What DEHú is
DEHú (Dirección Electrónica Habilitada única, the single enabled electronic address) is the one electronic address where authorities make their notifications available. Notifications from central-government bodies are made available in DEHú, and the body may also duplicate them in its own electronic office (sede electrónica). Regional and local authorities decide for themselves whether to use DEHú, their own electronic office or both channels (Law 39/2015 of 1 October on the Common Administrative Procedure of Public Administrations, art. 43.1; Royal Decree 203/2021 of 30 March approving the Regulation on the operation of the public sector by electronic means, art. 42.1). A notification counts as delivered when you access its content. To log in you need an electronic certificate or Cl@ve; how to get them is explained in the article “Electronic certificate and Cl@ve for foreigners”.
Whether electronic notifications are mandatory for you
The general rule: an individual chooses whether to deal with the administration electronically or not, unless they are obliged to (art. 14.1 of Law 39/2015). The obliged are legal entities, entities without legal personality, people in professions that require compulsory membership of a professional association (for steps taken in the course of that activity), representatives of those who are obliged, and public employees for steps taken in that capacity (art. 14.2). In addition, a regulation may impose the obligation for certain procedures and certain groups of individuals, but only where it is shown that those groups have access to and availability of the necessary electronic means (art. 14.3 of Law 39/2015; art. 3.3 of Royal Decree 203/2021). Where the obligation exists, the notification is also electronic (art. 41.1 of Law 39/2015).
For immigration procedures this was handled as follows. Royal Decree 1155/2024 of 19 November approving the Regulation implementing Organic Law 4/2000 on the rights and freedoms of foreigners in Spain and their social integration required individuals, in art. 197.2, to use electronic means for seven types of applications: extension of stay for studies, student mobility, unpaid placements and volunteering; renewal of the non-lucrative authorisation; initial residence and work authorisation as an employee; renewal of the self-employment authorisation; renewal of residence with an exemption from the work authorisation; seasonal work; and collective recruitment in the country of origin. The Supreme Court annulled art. 197.2 in its entirety (judgment STS 868/2026 of 8 July 2026, appeal 19/2025, followed by a judgment of 29 July 2026 in appeal 21/2025). The judgments were published in the Official State Gazette (Boletín Oficial del Estado, BOE) on 22 September 2026. The Court found that the rule justified neither those groups' access to electronic means nor the need for an exclusively electronic channel, but left open the possibility of imposing the obligation again if it is properly justified. It follows that, for those procedures, the regulation no longer imposes electronic dealings by itself and, unless another rule imposes them, the general rule in art. 14.1 applies. How this is reflected in the forms and in filing practice must be checked for each procedure, because the Ministry’s forms and information sheets may predate the judgments.
In some procedures the choice is made on the form itself. Official application forms may include a consent box for electronic notification through DEHú, for which a valid certificate or Cl@ve is required. The form’s note states that legal entities and groups of individuals with guaranteed access to technology are obliged to receive electronic notifications, and everyone else receives them that way only if they tick the consent box. The notification is made available in the electronic office of the Ministry of Territorial Policy (sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es), accessed with a DNI or NIE certificate from the “address for notifications” section. If you do not tick the box and are not obliged, the notification arrives on paper at the address you give, and if it cannot be delivered it is announced in the BOE (art. 44 of Law 39/2015), in practice through the Single Official Notice Board (Tablón Edictal Único).
You can change your choice at any time. The change takes effect from the fifth working day following the day on which the body received the notice of it (arts. 14.1 and 41.1 of Law 39/2015; art. 3.2 of Royal Decree 203/2021).
The ten-day rule
If electronic notification is mandatory or you chose it yourself, the notification is treated as rejected once ten calendar days have passed since it was made available and you have not accessed it (art. 43.2 of Law 39/2015). Rejection does not stop the procedure: the step is treated as carried out and the file moves on (art. 41.5 of Law 39/2015; art. 44.5 of Royal Decree 203/2021). Before you open a notification, the system itself warns you of this.
The practical consequence concerns deadlines. The deadline to answer a request to correct or complete your file (requerimiento) is, as a rule, ten working days counted from the day after notification (arts. 73.1, 30.2 and 30.3 of Law 39/2015, unless the rules of the procedure set another). The count depends on the notification, and the notification happens when you access it or when ten calendar days pass. If you open it on day nine, the count starts the next day. If you do not open it, the count starts after the ten days, and every day that passes before you learn of the request has already shortened your time to respond.
What to set up so you do not miss a notification
First: leave the authority an email address and a phone number for alerts. The alert (aviso) is sent once the notification has been made available. But it is purely informational: if it is not sent or you do not receive it, the notification remains fully valid (art. 41.6 of Law 39/2015; art. 43.1 of Royal Decree 203/2021). It is your responsibility to have access to the email and number you gave, and if they stop working you must tell the authority.
Second: log in to your mailbox yourself. The alert does not replace checking. A reasonable guide is at least once a week, and more often after you file and while you wait for a response.
Third: if a representative acts for you, the alerts and notifications go to them. Check who is named in the application and make sure that person actually opens the mailbox.
Fourth: on forms where consent to electronic notification is voluntary, weigh whether to tick the box. If you are not sure you will log in regularly, it is better not to tick it, and the notification will arrive on paper.
What you should not hand to others
The mailbox opens with your certificate or Cl@ve, so the certificate file and the password should not be handed to services or intermediaries. If you want someone to handle your correspondence with the authority, do it through a formal representation, not by giving them access.
FAQ
Do I need to connect to DEHú if I filed my application on paper?
If you did not choose electronic notification and are not obliged to receive it, the notification will arrive on paper. But if you ticked the consent for the electronic route in the application, you will need to connect.
I was told that for my procedure everything must be filed and received electronically. Is that right?
Before the Supreme Court judgment, art. 197.2 of the regulation required this for seven types of applications. That rule has now been annulled, but the method stated on the form or on the procedure’s page may not have been updated. Check the specific form and the authority’s website before filing.
I did not get the alert by email. Is that a valid excuse?
No. The alert is purely informational, and its absence does not make the notification invalid.
I opened the notification on day twelve. What happens to my deadline?
If the electronic route was mandatory or you had chosen it, the notification is treated as rejected after ten calendar days, and the deadline to respond runs from the following day. That is why you need to act at once, within the time left.
Can I avoid opening the notification to gain time?
No. The deadline starts to run anyway after ten days, and you will not know what the notification says.
Can I go back to paper notifications?
An individual who is not obliged to receive electronic notifications can change their choice at any time by informing the body. The change takes effect from the fifth working day following the day on which the body received the notice.
Where to start
If you have received a request from an authority or you are waiting for an answer and are not sure what to do first, AUTO PACK for 29€ builds a step-by-step route for your case, and Full Pro for 149€ supports the procedure in more detail. You can ask a short question on WhatsApp: +34743071481.