We can carry out many bureaucratic procedures online but most of them require that we have some type of official identification. In most cases, you have surely heard of Cl @ ve or have seen that they ask you to access it. To be able to carry out any SEPE procedure, to consult the points of your driving license , etc. But what is it? What is Cl @ ve? And why is there a Cl @ ve Pin or Permanent? What differences are there?
We review everything you need to know about these authentication methods to carry out online procedures. They work in Spain and you can use it as long as you are of legal age or if you are a minor but have authorization and identification from the father, mother or legal guardian who makes the request.
What is Cl @ ve
Surely you have ever used it or have heard of it. Cl @ ve is a system that allows access to public services electronically. What allows us is that we can access the administration and identify ourselves on the Internet to carry out all kinds of procedures safely but without having to travel.
What steps can I take
The interesting thing about Cl @ ve is knowing where we can use it or in what services. According to the website itself, we can use Cl @ ve in “you can use the identification mechanisms provided in Cl @ ve in all those electronic administration services integrated into the system.” To know whether or not we can use it, it is enough to see the corresponding icon when we access that specific web page.
Since 2015, this system began to be enabled in all services and procedures for citizens, so you can really use this password in any of them. For example, some of them:
- In proceedings of the General Directorate of Online Traffic
- To access the Tax Agency online
- To access the SEPE or State Public Employment Service
- To carry out online Social Security procedures from home
- Etc
What types of registration are there
Cl @ ve is “the system” but not what you use to access the different procedures. That is, there are several possibilities of use within this, which is the general system. First we need to register in Cl @ ve and then obtain our different passwords , be it the occasional or PIN or the permanent one, for example.
An occasional Cl @ ve Pin or Cl @ ve
That allows us to sporadically access a service and that it only serves us during a specific time. You can only use it for the next ten minutes and one time.
A permanent Cl @ ve
Which, as its name suggests, is much more durable and is intended for regular users. It is not unlimited even if it is called “permanent”, you must take it into account. It allows us to access Social Security Services and other procedures, etc.
We will explain the differences between both or the two options and how to use them in the next specific sections. But they are both agreed keys that allow us to identify ourselves to carry out the different procedures online.
Register in Cl @ ve
The first thing we will need before obtaining one of the following two keys is to register on the Cl @ ve platform and there are three different ways: without an electronic certificate, with an electronic certificate or in person at a registry office.
No electronic certificate
If you do not have an electronic certificate, you can register and you will receive a physical letter at your fiscal address, sent by post and through which you will have information to complete the registration. The steps to do so are as follows:
- Access the electronic office
- Go to Register Cl @ ve
- Choose the first option “Register in Cl @ ve”
- Enter your DNI or your NIE
- Confirm by entering the validity or issue date
- Tap on “Continue”
Once you have done these steps and the information has been validated, you can request that an invitation letter be sent to your tax address as you can see in the screenshot below. Request the invitation letter.
When you receive it, look for the secure verification code or CSV on the letter, a 16-digit, uppercase letter code that will appear in the text.
With the code in your possession, access the registry again:
- Open the option Register Cl @ ve
- Tap on “I already have an invitation letter”
- Press the “Continue” button
- Enter the 16-character code that you put on your letter
- Fill in all your data (phone number, email)
Confirm and you will have already made your registration in Cl @ ve that you can use for whatever you want
Through DNIe
If you have an electronic DNI or an electronic certificate you will be able to access Cl @ ve by registering from the web and tapping on the second available section.
- Access the electronic office
- Go to Register Cl @ ve
- Choose the option “Register in Cl @ ve with certificate or electronic DNI”
- Enter your ID and the date of validity or issuance
- Identify yourself with your electronic certificate or ID
- Tap on “Send”
- Write a mobile phone
- Confirm the mobile phone
- Add an email address
- Confirm the email address
- Accept the conditions
A message will automatically appear indicating that you have been registered in the identification and signature system. When you have done it, you will be able to use Cl @ ve to carry out online procedures using the permanent or temporary password that we will see in the next sections of this tutorial, as you need at all times.
In a registry office
You can do it in person at a Registry Office. To do this, you must bring the following information and give it to the person who will carry out the procedure for you:
- DNI or NIE
- Mobile phone number
- An e-mail address
- Proof of identity if you are a foreign citizen (passport, etc.)
To register, the physical person to whom you are going to register must be present, you cannot send someone to do it for us. In some cases, an appointment is required so it is important that you consult it before going.
You can access the Administración.gob.es website and follow these steps here:
- Touch on the first section: Attention and information
- Open the dropdown
- Choose the option “Office locator”
Here you will have to fill in an address and choose the option Cl @ ve in the lower menu. When you’ve done that, tap on “Search” and the closest offices will appear. For each office, you will be able to see the exact address, telephone number and other details such as whether or not it has the option of this registry, whether or not it is accessible, etc. Since you can see the phone it is advisable that you contact to ask if the appointment is necessary.
When you have accessed Cl @ ve you can start using it and get your permanent Cl @ ve, PIN or signature. We will explain it to you in the following paragraphs.
By video call
Since the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, there is a new form of registration that adds to the usual ones: by video call. It is a service from Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and we need to have the ID, our mobile, the email. In addition, it is necessary to have a computer with an Internet connection, headphones with a microphone (or a laptop with a built-in microphone) and an Internet connection. You will also need the zoom application for video calls that you can download for free on any operating system.
Once you have everything you need, follow these steps:
- Go to the Tax Agency website
- Open the Citizens section
- Tap on the Electronic Procedures option
- Choose Cl @ Ve PIN
- Open “Register in Cl @ ve”
Once here, as you can see in the attached screenshot, we will have to enter our ID and its validity date. At the bottom we will now find a new section “You can also register by video call” in which you will have to click with the computer mouse. Accept the terms and conditions and access the video call. It will automatically take you to Zoom and you will be attended to in a few minutes. In this call you will be attended by a person who will indicate the data: you will have to show them the ID, etc. When you’re done, you can confirm the registration from the email you used for registration.
Cl @ Ve PIN
The Cl @ Ve PIN is a method or system to carry out procedures over the Internet and it has a “limited” validity. We access through a PIN code that reaches us on the mobile phone through an SMS message or with a code in the app. You do not need to remember the password because you access with that temporary PIN at that moment. Keep in mind that it is a PIN that you must use within ten minutes of receiving it. After this time, it will expire and you will have to find another one. In addition, it can only be used once, it is a one-time access and use key.
How does it work
The Cl @ Ve PIN is very easy to use. We simply have to use our DNI or NIE when accessing any procedure and the PIN code formed by the codes that we have received on our mobile, three digits. We explain how to get this PIN that, keep in mind, is for one-time use and non-transferable.
How to get the Cl @ Ve PIN
We can get the PIN in two ways: through the app or by SMS. First we have to be registered in Cl @ ve, as we have already explained before. Once you have it, the steps to get the three-digit PIN are very simple.
Download the app
Download the app and install it on your mobile phone. When you go to log in, enter your DNI or NIE and select the section ” Use the Cl @ ve PIN App to obtain the PIN (recommended)” , as you can see in the photo. Once you have done it, enter the DNI, the date of issue and tap on “get PIN”.
The requested pin will arrive through the app. You will receive a notification on your smartphone that you have received a PIN that you can use. When you open the application you will see the expiration time of the code (maximum ten minutes) and the three letters that you must use to access at that moment. Copy the letters or numbers in the web version from which you are accessing the procedures and you can now access.
Via SMS
Another option is to do it via SMS. When you go to the authentication section and add your DNI or NIE you can choose the second option: Use the browser to obtain the PIN and receive an SMS. In a few seconds you will receive it by message on the phone and you will have ten minutes to access using it in the same way as in the previous case.
Permanent Cl @ ve
As its name indicates, it is an authentication system designed for people who regularly access the services of the Administration. The difference with the PIN is that it is for single use and the ” permanent” is a user code or password that you can use for a longer time.
How does it work
The use of this access mode is the one that may be easier to understand: you have a user who is your DNI or NIE and you have a password that you have previously configured. All you have to do is access the service with this data to carry out any compatible online procedure. In addition, you can add an ‘extra’ security: a single-use numeric code that you can receive by SMS when you log in with your username and password and that will serve as a two-step verification.
How to register
To create your password or Permanent Cl @ ve you can access the Password Management Services website. Here you will have to fill in a series of data: ID, email address and activation code (the code you had when you created your user in Cl @ ve) In addition, you have a security question that you must answer with the correct answer in order to continue with the process.
If everything you have written is correct, you will receive a one-time numeric code via SMS and it will allow you to set the password you want. That will be the password that we will use to access instead of having the one-time PIN. The password has specific characteristics: it must have a minimum length of eight characters and must contain at least one character from different groups (lowercase letters, uppercase letters, digits and special characters) .In addition, it must not contain either name or surname or DNI and not you can use an old password when renewing it.
You can change the password whenever you want, whether it has expired or if you have forgotten it. In the first case, you simply have to log in with your data and change it. In the second, the steps are the same: you write your ID and activation code and you are accessing your data to modify the password. It expires every two years so change is mandatory after this time.
Differences between all Cl @ ves
What is the difference between all these systems? As we explained at the beginning, both the Cl @ Ve PIN or occasional or the permanent Cl @ Ve are part of the “Cl @ Ve system”, in general. The latter is the system used but the access methods are the first two that allow us to enter online to carry out the procedures depending on whether we want something specific or access the Internet on a regular basis. Its own name makes the difference quite clear: it will depend if you want to use it every month, every week, or if you simply want to access it once a year or every two years.
