Reenviar vs. reexpedir
When talking about forwarding an email or a message in Spanish, the words reenviar and reexpedir can both translate to "to forward", but they are used in very different contexts. The word reenviar is the standard digital term used by everyone, whereas reexpedir is a highly formal word reserved for bureaucratic, legal, or postal situations.
Reenviar
The word reenviar is the standard, everyday verb used to express the action of forwarding an email, a text message, or a digital file to someone else.
Te voy a reenviar el correo que recibí del gerente esta mañana.
(I am going to forward you the email I received from the manager this morning.)
Por favor, reenvía este mensaje al resto del equipo de ventas.
(Please forward this message to the rest of the sales team.)
Mi madre siempre me reenvía fotos familiares por el chat.
(My mother always forwards me family photos through the chat.)
¿Le reenviaste el archivo adjunto al cliente de manera correcta?
(Did you forward the attachment to the client correctly?)
Olvidé reenviar la invitación para la reunión virtual de mañana.
(I forgot to forward the invitation for tomorrow's virtual meeting.)
Reexpedir
The word reexpedir is a formal, administrative verb that means to redirect or forward official documents, physical mail, or highly bureaucratic communications, and is almost never used for casual digital messages.
La oficina de correos va a reexpedir el paquete a su nueva dirección residencial.
(The post office will forward the package to your new residential address.)
El departamento legal tuvo que reexpedir el contrato para incluir las nuevas cláusulas.
(The legal department had to forward the contract to include the new clauses.)
La universidad debe reexpedir los certificados oficiales al ministerio de educación.
(The university must forward the official transcripts to the ministry of education.)
El secretario del juzgado ordenó reexpedir la notificación al domicilio del acusado.
(The court clerk ordered to forward the notification to the defendant's home.)
Es necesario reexpedir la factura original porque el sistema rechazó el primer envío.
(It is necessary to forward the original invoice because the system rejected the first dispatch.)
Summary
In summary, you should almost always use reenviar for everyday situations involving the forwarding of emails, texts, and digital media. You should only use reexpedir in strict administrative, legal, or postal contexts where official documents or physical items are being redirected or dispatched again.