The debt recovery legal process in Spain for B2B overseas creditors proceeds through three distinct procedural stages, each with defined timelines: the amicable pre-legal phase using burofax (activating Ley de Morosidad interest at ECB + 8 pp); the procedimiento monitorio (LEC Art. 812), which delivers enforceable title in 20–45 days for undisputed documented claims; and the enforcement phase using embargo de cuentas, embargo de bienes, or anotación preventiva. Most B2B cases resolve in the first stage. The monitorio handles the next tranche. Full litigation (juicio ordinario or juicio verbal) is reserved for genuinely contested matters.
Spain’s Debt Recovery Legal Process: Stage by Stage
Day 1Burofax — Formal Certified Demand
Dispatched via Correos. Legally evidenced delivery. Triggers Ley de Morosidad interest automatically. Interrupts the 5-year commercial limitation clock. Required prerequisite for most court filings.
Cost: €25–50 | Amicable collection begins same day
Days 1–30Amicable Collection Phase
Field visits, calls, negotiation by Spain-based collector. 60–70% of B2B cases resolve here. Written settlement offer includes statutory interest. No court involvement required if successful.
No additional cost | Contingency only
Day 10–45Procedimiento Monitorio Filing
Court application with documentation. Judge reviews ex parte. Debtor served: 20 days to pay or contest. Uncontested = enforceable title. No upper claim limit. No oral hearing. Requires apostilled POA.
Cost: €800–2,500 | 20–45 days to enforceable title
If contestedJuicio Ordinario / Juicio Verbal
Monitorio contested = converts to civil proceedings. Juicio ordinario (>€6,000), juicio verbal (≤€6,000). Full adversarial process: evidence exchange, hearings, judgment. Requires abogado + procurador.
Cost: €3,000–15,000+ | Timeline: 6–18 months
Post-judgmentEnforcement (Ejecución Forzosa)
Embargo de cuentas (bank accounts), embargo de bienes (assets), anotación preventiva (property charge), embargo de créditos (receivables). Court executes against identified debtor assets.
Timeline: days (bank accounts) to weeks (assets)
Monitorio vs. Juicio Ordinario: How to Choose
Use monitorio when:
Undisputed, documented debt
Evidence
Invoice + contract + delivery
Dispute?
None, or only partial
Timeline
20–45 days if uncontested
Use juicio when:
Genuinely contested claim
Evidence
Disputed scope, quality, amount
Dispute?
Formal objection filed
A UK SaaS company owed €35,000 by a Madrid tech company, 112 days overdue. No signed contract. Scope of work agreed by email and Slack. Assessment: viable, email chain constitutes written acknowledgement. Day 1: burofax. Day 4: field agent at the Madrid office. Day 6: debtor’s legal director contacts agency — raises a scope dispute on €8,000 of the invoice. Strategy: monitorio for the undisputed €27,000. Parallel negotiation on the €8,000 dispute. Day 13: monitorio prepared for €27,000. Day 14: full settlement €35,000 + €1,260 interest. Dispute resolved with €2,000 credit note. Monitorio preparation made the negotiation credible.
Unpaid Spanish invoice? Start the legal process today.
Burofax Day 1. Monitorio Day 10. Spain-based team.
20-45dmonitorio
€0upfront
24hassessment
María Solé
Spain-based Senior Debt Collection Manager / B2B Credit Recovery, Ley 15/2010 Enforcement & Overseas Creditor Strategy
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