Electrical Installation Certificate: what it is and when you need it

By the Málaga Urgente team · Updated 1 October 2026 · 8 min read

What the boletín eléctrico is and why it is called that

The boletín eléctrico is the popular name for the document that certifies that a low-voltage electrical installation complies with the regulations. Its official name is Certificado de Instalación Eléctrica (Electrical Installation Certificate), often abbreviated to CIE. In practice, boletín and CIE are the same thing.

The reference regulation is the Low Voltage Electrotechnical Regulation (REBT, Royal Decree 842/2002) and its complementary technical instructions. It sets out what an installation must be like: protections, earthing, cable sizes, wet areas, number of circuits, and much more.

The certificate is not a pointless formality: it is the way of recording that whoever carried out or checked the installation did so in line with the regulations, and that someone takes responsibility for it.

Who issues it and how it is processed

The certificate is issued by an authorised electrical installer, who must be qualified to work on low-voltage installations. Just anyone cannot sign it, nor can the owner on their own.

The usual process has these steps:

1. Inspection or execution. The installer carries out the installation or checks the existing one.
2. Technical documentation. Depending on the power and type of installation, a technical design report or a project signed by a competent technician is prepared.
3. Tests. Insulation, protective continuity, earthing and the operation of the RCDs are checked.
4. Issuing the certificate. The installer signs it and registers it with the competent authority of the autonomous community.
5. Delivery. You receive a copy, and another is submitted to the distributor if it is a new connection or an increase in power.

Specific timescales and procedures may vary. We take care of the paperwork so you do not have to go from office to office.

When you need it

The most common cases in which the certificate is requested are:

• Connecting a new supply, for example in a new-build home or premises with no previous contract.
• Increasing the contracted power, when the distributor requires it to raise the power.
• Major renovation of the consumer unit and circuits, or a complete new installation.
• Legalising an installation that has no certificate or whose paperwork has been lost.
• Businesses or premises that need to document the installation to obtain a licence or permits.
• New loads such as an electric vehicle charging point or a self-consumption installation, which usually require specific documentation.

In a simple change of account holder, a new certificate is normally not needed, although the distributor may ask for documentation in some cases. If you are unsure about your situation, we check the installation and tell you what applies before quoting.

What is checked before issuing it

The installer must check that the installation meets the regulation's requirements. The most important points are:

• Consumer unit and protections: condition, suitable ratings and clear labelling of circuits.
• High-sensitivity RCDs on the circuits that need them, and testing that they trip.
• Earthing: existence, value and continuity of the protective conductors.
• Wiring: sufficient size for each circuit, insulation condition and joints. This is a critical point in old installations.
• Bathrooms and wet areas: protection zones and equipotential bonding.
• Light points and sockets: condition, fixing and suitability for each circuit.

If anything does not comply, it is corrected before the certificate is issued. That is why the prior inspection is so important: it tells you what needs fixing and why.

Certificate, technical report, project and inspection: they are not all the same

Different terms are often mixed up:

• Electrical Installation Certificate (boletín): the document certifying that the installation complies with the regulations.
• Technical design report: a technical document describing the installation, needed for many new or renovated installations.
• Project: a document signed by a qualified technician, required for installations of higher power or complexity.
• Periodic inspection: a mandatory check on certain types of installation, such as premises open to the public or some shared installations, carried out by an inspection body.

Which one applies to your case depends on the type of installation, the power and the regional regulations. We clarify it at the visit.

Signs that your installation needs checking

Even if you are not going to ask for a certificate, certain symptoms indicate that the installation should be checked:

• RCDs or circuit breakers trip often, for no clear reason.
• Sockets or plugs get hot, smell of burning or are blackened.
• Lights flicker or dim when a powerful appliance is switched on.
• You feel small shocks when touching appliances or metal taps.
• The consumer unit is very old, has screw-in fuses or has no RCD.
• There are exposed cables, joints taped with insulating tape or extension strips used as permanent wiring.
• The home is several decades old and the installation has never been checked.

These signs do not always mean a serious problem, but they deserve a check. If there is a burning smell, sparks or water near the consumer unit, switch off the main switch and do not wait: it is a fire or shock risk.

Common mistakes and myths about the certificate

• "The certificate is optional". In the cases where the regulations or the distributor require it, it is not: without it you cannot connect or increase a supply.
• "Any electrician can sign it for me". Only an authorised low-voltage installer, with the corresponding documentation.
• "A certificate guarantees everything is perfect forever". It records the condition and legality on the date of the work; an installation deteriorates over time and should be checked.
• "If it works, it is fine". An installation can work for years and still lack essential protections, such as earthing.
• "It is just paperwork". Behind it are real technical tests that protect people and the home.
• "You can get one without checking anything". A certificate that does not match reality is a risk for whoever signs it and for whoever lives in the home.

What to have ready

• Details of the account holder and of the home or premises, and the contract reference if a supply already exists.
• Plans or sketches if you have them, and the current power and the one you want.
• Previous documentation: earlier certificates, invoices for works or projects.
• Access to the consumer unit and the main points of the installation.

Particularities on the Costa del Sol and in the Axarquía

Some situations are especially frequent in the area:

• Old homes and second homes with consumer units without RCDs, aluminium wiring or no earthing, which need upgrading before they can be legalised.
• Air conditioning. When installing powerful units in summer, power often has to be increased or a circuit added, and that may require documentation.
• Electric vehicle charging points. In communities and garages, their installation has specific requirements.
• Solar self-consumption. Photovoltaic installations require their own documentation and legalisation.
• Damp and salt air. They speed up corrosion of consumer units, joints and switches, which is detected in the inspection.
• Premises and holiday lets. They need documented installations to operate and be insured.

If you need this service, see our electricians page. And if your case is a renovation, see how it fits into full renovations.

Why it is worth keeping the certificate

Keep the certificate with the home's paperwork. It will help you prove the condition of the installation when selling or letting, when applying for power increases, when taking out insurance or whenever there is doubt about the installation's legality.

If you have lost it, the installer who issued it or the competent authority can provide a copy. If none exists or it is very old, the installation can be inspected and a new one issued after upgrading it.

Quick questions

Is the boletín eléctrico the same as the Electrical Installation Certificate?

Yes. Boletín eléctrico is the popular name; the official name is Certificado de Instalación Eléctrica (CIE).

Who can issue the certificate?

An electrical installer authorised for low voltage. The owner or any professional without the qualification cannot issue it.

Do I need a certificate to change the account holder for electricity?

Normally not, although the distributor may ask for documentation in some cases. If you are not sure, we check your installation and confirm it.

What happens if my installation does not comply?

We indicate what needs correcting (consumer unit, protections, earthing, wiring) and, after upgrading it, the certificate is issued. A certificate that does not match reality is never issued.

How long does it take to get the certificate?

If the installation is in order, inspection and issue can be done quickly. If it needs upgrading or technical documentation prepared, it depends on the scope and the paperwork. We give you a schedule after the visit.

Keep reading

• Water leak or electrical fault at home: a quick action guide
• How to find the source of a leak before calling a professional