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Professional bodies (colegios): how to check registration

In Spain ‘colegio’ also means a professional association. Many professionals belong to one, and you can check it in a public register in a few minutes.

Sources checked on 24 October 2026 · 2 min read

General information. It does not replace the advice of a professional.

An old library with wooden shelves, bound books and stone busts.
Photo: Giammarco Boscaro (Unsplash)

What a colegio profesional is

A colegio profesional is a public-law body that brings together the people practising the same profession: lawyers, psychologists, dentists, physiotherapists, architects, administrative agents and others. Being colegiado means being registered with the body for your profession. The closest English equivalent is a professional regulatory body.

Membership is not always compulsory. The law says it is a requirement to practise where a state law so provides Act 2/1974, art. 3.2. For lawyers, for example, it is compulsory to appear before the courts LOPJ, art. 544.2. For other professions, ask the relevant body.

What you can check

Act 2/1974 requires these bodies to provide free information to protect users, including a permanently updated register of members with at least their full name, membership number, official qualifications, professional address and authorisation status. They must also explain how to complain about a member, and publish their codes of conduct (art. 10.2).

Where to check

ProfessionWhere to search
LawyersColegio de Abogados de las Illes Balears: ICAIB register of members, by name, surnames or membership number. National council: Censo de Letrados.
PsychologistsCOPIB: search for registered professionals, by name, municipality, language or topic. Other regions: map of regional bodies at the national psychology council.
DentistsNational council of dental bodies: GuiaDentistas. In the Balearic Islands it is the Colegio Oficial de Odontólogos y Estomatólogos de Baleares, listed among the official bodies.
PhysiotherapistsCol·legi Oficial de Fisioterapeutes de les Illes Balears: registered professionals, with name and number. National council: Consejo General de Colegios de Fisioterapeutas portal.
NotariesConsejo General del Notariado search, by name, postcode, town and language.
Administrative agentsConsejo General de Colegios de Gestores Administrativos, which coordinates the profession’s bodies.

Some bodies, such as the ICAIB, forbid reproducing their register. That is why Atalaya Balear does not copy these lists: we only link to them.

How to do it

  1. Ask the person for their full name and membership number. You should normally get them without any fuss.
  2. Search for them by name or number with the body for their profession.
  3. Check that they appear, that the professional address fits and that they are authorised to practise.
  4. If they do not appear, ask before drawing conclusions: they may be registered with another body elsewhere in Spain.

What it does not tell you

Being registered is not a quality score: it shows that the person is registered and authorised, not that they do good work. If you have a problem with a professional, the body must tell you how to complain. Atalaya Balear’s verification likewise confirms details, not quality: how we check.

Professionals in the directory

Categories related to this guide:

LawyersPsychologistsDentistsPhysiotherapyDoctors and clinicsPodiatristsArchitectsTax and administrative advisersNotaries

Sources and date checked

Official sources checked on 24 October 2026. Procedures, requirements and amounts change: always check the source before you act.

General information. It does not replace the advice of a professional.

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