SEPE Transfer Competition 2026: Key Points for Civil Servants Seeking to Change Positions

Key data

If you are a career civil servant of the General State Administration and have been in your permanent position for at least two years, you have a window of 15 business days to request a position change at SEPE. The Resolution of October 26, 2026, published in the BOE on November 2, activates this process immediately.

This is not an opposition examination: it is a merit competition, which means that the allocation of positions is based on the professional history and accredited merits of each participant, not on selective tests.

What does this regulation establish?

The Under-Secretariat of Labor convenes a general merit competition to fill budgeted vacancies at the State Public Employment Service (SEPE). The competition bases establish the following main elements:

A relevant aspect: civil servants in provisional assignment whose current position is included in the competition have an obligation to participate in the competition. Failure to do so could have administrative consequences for their assignment situation.

Economic and operational impact

This competition does not generate direct costs for participants, but it does have operational and personal and organizational planning implications that should be taken into account:

• For participating civil servants: the change of position implies adaptation to a new job, possible change of location and adjustment of remuneration conditions according to the level of the new allocated position.
• For SEPE units: the resolution of the competition will generate personnel movements that will affect human resources planning, especially in offices with convened positions.
• For civil servants in provisional assignment: the obligation to compete if their position is convened means immediate pressure to prepare documentation accrediting merits and submit it within the 15 business day deadline.
• Mandatory electronic certificate: the application is exclusively electronic through Portal Funciona. Anyone who does not have a valid electronic certificate must obtain one before the deadline expires.

Compliance with the gender equality principle of the IV Gender Equality Plan of the AGE means that the process of evaluating merits and allocating positions must respect the non-discrimination criteria established in that plan.

Who does it affect?

• Career civil servants of the AGE who have been in their permanent position for at least 2 years and wish to change positions within SEPE.
• Civil servants in provisional assignment at SEPE whose position is included in the competition: they have an obligation to participate.
• Civil servants in special administrative situations (voluntary leave, special services, etc.) who meet the seniority requirement: they can participate unless they are in firm suspension.
• HR managers and unit heads at SEPE: must anticipate personnel movements resulting from the competition and plan for position coverage.
• Civil servants without a valid electronic certificate: must process it urgently to avoid being excluded from the process for technical reasons.

Practical example

Imagine you are a career civil servant of the AGE, currently assigned to a Provincial Office of SEPE in Zaragoza, with more than two years in that permanent position. A position is convened at the SEPE office in Madrid that fits your profile.

From November 2, 2026, you have 15 business days to access Portal Funciona with your electronic certificate, complete the electronic application and accredit your merits (seniority, training, personal grade, etc.). If the position is allocated to you, you must maintain all required requirements until the moment of taking possession of the new position.

If instead you are in provisional assignment at that same Zaragoza office and your position is convened, you have no choice: you are obligated to participate in the competition. Failure to submit the application on time could compromise your current administrative situation.

What should civil servants do now?

1. Verify compliance with the seniority requirement: confirm that you have been in your current permanent position for at least 2 years as of the publication date (2/11/2026).
2. Check your administrative situation: make sure you are not in a situation of firm suspension, which is the only one that prevents participation.
3. Obtain or renew your electronic certificate: the application is exclusively electronic through Portal Funciona. Without a valid electronic certificate you will not be able to submit the application.
4. Consult the convened positions: review the official list of budgeted vacancies at SEPE included in the competition to identify the positions of your interest.
5. Prepare merit documentation: gather proof of seniority, training, personal grade and any other valuable merit before the deadline expires.
6. Submit the application on time: access Portal Funciona and complete the process within the 15 business days from November 2, 2026. No extension is planned.
7. Maintain requirements until taking possession: if you are allocated a position, all required requirements must be maintained until you take possession of the new position.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Notice: This article is merely informative in nature and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-22913