Can a company send it?

Yes. The invoice goes to your company with its VAT ID. You can also send it on behalf of a client: the letter says who is claiming and on whose behalf.

Do I need a Spanish lawyer to sign it?

No. You send it in your own name. Burofácil is not a law firm and gives no legal advice; if the amount is large or the case is complex, have a lawyer review the letter first.

I wrote it in English. Is that a problem?

Send it in Spanish if you can: it is what the recipient and the court will read. Write it in English and we send it translated into Spanish (+20 €); you check the translation before paying.

What if they refuse it or are never in?

There are two delivery attempts and then it waits 10 days at the post office. If they refuse it or never collect it, the attempt is certified, and that is also proof. If it happens, send it again to another address or by certified email.

From outside Spain · demand letter

How do I send a formal demand letter to someone in Spain?

In Spain a formal demand letter, or letter before action, is sent as a burofax: a certified letter that proves what you asked for and when the other side received it. An email or an ordinary international registered letter does not give you that proof. You can send yours online from any country for 39 € with your own letter, on paper with proof of delivery, to a person or a company.

30 days: without a reply and you can go to court
39 €: your letter, sent from abroad
No lawyer: needed to send it; you send in your own name

I have my letter, 39 €

Why it has to be a burofax

Since April 2025 a Spanish court will not admit most civil claims unless you show that you first tried to settle with the other party. A letter sent directly from you to them is enough, as long as you can prove that they received it, on what date, and what it said.

A burofax gives you those three things. That is why Spanish lawyers send demand letters this way, and why the recipient tends to take it seriously.

What the letter must say

Who is claiming: your name, ID or company number, address and email.
Who you are claiming from: their name and their address in Spain.
What happened, with dates, and the documents you rely on (contract, invoices, messages).
How much you are asking for, to the exact euro, or what you want them to do.
What you propose and by when: a concrete solution and 30 days to reply.

How to send it from abroad

Paste your letter or upload it as PDF or Word. We tell you for free if something is missing.
Enter your details. If you have no address in Spain, tick the box (+10 €): it goes out in your name «c/o Burofácil», with our Spanish address on the envelope only.
Enter the recipient's name and address in Spain (not a PO box).
Pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. If it goes out before 18:00 Spanish time on a working day, it is delivered the next working day.
We email you the proof that it was sent and the proof of delivery, or of the delivery attempt.

If they don't answer

After 30 calendar days without a reply, the attempt to settle is over and you have one year to file your claim. For debts backed by documents there is a simple payment-order procedure in Spain; up to 2,000 € you can file it without a lawyer. Within the European Union you can also use the European Small Claims Procedure for up to 5,000 €.

What Spanish law says

Before most civil claims in Spain you must show that you first tried to settle with the other party; a letter sent directly between the parties counts (art. 5.1 Organic Law 1/2025). fuente
The attempt is proved with a document showing that the other party received the proposal, the date, and that they could read its full content; with no reply in 30 calendar days it ends without agreement (arts. 10.2 and 10.4 Organic Law 1/2025). fuente
The letter can go to the address or workplace you know for the recipient, or to the electronic channel you used with them (art. 7.1 Organic Law 1/2025). fuente
The document proving the attempt is filed with the claim (art. 264.4 Civil Procedure Act). fuente

Frequently asked questions

Can a company send it?: Yes. The invoice goes to your company with its VAT ID. You can also send it on behalf of a client: the letter says who is claiming and on whose behalf.
Do I need a Spanish lawyer to sign it?: No. You send it in your own name. Burofácil is not a law firm and gives no legal advice; if the amount is large or the case is complex, have a lawyer review the letter first.
I wrote it in English. Is that a problem?: Send it in Spanish if you can: it is what the recipient and the court will read. Write it in English and we send it translated into Spanish (+20 €); you check the translation before paying.
What if they refuse it or are never in?: There are two delivery attempts and then it waits 10 days at the post office. If they refuse it or never collect it, the attempt is certified, and that is also proof. If it happens, send it again to another address or by certified email.