What it is
Proposal so birth and death certificates never expire
It is a members’ bill. Introduced by parliamentary groups, the Senate, regional governments or citizens. It was introduced on 25 October 2022. Introduced by: Senado.
Official title: Private member's bill amending Law 20/2011, of 21 July, on the Civil Registry.
Source: Congreso de los Diputados, file 124/000014· updated 11 Nov
Automatic summary, not yet reviewed
- The bill would add Article 82 bis to the Civil Registry Law. It would establish that birth or death certificates, whether full copies or extracts, would be presumed valid permanently, though the person presenting one is responsible if its content does not match the Registry, unless the error is the Registry's own.
- The reason given in the text is to cut paperwork: many procedures require birth or death certificates no older than 3 to 6 months, because government agencies are still not fully connected.
- Rules that conflict with the law would be repealed, and the law would take effect the day after its publication in the Official State Gazette.
Who it affects
- People who need to prove a birth or a death: They would no longer need to request a new certificate every few months for their procedures.
- Government agencies that receive these certificates: They would stop requiring recent certificates, but could ask the person for documents proving any changed data.
- Anyone submitting a certificate whose data has changed: They would need to make sure the certificate they submit reflects the updated Registry data.
Words worth knowing
- Registro Civil (Civil Registry)
- Official electronic database where events such as a person's birth, marriage or death are recorded.
- Certificación literal o en extracto (full or extract certificate)
- Official document that copies all the data of a registry entry (literal) or only a summary (extract).
- Proposición de ley (bill)
- A text proposed as a law that has not yet been passed and is not in force.
It summarizes the text as it was introduced. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries
Where it stands
How far did it get?
It took 3 of 7 steps. It reached Amendments, and today it is unfinished.
- Introduced25 October 2022Someone registers the text in the Congreso.
- Admitted2 November 2022The Bureau of the Congreso accepts it and, for a members’ bill, the plenary decides whether to consider it.
- Amendments7 November 2022Groups propose changes.
- Committeenot reachedA committee goes through the text in detail.
- Plenarynot reachedAll 350 deputies vote.
- Senatenot reachedThe Senate can pass it, amend it or veto it.
- BOEnot reachedIt is published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) and comes into force.
See the 5 official steps on a timeline
Was there a plenary vote?
We have no plenary vote linked to this law in the Congreso’s data.
What happens next
What happens now?
The legislature ended before it finished. To go on, someone would have to introduce it again in the new Cortes.
It was presented again:
- XV Legislature, Senate Private member's bill amending Law 20/2011, of 21 July, on the Civil Registry.
The same initiative in the other chamber:
- XIV Legislature, Senate Private member's bill amending Law 20/2011, of 21 July, on the Civil Registry.
Sources
Where does all this come from?
- Congreso de los Diputados, file 124/000014
Official title, type, author, dates and stage.
Retrieved 11 November 2026
- The data comes from the open files of the Congreso, the Senate and the BOE, unaltered.
- Each deputy’s province is the one of their seat on the day of the vote.
- We only say “passed” or “rejected” when the majority needed is certain; otherwise we say which side had more votes.