Documents & getting started
How do I get idCAT Mòbil? Can I get it with only a passport?
Yes, you can get idCAT Mòbil with only a passport, through the selfie route. idCAT Mòbil is Catalonia’s free digital identity. It ties your identity document to your mobile number and sends you a one-time code each time you sign in, so you can do online procedures with Catalan public administrations without a certificate and without installing anything.
Does this apply to me
Yes, if you have a mobile phone and an email address. The Generalitat’s own wording is “més de 16 anys”, more than 16, so if you are exactly 16, check first. Immigration status is not a condition. The route you use depends on which documents you hold, and there are four:
| Route | How | Documents accepted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Online | A DNI or a TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero, the foreigner identity card) | Plus your health card number (TSI, targeta sanitària individual) or a TMV number, a mobile and an email address |
| 2 | Online, with a selfie and video-identification | A DNI, a TIE, a passport, or the identity document of an EU country | This is the route for someone whose only document is a Philippine passport |
| 3 | Online | A digital certificate you already have, such as an idCAT Certificat | |
| 4 | In person | — | At one of the Generalitat’s citizen help offices (oficina d’atenció ciutadana, or OAC) or an idCAT registration entity. Barcelona City Council calls its own counters OACs too — this route means the Generalitat’s offices, not the council’s |
If a passport is the only document you hold, use route two.
What it costs
- Free — the Generalitat’s own list of advantages says “Gratuito: sin coste alguno para el usuario”.
- It never expires.
- There is no app to download.
What to bring
- Your identity document.
- Your mobile phone with you and switched on.
- An email address you can open.
- For route one, also your health card (TSI) number.
Where to go, and how to book
No appointment is needed for the online routes. Go to idcatmobil.cat and press “Obtenir el meu idCAT Mòbil” (Obtener mi idCAT Móvil). An assistant asks which documents you have and recommends which route to use, so you do not have to decide in advance. If you use the in-person route, an appointment may be needed at the office you choose.
How long it takes
Minutes, on the online routes. You get an SMS with a one-time password, you type it in, and a confirmation appears on screen with a second SMS behind it.
Steps for the online route
- Go to idcatmobil.cat and press the button to get your idCAT Mòbil.
- Say which documents you have. The assistant recommends the right route.
- Enter your personal details. If your mobile number is not Spanish, choose the country code first. For a Philippine number that is +63.
- Check what you have typed, accept the service conditions and tick the data-processing consent.
- Type in the one-time password that arrives by SMS.
- A confirmation appears, and a second SMS tells you the registration is done.
What happens next
From then on, whenever a Catalan public site offers “idCAT Mòbil” as a way to identify yourself, you choose it, enter your document number and date of birth, and a code arrives on your phone. There is no password to remember and nothing to install. Use it for La Meva Salut, for Generalitat procedures and for many council procedures.
What goes wrong
- People assume idCAT Mòbil opens every door. It identifies you to Catalan public administrations. Spanish state procedures, which is where immigration and tax live, are a different system, and for those you need an idCAT Certificat or another accepted certificate. Check what the site you are on actually accepts before you start.
- Registering on someone else’s phone. The number is your identity. Use your own mobile and your own email, and do not leave document photos on a borrowed device or in a shop.
Useful words
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| idCAT Mòbil | Catalonia’s free mobile digital identity |
| Alta | Registration, signing up |
| Contrasenya d’un sol ús, contraseña desechable | One-time password |
| TSI, targeta sanitària individual | The Catalan health card |
| Videoidentificació | Identity check by video or selfie |
| Entitat de registre | A registration office |
| Tràmit | Procedure |
Read next
- idCAT Mòbil or idCAT Certificat: which one do I need?
- How do I get a La Meva Salut account?
- Which office books which appointment (cita previa)?
Official source
Generalitat de Catalunya, “Com donar-te d’alta de l’idCAT Mòbil”, with the four registration routes and what each one requires. The comparison of what each identity covers is on the AOC’s portal at idcat.aoc.cat.
Sources & checks
Generalitat de Catalunya · registering for idCAT Mòbil ↗
Fact-checked against the official source shown above. Not yet reviewed by a community admin. For procedures, confirm current requirements with the relevant official service.