How to Get a Social Security Certificate of Coverage From Spain as a Self-Employed American

If you’re an American living in Spain and trying to file your U.S. taxes, you might find yourself stuck trying to figure out how to get a Social Security Certificate of Coverage to avoid paying U.S. self-employment taxes.

I’ve been there. I’m currently self-employed in Spain (registered as an autonomo) and living in Barcelona on the digital nomad visa.

It took me several months of emails and follow-ups to finally get a response from the Spanish social security office with the correct instructions.

Since I couldn’t find this information anywhere online, I’m sharing the full process here in case it helps someone else in the same boat.

The Certificate of Coverage is used to prove to the U.S. government that you are already paying into the Spanish social security system.

This way, you are exempt from paying social security tax in the U.S. due to the totalization agreement between Spain and the U.S.

You’ll attach this form to your U.S. tax return.

If you are self-employed in Spain as an autonomo, the form you need is called E/USA-1bis.

This is not the same as the E/USA-1 form that’s listed on the U.S. Social Security website.

I believe the “bis” version is specifically for self-employed individuals.

I got my digital certificate from my gestor when I first registered with Spanish social security.

You’ll need to install it on Mozilla Firefox, as it doesn’t work well with other browsers. Here are the steps I followed:

1. Download the certificate file from your gestor
2. Open Mozilla Firefox
3. Click the “3 horizontal bars” icon in the top right corner
4. Go to Settings (or Options)
5. Click on “Privacy & Security”
6. Scroll down to the “Certificates” section and click “View Certificates”
7. Under the “Your Certificates” tab, click “Import”
8. Select the downloaded file and enter the password provided by your gestor

Autofirma is the program you’ll use to digitally sign the form.

You can download it here.

Follow the installation instructions for your operating system.

1. Open Firefox and go to this page.
2. Scroll down and click on the plus sign next to Presentación de otros escritos, solicitudes y comunicaciones (Tesoría General de la Seguridad Social)
3. In the dropdown, keep “En nombre propio” selected and click “Obtener Acceso”

4. On the next page, click on “DNIe o certificado” to log in using your digital certificate
5. When prompted, select your installed certificate
6. Fill out the form:
   • Correo Electrónico: Your email
   • Confirmar Correo Electrónico: Repeat your email
   • Teléfono: Your Spanish phone number
   • Categoría (Asunto): Select Trabajadores Desplazados
   • Asunto: Select Desplazamiento de trabajadores Convenios Internacionales: Variación de Datos

7. Datos de la solicitud: I wrote: “Solicito el certificado de cobertura de la Seguridad Social (formulario E/USA-1 bis) según el Convenio entre España y EE. UU., para evitar la doble cotización. Aporto una carta con mis datos personales y laborales requeridos para la tramitación.”
8. Attach a PDF letter that includes the following information:
   • Nombre y apellidos completos
   • País de residencia: España
   • Periodo (fecha desde-hasta) por el que se solicita el certificado
   • Número de Seguridad Social en España
   • Número de Seguridad Social en Estados Unidos
   • Nacionalidad
   • Motivos por los que presenta la solicitud
   • Dirección de la actividad en España en el periodo solicitado
   • Domicilio de residencia en territorio español

Here’s a Google Doc template you can make a copy of and update with your own info.

9. In the “Documentos Adjuntos” section:
   • Select Otros as “Tipo de Documento”
   • Upload your PDF and click Adjuntar
10. Click Aceptar Datos to submit the form

11. Complete the digital signature using Autofirma when prompted

You should then receive an email confirming that your request was successfully submitted. It also included a link where you can login and check the status of your request.

In my case, I received a response in 1 week.

I got an email stating that the request had been finalized and included a link to log in with my digital certificate again and download the Certificate of Coverage in PDF format.

I hope this guide helps make the process a little easier for anyone else trying to get the E/USA-1bis Social Security Certificate of Coverage from Spain.

It’s not a well-documented process, but once you have the digital tools in place, it’s relatively straightforward to complete. Good luck!