In the Valencian Community, the Generalitat has three months to decide on an application to recognise or review a disability rating. That is half the general deadline, because regional Law 9/2016 on citizen emergency procedures shortens it. Reality is very different: according to the report the Department of Social Services, Family and Children sent to the Valencian ombudsman (Síndic de Greuges) in 2026, assessment centres were deciding first-time applications submitted between June and August 2024. This guide explains how the process works and what room you have to speed it up.
How long it is really taking
In a decision signed on 31 August 2026, the department set out which application dates one of its centres was dealing with at the time:
- Physical assessments: first applications from August 2024 and reviews from March 2024.
- Psychological assessments: first applications from June 2024 and reviews from January 2024.
- Combined assessments: first applications from July 2024 and reviews from March 2024.
The administration attributes the backlog to a growing number of applications and says it follows strict registration-date order. In 2025 it approved a reinforcement plan with 24 temporary posts for the Disability Assessment and Guidance Centres (CVOD) in Castellón, Valencia and Alicante, and in November that year it launched a new case management system, REDIS.
How to apply properly from the start
- Submit the application through the Generalitat’s e-office (procedure for recognition, declaration and rating of disability) or at an official registry such as a PROP office, booking on 012.
- Attach all up-to-date medical and psychological reports, including those from private specialists. The assessment may be carried out in person or by reviewing your health records.
- If you are requesting a review because your condition has worsened, explain what has changed and attach supporting reports.
- Keep your registration receipt. The entry date sets your place in the queue and is the reference for any complaint.
The assessment uses the national scale approved by Royal Decree 888/2022, applied throughout Spain.
The fast track: urgent assessment
This is the most useful and least known tool. The department acknowledges that an application can be assessed as urgent if it is properly justified and meets one of the priority criteria in point 10 of Instruction 4/2024 issued by the Directorate-General for People with Disabilities.
If your case may qualify, for example because of a serious or rapidly progressing illness, or because you need the certificate for a procedure with an imminent deadline, request priority in writing, cite that instruction and attach supporting documents. Without documentary evidence, the request is unlikely to succeed.
If your rating is about to expire
Many ratings are granted with a review date. According to the department, when that date approaches, the expiry review is prioritised and carried out close to the expiry date, although it cannot be brought forward, because if the rating fell the person could lose rights early. If you have a pending review for deterioration and your rating expires, that review is then handled as an expiry review.
How to complain about the delay
- Complaint to the department using the social services complaints form on the Generalitat’s e-office. State your application date and that more than three months have passed.
- Síndic de Greuges. Disability delays are a legal priority for the ombudsman: it opened an own-initiative investigation in 2025 and keeps issuing individual decisions reminding the department of its duty to decide on time. We explain how in our guide on how to complain when the Generalitat does not respond.
- Priority request based on Instruction 4/2024 if your situation changes while you wait.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a disability certificate take in the Valencian Community?
The legal deadline is three months. In 2026, the department’s own figures point to waits of almost two years for first applications, and longer for some reviews.
Where are disability assessments carried out?
At the Disability Assessment and Guidance Centres (CVOD) in each province: Castellón, Valencia and Alicante.
Can I ask to be assessed sooner?
Only on justified urgent grounds under the criteria of Instruction 4/2024. All other files are decided in order of registration date.
My review is pending and my rating is expiring. Will I lose it?
The department says it prioritises expiry reviews close to the expiry date. If the date is approaching and you have no appointment, notify them in writing and ask for the status of your file.