Open Appointment in the Subsecretariat 2026: What Civil Servants Must Do

Key data

The Subsecretariat has called for the filling of certain positions through the open appointment system, with entry into force on 27 March 2026 and publication in the BOE on 6 April 2026 (BOE-A-2026-7723). This call opens a concrete mobility opportunity for civil servants of the General State Administration who aspire to positions of greater responsibility or institutional trust.

The open appointment system is one of the two main mechanisms for filling positions in the Spanish public administration, alongside the merit-based competition. Its use is reserved for positions that, by their nature, require a direct relationship of trust with the corresponding management body.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution governs the filling of specific vacancies within the Subsecretariat through the open appointment system. This procedure allows the Administration to freely select from among civil servants who meet the requirements for each position, without being bound by a merit scale as is the case in a competition.

The key elements established by the call are:

• Filling system: Open appointment, applicable to positions of special responsibility or trust.
• Terms of the call: The resolution sets out the conditions, requirements and the complete procedure for filling the vacancies.
• Application deadline: Interested civil servants must submit their applications within the deadline and in the manner set out in the call itself.
• Scope: Positions within the Subsecretariat, with implications for the mobility and promotion of civil service staff in the General State Administration.

Open appointment implies that, once a position is filled, the holder may be dismissed at the discretion of the appointing body, which structurally distinguishes it from the merit-based competition, where dismissal requires justified cause.

Economic and operational impact

For civil servants, the impact of this call is primarily in terms of career development and remuneration. Positions filled through open appointment typically correspond to high destination supplement levels (usually levels 28 to 30 on the AGE scale), which implies a significant pay improvement compared to lower-level positions.

From an operational standpoint, the call has two direct effects:

• For applicant civil servants: It opens a specific deadline to submit a candidacy. Failing to act within the deadline means losing this mobility opportunity until the next call.
• For the affected administrative units: Filling these vacancies impacts the operational continuity of the Subsecretariat's services, particularly in areas of strategic management or direct managerial trust.

This is not a regulation with a direct economic impact on private companies, but it does affect the decision-making and management structure of the General State Administration, which may have indirect effects on the Subsecretariat's regular counterparts.

Who is affected?

• Civil servants of the General State Administration who meet the specific requirements of each position called.
• Civil servants currently posted at the Subsecretariat who may be affected by the reorganisation of positions.
• Civil servants in other AGE units who aspire to mobility towards the Subsecretariat through this call.
• Human resources managers in General State Administration units, who must manage applications and potential staff movements.
• Senior public managers and superior bodies of the Subsecretariat, who participate in the selection process under the open appointment system.

Practical example

A civil servant from the Cuerpo Superior de Administradores Civiles del Estado, currently posted at a Provincial Delegation, identifies that one of the positions called by the Subsecretariat matches their profile and classification group.

The process they must follow is as follows:

1. Consult the terms of the call published in the BOE (BOE-A-2026-7723) to verify that they meet the requirements of the specific position they are applying for.
2. Prepare their application within the deadline and in the format set out in the call.
3. Submit the required documentation within the established deadline. Failure to do so will result in exclusion from this call.
4. Await the Subsecretariat's resolution, which will freely select from among the candidates who meet the requirements, without being bound by a merit ranking.

If selected, they will access a position of special responsibility with the remuneration and posting conditions corresponding to the level of the position. Should the management body decide in the future to dismiss the holder, it may do so at its discretion, which is an inherent characteristic of this filling system.

What should civil servants do now?

1. Consult the full call in the BOE (BOE-A-2026-7723) to identify the specific positions called and their particular requirements.
2. Verify compliance with requirements for each position of interest: classification group, corps or scale, current destination level and any other specific requirement set out in the call.
3. Prepare the application and required documentation well in advance to avoid formal errors that could lead to exclusion.
4. Submit the application within the deadline established in the terms. Submission outside the deadline results in automatic exclusion from the call.
5. Monitor the procedure through the BOE and the official channels of the Subsecretariat to learn the outcome of the call.

Official source

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, please consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-7723