Burofax vs. Fax: Spain's Certified Legal Notice

Fax vs. Burofax: Key Differences in Spain

What was a fax? A device plugged into phone lines that scanned paper and sent it as sound to another machine. Popular in 80s/90s offices for contracts before email, it survives in hospitals and courts. The burofax is not a device but a Spanish postal service certifying exact text content and delivery date with proof of receipt, serving as legal evidence.

Differences Between Fax and Burofax

The name is misleading. Burofax originated when text traveled via fax between post offices, hence "bureau" and "fax." Today it uses digital systems but keeps the brand. Unlike certified mail, Correos certifies full content and delivery time. Recipients need no fax; they receive a signed paper document from the carrier.

Cost of Content-Certified Burofax

Here comes the painful figure. A burofax with content certification and proof of receipt costs **€30-40** at Correos. Cheaper alternatives exist via private operators, or under €16 with notarial certification for one or two pages. Costs depend on page count and certification level. For non-legal notices, cheap clones work; if litigation is possible, experts recommend paying for the official Correos service.

Ignoring a Burofax Does Not Avoid Notification

This dangerous myth persists. If sent to the correct contract address and uncollected, recipients cannot claim ignorance. Deliberate ignoring constitutes bad faith. However, if sent to an outdated address without proper notice, judges may deem notification invalid. Keep the justification slip (e.g., "absent," "not collected") and the certified copy.

Telex: The Forgotten Predecessor

Telex was a global network of teleprinters on dedicated lines, not standard phone lines. Typing produced instant printed text at the recipient's end, like 50s-80s paper WhatsApp. It transmitted uppercase text only at ~50 bauds. Banks, shipping companies, and embassies used it for instant international validity. It was a switched network, not a trademark.

Why Faxes Persist in Hospitals and Courts

Email replaced faxes, but didn't eliminate them. The reason is evidentiary, not technological. Emails are easily fabricated; faxes leave transmission logs with time and origin numbers. Administrations value this trace. Burofax extends this logic: judges focus on the third-party seal validating the content, not the device itself.

Ultimately, we moved from modem screech to digital seals, yet still pay €30 for what thermal paper once did.