If you sell to Spanish companies on credit, or depend on Spanish suppliers, the commercial registry tells you a lot about them, and it tells you in public, every working day, in the BORME. Most of what's published is routine. A handful of acts, though, should change how you treat an account. This guide lists them, explains what each one means in practice, and suggests a response for each.
Sources were read on 9 October 2026.
What you'll learn
- The BORME acts that matter for credit and supply decisions
- What each act means, and what it doesn't
- A suggested response for each one
- Where else to look: the public insolvency register
- How to organise the watching
Why the BORME is the place to look
The BORME publishes the acts registered by Spain's provincial commercial registries, each with a registration date and a publication date. Its section A (registered acts) is organised by province, then by company, with one entry per company per day listing all of that day's acts. The company is identified by its registry sheet in its province, not by its tax number, which the BORME doesn't publish. See the Spanish BORME explained for the background.
The acts that change how you treat an account
Situación concursal (insolvency proceedings)
What it means. The registry has recorded insolvency proceedings (concurso) for the company. From here on, the company's payments and contracts follow the rules of the proceedings, and an insolvency administrator may be involved.
What to do. Stop extending new credit until you understand the situation. Check the Registro Público Concursal (publicidadconcursal.es, managed by the Colegio de Registradores and free to consult) for the court's resolutions. If the company owes you money, get advice quickly: claims in insolvency proceedings have their own procedure and deadlines.
Disolución (dissolution)
What it means. The company has been dissolved and enters liquidation. Under the Capital Companies Act (article 371), it keeps its legal personality while the liquidation takes place, but its purpose is now to wind up its affairs: finish operations, collect, pay and distribute what's left. It isn't the end yet.
What to do. Treat it as the end of the commercial relationship. Avoid new orders on credit, collect what's owed, and note who the liquidators are: they now represent the company.
Extinción (extinction)
What it means. The company is closed in the registry. It no longer exists as a party you can contract with.
What to do. Close the account, with the date and the BORME reference. If invoices are still unpaid, get advice. If the business continues, it continues under another company: find out which, and start over with that one.
Ceses/Dimisiones and Nombramientos (officers leaving and joining)
What it means. Directors and attorneys come and go all the time, so a single change is normal. A sudden departure of all directors, a sole director replaced at short notice, or repeated changes in a few months can be a sign of trouble, or simply of a new owner.
What to do. Update who can sign for the company. If the person you deal with has resigned, they can no longer commit the company. For a large account, ask your contact what happened.
Cambio de domicilio social and cambio de denominación (registered office moved, name changed)
What it means. Administrative changes, often harmless. A move to another province means the company changes registry and sheet, so its next acts appear under a new province.
What to do. Update your records: name on invoices, address, and the registry reference you use to follow the company.
Capital reductions and unipersonality changes
What it means. A capital reduction (reducción de capital) can return money to partners or absorb losses: the BORME entry may say which, or may not. A change of the single member (cambio de identidad del socio único) means a new owner.
What to do. For an important customer, a new owner is worth a conversation about the relationship. Don't read more into a capital reduction than the act says.
Summary table
| Act | Signal | Suggested response |
|---|---|---|
| Situación concursal | Strong | Stop new credit, check the insolvency register, get advice |
| Disolución | Strong | End of relationship: collect, note the liquidators |
| Extinción | Final | Close the account with date and reference |
| Officer changes | Context | Update signatories; ask if many at once |
| Office or name change | Admin | Update records and the registry reference |
| Capital or single-member changes | Context | Ask about a new owner |
Reading an act without over-reading it
The BORME states what was registered, in the registry's words. It rarely says why. A few habits keep your reading honest:
- Quote the act, not your interpretation. "Ceses/Dimisiones: sole director" is a fact; "the director fled" is a story.
- Look at the dates. The registration date can be days or weeks after the decision, and the publication date a few days after that.
- Read the whole entry. A resignation published with a new appointment the same day is a handover, not a vacancy.
- Check the next acts. A dissolution is often followed months later by an extinction; until then, the company still exists.
When in doubt, ask your customer: most changes have an ordinary explanation, and asking early is part of a good relationship.
Organising the watching
- Build the list. For each Spanish customer or supplier you want to follow, record the exact legal name, the province and the registry sheet. See how to check a Spanish company before you sign.
- Read every working day, or at a set rhythm. The BORME is published on working days. Daily reading catches acts early; weekly reading is often enough for smaller accounts.
- Match by sheet, not by name. Names change; the sheet is the stable key within a province.
- Route each act to its owner. Insolvency and dissolution go to credit control and the account owner the same day; officer and address changes can go into a weekly update.
- Keep the reference. Every act you act on should be stored with its BORME reference and dates.
For what each act looks like on the page, see how to read the BORME.
Fuentio's API will return each Spanish company's parsed BORME acts with their type, dates and BOE reference, since 6 October 2025. It isn't open yet: join the waitlist below to hear the day it opens.
See what we cover in France and Spain.
Limits. The BORME publishes acts once registered; there can be days or weeks between a decision and its publication. An act describes an event, not the company's solvency: Fuentio returns the acts as published and doesn't score or judge a company. Sources read on 9 October 2026. Not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Does a dissolution mean the company no longer exists?
No. The company enters liquidation and keeps its legal personality until its extinction is registered.
Where can I check whether a Spanish company is in insolvency proceedings?
In the BORME (the act "Situación concursal") and in the Registro Público Concursal, which is free to consult.
Is a change of directors a bad sign?
Not on its own. Directors change often. Many changes at once, or in a short time, are worth a question.
How quickly do acts appear in the BORME?
After registration, usually a few days later. Each entry gives both dates.
Sources
- BOE, BORME daily gazette (read on 9 October 2026): boe.es
- Capital Companies Act (Real Decreto Legislativo 1/2010), article 371: boe.es
- Registro Público Concursal: publicidadconcursal.es
- BOE, open data (API for BORME summaries): boe.es