Registration in ROLECE and RELI
Scope for all of Spain
Official Register of Bidders and Companies
Classified in the Public Sector (ROLECE).
The Official Registry of Bidders and Classified Companies of the State is created in compliance with the provisions of articles 326 to 332 of the consolidated text of the Public Sector Contracts Law, approved by Royal Legislative Decree 3/ 2011, November 14. Entrepreneurs can register in it the data of personality and capacity to act, authorizations and qualifications, solvency and business classification, to which article 328 of the Law refers, and their certificates accredit to all the contracting bodies of the public sector, in accordance with what is reflected therein and unless proven otherwise, the conditions of suitability of the businessman in terms of his personality and capacity to act, representation, professional or business qualification, economic and financial solvency, and classification, as well as the concurrence or non-concurrence of the prohibitions on contracting that must be stated therein. The Registry is electronic, and both registration applications and obtaining certificates are processed electronically.
ROLECE Registration
From here you can access the ROLECE registration process. To access, you must identify yourself
with your electronic ID or with your CERES digital certificate (FNMT-RCM).
Scope in Catalonia
Electronic Register of Bidding Companies (RELI)
RELI Registration
From here you can access the RELI registration process. To access, you must identify
yourself with your electronic ID or digital certificate.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Question 1: What is ROLECE and what is it for?
Answer: ROLECE (Registro Oficial de Licitadores y Empresas Clasificadas del Estado) is Spain’s official electronic register of bidders, operating under Articles 326–332 of Spain’s Public Sector Contracts Law. It lets a company certify its legal personality, representation, authorisations and solvency electronically, so it doesn’t have to resubmit the same supporting documents for every tender.
Question 2: What is the difference between ROLECE and RELI?
Answer: The main difference is geographic scope. ROLECE is Spain’s state-level register, used for tenders issued by national and most regional or local public bodies. RELI is the equivalent register run by the Generalitat de Catalunya, and has been mandatory for participating in simplified open procedures issued by Catalan public administrations since 9 September 2018.
Question 3: Does a foreign company based in the EU need to register in ROLECE to bid on Spanish public tenders?
Answer: Registration isn’t strictly mandatory for every procedure — it’s only a legal requirement for certain simplified open procedures — but we recommend it to every EU-based company regardless, because it proves legal capacity, incorporation and solvency in one go and makes every future bid significantly faster to prepare.
Question 4: Is RELI only required for companies bidding in Catalonia?
Answer: Yes — RELI applies specifically to tenders issued by the Generalitat de Catalunya and Catalan public bodies. A company bidding elsewhere in Spain does not need to register in RELI, only in ROLECE.
Question 5: How long does it take to complete the ROLECE registration?
Answer: It depends on where your company is based. For companies and self-employed professionals already established in Spain, the process is handled automatically and typically takes just 2 to 3 business days — sometimes even less, depending on the autonomous region. For foreign companies, including those based elsewhere in the EU, the application is reviewed manually rather than processed automatically, and the minimum timeframe is around 3 months. Because of this, we strongly recommend starting the registration process well ahead of any tender deadline you’re targeting.
Need help?
We can help you in the registration process in ROLECE and RELI.
We accompany you in the registration process.
Do not hesitate, contact us.
