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We develop a relativistic generalization of the Bogoliubov–de Gennes equations where the particle and hole amplitudes are Dirac spinors. In the weakly relativistic limit, we find, besides the usual spin–orbit, Darwin and kinetic energy corrections, additional `spin–orbit' and `Darwin' terms. These new terms are present in superconductors only and involve the pairing field in place of the electrostatic potential. They become relevant for superconductors such as the heavy-fermions and high-Tc compounds, which are characterized by a short coherence length and heavy elements in the lattice.