a new copy (second copy) of that document, for multiple reasons, such as, for example:

• Because the original copy has been lost, destroyed or damaged.
• Because you need another copy to give to someone else.
• Because the person who granted the document is deceased and his heirs cannot locate the first copy of the document.
• Because at the time a paper or physical copy was obtained, and now an electronic copy is needed to carry out certain formalities with the administration or third parties.

In all these cases, as we can see, the grantor will need to request a new copy of the deed from the Notary who authorized it (or if it is very old, from the Notary who currently holds the document). This procedure, as we will explain in the following questions, can now be requested in an easy, quick and simple way through the Notarial Citizen Portal, providing a much more efficient service for the citizen.

If the deed was granted more than 25 years ago, it must be requested to the district notary or the corresponding notarial association, depending on who has custody of it.

How are second copies of a deed traditionally requested?

Traditionally, to obtain a second copy of a deed you have signed with a Notary, you must go in person to the Notary's office of the Notary with whom you signed that document, and request there the issuance of the second copy you need.

Once the request has been formulated, the Notary will verify your legitimacy for it, and after verifying that the law allows you to obtain the second copy, the employees of the notary's office will proceed to issue it, for which, normally, it will take a few days.

Once issued and signed by the Notary, the administration department of the Notary Office will contact you to inform you of the completion of the assignment, after which, once you have paid the corresponding fees, your copy will be delivered to you, in the form you have requested:

In the case of simple copies:

• Physical delivery at the Notary's office (or by mail to the address of your choice, if requested and paid for).
• Sending in electronic format via Email.

In the case of authorized copies:

• Physical delivery at the Notary's office (or by mail to the address of your choice, if requested and paid for).
• ‍Submissionof electronic authorized copy by sending the corresponding CSV.

As we can see, the traditional procedure for obtaining second copies implies the need for the citizen or professional requesting them to travel, with the consequent loss of time and money in this administrative task.

What new features does the Citizen's Notarial Portal bring us in obtaining second copies of our deeds?

The Citizen's Notarial Portal brings relevant innovations in the procedure for obtaining second copies of our deeds, because as we will see, from now on, any citizen will be able to consult all the deeds signed from January 1, 2007 to the present and request 100% online to obtain second copies of their deeds, which, as you can imagine, is a great advance that will save a lot of time and money to people who need to carry out this procedure.

Specifically, thanks to the Notarial Citizen Portal, as we will see, from now on we will be able to:

• Request simple copies of our deeds, which we will receive in electronic format through the Citizen's Notary Portal.
• Request authorized copies of our deeds, which, however, for the time being, can only be issued in physical or paper format, to be picked up at the Notary's office itself (or at another one closer to our domicile) or sent by certified mail to the address indicated.

Let's now see how we can request to obtain second copies of our deeds through the Notarial Citizen Portal.

How can I access the Notarial Citizen Portal to request a second copy of my deed?

In order to be able to request a second copy of your deed online, the first thing to take into account is that, for this to be possible, the citizen must be registered in the Notarial Citizen Portal (HERE), which is the web page created by the Spanish Notary Public's Office to implement all these telematic novelties of Law 11/2023.

To register, if you wish, HERE you can find an explanatory article in our blog, where we detail all the steps you have to follow.

What steps will be involved in the process of requesting a second copy through the Notarial Citizen Portal?

If you choose to request 100% online a second copy of any of your deeds, through the Citizen's Notary Portal, the main steps of the process, in a very summarized form, will be the following:

1. First, through the Notarial Citizen Portal, you must send your request to the Notary, in which you must identify the specific copy you need, as well as the type of copy you require.

2. Secondly, once your request has been sent, the Notary in question will proceed to manage it. For this purpose, once your legitimacy or right to copy has been verified, he/she will generate an estimate for the copy, which will be sent to you through the Notarial Portal. When you receive it, through the PNC itself, you can make the payment, after which, the Notary will issue the copy or copies requested. 

3. Finally, once your request has been processed, the Notary will proceed to send you your copy, either through the Notarial Citizen Portal (if you have requested a simple copy) or, if you have requested an authorized copy, he/she will send it to you by mail or will make it available for you to pick it up at his/her own notary's office.
   
   In this sense, it is necessary to point out that, for the moment, the PNC does not enable the sending of electronic authorized copies with CSV, which, if applicable, can be requested at the time of signing.

How do I request a second copy of my deed through the Notarial Citizen Portal?

To start the process of requesting a copy of one of their deeds, the citizen or professional must access the PNC with their user name and, once inside the PNC, select the "Copy Management" section (left side of the screen).

And, once inside this section, select the "Copy Requests" section (bottom right of the screen).

Then, the NCP will give us access to the following screen, where we must click on the green "Start application" button:

1.- SELECTION OF THE CERTIFYING NOTARY

Once the request has been initiated, a screen will appear where we will have to select the Notary who authorized the deed whose copy we want to obtain:

Once this first step is completed, click on the "next" button (bottom right) to continue with the procedure.

In case the authorizing Notary does not appear, you can also request a copy, but you will have to indicate it below by manually writing his or her data.

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SELECTION OF DOCUMENTS

Then, on the next screen, you will see a list of all the documents you have signed with that Notary Public, from which you must select the protocol number corresponding to the document for which you wish to obtain a copy. 

In this section, we must also select the "simple copy" or "authorized copy" tab, depending on the type of copy we want. 

In the event that you wish to obtain an authorized copy, you must also inform:

• The number of copies we want (i.e., one, or as many as we want).
• Whether or not the copy is to be enforceable, depending on the type of copy required.

Once this step is completed, click on the "next" button (bottom right) to continue with the process.

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3.- COMPLETE APPLICATION AND SUBMIT

In this last phase of the process, first of all a summary screen will appear with the protocols of which we have requested copies:

Next, the NCP will give us the option to attach complementary documentation, in case it is necessary for the proper handling of the application.

Finally, in the event that an authorized copy has been requested, the form in which you wish to receive it must be indicated, that is:

• By collecting them at the notary's office.
• Sending by registered mail (in which case it will be sent to the address we provided when we registered with the NCP).
• ‍Shipmentto a different notary office (for example, to a notary office closer to our domicile).

Once this last step has been completed, click on the "Submit" button (bottom right), so that, if the process has been successful, a screen will appear to confirm that the process has been completed correctly, together with a request number.

After this, the Notary in question will receive the request that we have just generated, which will proceed to attend, once our legitimacy, capacity and legitimate interest to request this copy have been verified. 

For this purpose, the Notary will send us an estimate of the cost of the copy, which we will receive via message in our Notarial Portal (to view it, go to the "My messages" section).

In this communication, we will see the Budget of the request, along with the option to pay for it (via credit card or by payment with Bizum).

Finally, once the payment has been made, the Notary will receive confirmation of the payment, after which it will proceed to issue the copies that we have requested.

• In the case of the simple copy, it will be sent to us through the Notarial Portal, which can be found in the section "Management of copies", and within the same, in the section "My copies".
• ‍Inthe case of the certified true copy, its collection or receipt shall be carried out in the manner indicated in the request (remember, collection at the notary's office itself, sending to a different notary's office or sending by mail to the applicant's home address).

What are the advantages of requesting a second copy through the Notarial Citizen Portal?

As we have just seen, the possibility of requesting second copies of our deeds through the PNC is a very useful feature for citizens and professionals, since any person, from home, with their computer, following a simple procedure 100% online, can request, and in certain cases obtain (in the case of simple copies) second copies of their deeds directly by telematic means. Thus, it:

• It is convenient and time-saving, since it will not be necessary for you to go to a Notary's office to formalize your request and then go to the Notary's office again to collect the document.
• Because in the case of simple copies, these will be stored forever in a document repository within the NCP itself, so that we will always have access to them from any computer and at any time, simply by accessing the NCP with our user.

In short, as we can see, this online process will save you a lot of time and will give you much more facilities and comfort, which is undoubtedly something very positive considering the frenetic pace of work and obligations that most of us have nowadays.

Is there any time limitation for obtaining second copies through the Notarial Citizen Portal?

On this matter, it is necessary to point out that, through this new NCP system, we will be able to request second copies of deeds signed as of January 1, 2007, which is the moment when the so-called Single Notarial Index was implemented.

On the other hand, for earlier deeds, they can also be requested through the PNC by informing in the corresponding field the name of the Notary Public, the date of execution and the protocol number.

For deeds older than 25 years, the Notary Association of the Autonomous Community where the will was granted should be contacted.

It should also be noted that, for deeds signed on or after November 9, 2023, the possibility of requesting a second copy through the PNC will only be possible approximately 15 days after signing, (documents signed in the first fortnight are made available from the 22nd of the same month, and those signed in the second fortnight, from the 7th of the following month, as the notaries send the deeds signed with this frequency every two weeks).

Is there any other way to obtain second copies of my deeds in electronic format?

If you wish to do so and the Notary in question is able to do so, you can send your request directly to his office via Email, in which case, once you have paid the corresponding fees, he will proceed to send you your second electronic copy (simple or authorized with its corresponding CSV) or via Email or through any other existing technical procedure.

How can I resolve any doubts I may have about this process of requesting second copies of my deeds?

Of course, if you have any doubts about this process, the team of Notaría Jesús Benavides is at your disposal to solve them. You can make your consultation with us through our website and, gladly, our specialists in the matter will try to help you with the whole process, if indeed you have the possibility and intention to legitimize your digital signature in our Notary's office.