Spanish notaries offer free legal aid to wildfire victims to recover destroyed documents
The General Council of the Notariat activated emergency measures on 25 July 2026, providing free notarial advice and online services to help those affected by wildfires across Spain recover lost documentation and prove their rights.
Spain's notariat has mobilized an emergency response to assist people who lost identity papers, property deeds and other essential documents in the wildfires that are burning across the country. The measures, announced by the Consejo General del Notariado on Saturday, include free legal advice and a fast online channel for recording damage.
What the emergency measures cover
Those affected can request two main types of documents. The first is a notarial act of notoriety, which serves to certify ownership of property and rights that may have been destroyed along with the original paperwork. The second is an urgent telematic act for the protocolization of photographs of the damage. Both can be submitted online through the Notarial Electronic Headquarters at www.portalnotarial.es, avoiding the need for in-person visits while evacuation orders or restricted access remain in place.
The affected Notarial Colleges will enable as many notaries as are necessary to deliver these services throughout the territory of each autonomous community. The General Council of the Notariat will supply the technological tools and other resources the colleges and notaries require.
The affected Notarial Colleges will enable as many notaries as are necessary to provide service and fulfil these actions throughout the entire territorial scope of their autonomous community.
Recovering what was lost
The core aim is to help victims locate and recover destroyed documentation and to secure legal proof of their existing rights. After a fire, a person may struggle to prove home ownership, a mortgage contract, or even their identity. The notarial acts of notoriety create an official record that can be presented to banks, insurers and public bodies. The protocolization of photographs taken after the disaster provides an authenticated visual record of the damage, which can support insurance claims or applications for public aid.
Institutional collaboration
The General Council and the Notarial Colleges of the affected regions have placed themselves at the disposal of public administrations at the national, regional and local levels, offering collaboration in whatever is needed. Contact details for the different Notarial Colleges can be found at www.notariado.org.
The Notarial Emergency Plan
The swift response draws on a framework built after earlier catastrophes. Experience gained from the DANA flood that devastated parts of Valencia and the eruption of the La Palma volcano led to the creation of the Notarial Emergency Plan, an instrument designed to guarantee a rapid and coordinated reply by Spain's notaries in crisis situations. The plan is coordinated by the Notarial Emergency Commission of the General Council of the Notariat, which works with organizations such as the Spanish Red Cross, the Fundación Foro Agrario and the General Council of Official Associations of Agricultural Technical Engineers of Spain.
The Spanish Notariat reiterates its support and solidarity with the victims of these devastating fires, and conveys its recognition to the emergency services and all personnel who participate tirelessly in the extinction work, for their essential work to protect the population and save lives.
