Burofax in Spain: what it is, what to write and what it costs

If you're chasing a Spanish customer, sooner or later a Spanish lawyer or business contact will tell you to "send a burofax". There's no exact equivalent in most countries. It's not just a registered letter: done properly, it proves who received your demand, when, and what it said. That's why a Spanish accounts department treats it very differently from an email.

What a burofax is

A burofax is a Correos service: you hand over (or upload) a document, Correos prints it and delivers it by hand against signature. Its value lies in the add-ons:

Add-on	What it proves
Acuse de recibo (acknowledgement of receipt)	Who received it, date and time
Prueba de entrega electrónica (PEE)	The same, as an electronically signed PDF
Certificación de contenido	What the document said; can be requested up to five years after sending
Copia certificada	You keep an authenticated copy of what you sent

According to the Correos Burofax page, certified content has "legal proof value against third parties". Without it, you can prove you sent something, not what. For a debt claim, always add certified content and acknowledgement of receipt.

When a foreign creditor should use one

• After your reminders go unanswered. Email, then a phone call, then the burofax. Sending one for an invoice that's a week late can damage a relationship that only needed a call.
• Before going to court in Spain. Since April 2025, under Organic Law 1/2025, most Spanish civil claims must show a prior attempt to negotiate. A burofax with certified content that proposes a settlement is a common way to document it. Courts apply this differently, so have a Spanish lawyer review it if litigation is likely.
• To stop the clock on old debts. Under article 1973 of the Spanish Civil Code, the limitation period is interrupted by, among other things, an out-of-court claim by the creditor. A burofax gives you a date nobody can dispute.
• For contractual notices: terminating a distribution agreement, refusing renewal within the deadline or demanding performance.

Where to send it

To the company's registered office (domicilio social), which you can check in the BORME, the Commercial Registry gazette. For a sole trader, use their business or tax address. Use the exact legal name and tax ID (CIF/NIF) on your invoices, not the trading name.

If you're unsure the address is still current, check before paying for the burofax. A letter returned because the company moved two years ago costs you weeks. If the customer has stopped answering altogether, our guide on how to locate a Spanish debtor explains how to find current contact details.

What to write

Keep it short, factual and in Spanish. Spanish courts require documents in other languages to be accompanied by a translation (article 144 of the Civil Procedure Act), and the recipient will act faster on something they can read at a glance. Include:

1. Sender and recipient: legal names, tax IDs, addresses.
2. The invoices: number, amount, due date.
3. Interest and recovery costs: statutory late payment interest under Ley 3/2004 and the fixed €40 per invoice. Our guide on calculating late payment interest in Spain has a worked example.
4. A deadline and a way to pay: for example, 10 calendar days and your IBAN.
5. A settlement offer: "or contact us within that period to agree a payment schedule". This documents your attempt to negotiate.
6. Next step: that you reserve the right to take legal action. No threats you won't follow through on.

If you don't write Spanish, have the letter translated by someone who knows legal vocabulary, or ask your Spanish lawyer to draft it on their letterhead.

How to send it from abroad

Correos says the Burofax can be sent at any post office or online from anywhere through Mi Oficina, its customer area: register, upload the PDF, add recipients and add-ons, and pay by card or PayPal. If it's accepted before 13:00 and the destination has special delivery, it can arrive the same day; otherwise, the next working morning.

In practice, many foreign companies route it through a Spanish lawyer, gestoría or collection agency, who also handles the follow-up.

What it costs

The Correos website lists the Burofax Premium from €12.72 (checked October 2026). That's the starting price: certified content, acknowledgement of receipt, PEE and certified copies are charged on top, and the total depends on page count and options. Prices change, so check the current rate on Correos before sending. If a lawyer sends it for you, add their fee.

If they don't collect it

Correos makes two delivery attempts against signature, then leaves a notice; the recipient has up to 30 days to collect it from the post office, according to Correos' own guide. You keep proof of the attempts and the content. How a court weighs an uncollected burofax depends on the case, so also email the same text to the company's manager and keep both records together.

If the deadline passes without payment, the next steps (Spanish monitorio, European Payment Order, Small Claims) are covered in our guide to collecting an unpaid invoice from a Spanish company.