Formalitats

Formalitats, or formalities, refer to the procedures, requirements, and etiquette that must be observed for an act to have legal force, legitimacy, or social acceptance. In legal and administrative contexts, formalities are the steps needed to complete transactions or obtain rights and approvals, such as submitting forms, providing identifiers, obtaining signatures or seals, meeting deadlines, or complying with jurisdictional rules. In social contexts, formalities describe the customary etiquette, rites, and protocol that govern behavior in groups, ceremonies, and professional settings.

Formalities can be categorized into legal-administrative formalities (filing taxes, registering property, obtaining permits), contractual formalities (execution and notarization of contracts), administrative formalities (verification and authentication), and social or ceremonial formalities (greetings, dress codes, protocol). They function to provide evidence of consent, ensure accountability, enable traceability, and standardize processes. Governments use formalities to regulate access to rights and services and to prevent fraud. With modernization, many formalities are digitized or streamlined, through online filings, electronic signatures, and digital seals.

Criticism of formalities focuses on their potential to create barriers, increase costs, and disproportionately affect those with limited resources or literacy. Policy discussions often address simplification, proportionality, and balancing security with efficiency. In many jurisdictions, reforms aim to reduce unnecessary steps, expand digital access, and implement one-stop services for registrations and permits, while preserving essential safeguards.