Apostille, legalisation and document translation

Foreign documents (criminal record certificates, marriage and birth certificates, and others) generally need to be legalised and translated before Spanish authorities will accept them. Here we cover the three routes by country, the correct order of steps, and one important point about consular certificates.

Applications closed on 30 June 2026. The deadline under DA 20ª and 21ª (DA 20ª of the Regulation, introduced by RD 316/2026, section 6) has expired. The text below describes these procedures for reference only.

The key principle

Any foreign public document must, as a rule, be authenticated (apostille or consular legalisation) and translated into Spanish by a sworn translator (traducción jurada). Which authentication route applies depends on the country that issued the document. Exceptions, for example documents from EU countries, are described below.

1Why it is required

Spanish authorities cannot independently verify the authenticity of a seal or signature from a foreign body. The document therefore goes through a procedure that officially confirms: "this document is genuine and was issued by a competent authority." That is legalisation in the broad sense. There are two main routes:

Apostille: a simplified authentication stamp. It is placed in the country that issued the document and works between countries party to the Hague Convention of 1961.
Consular legalisation: a longer chain, through the issuing country's foreign ministry and the Spanish consulate. Used for countries outside the Hague Convention.

In addition, a sworn translation is a separate mandatory step whenever the document is not in Spanish.

2Three routes, by country

What you need depends on which country issued the document:

Issuing country	What is required for authentication
EU countries	Authentication (apostille/legalisation) is needed unless Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 applies to the document: for documents covered by it, it is waived (conditions below). Other EU documents still need an apostille or legalisation. For covered documents, a translation is only needed if there is no multilingual standard form.
Hague Convention countries (Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and many others)	Apostille on the original (placed in the issuing country) + sworn translation into Spanish.
Other countries (outside the Hague Convention)	Consular legalisation (issuing country's foreign ministry → Spanish consulate) + sworn translation.

It is worth confirming in advance the exact list of Hague Convention countries and the requirements for your specific country, as this affects both the timeline and the order of steps.

Documents from EU countries: in detail

Documents from EU member states are simpler to deal with than you might expect, but an apostille is not always unnecessary. Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 (Art. 4) waives the apostille and legalisation only for the documents listed in its Art. 2.1 (birth, marriage, death, criminal record, among others) and on conditions:

No apostille or legalisation needed for documents listed in Art. 2.1 of Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 and issued by the authorities of a member state: this authentication is abolished.
Criminal record: only if the certificate was issued by the member state of which the person is a national, and to a Union citizen (Art. 2.1.m). Otherwise an apostille or legalisation is needed.
Everything else is not exempt: documents the Regulation does not list, and documents of third countries (Art. 2.3), follow the general regime unless another convention waives it.
As a rule, a translation is only needed if there is no multilingual standard form. If the form is attached, you normally do not need a translation either (Art. 6.1.b); the receiving authority decides.

What is a multilingual standard form (impreso estándar multilingüe)? It is a standard annex issued by the same EU authority, together with the document itself. It reproduces the same information in all official EU languages, including Spanish. If it is attached, a separate translation is normally not required.

When requesting a document in an EU country, ask for the multilingual standard form at the same time. If it is not provided, for a document covered by the Regulation an apostille is still not needed: a sworn translation into Spanish is sufficient.

3The correct order of steps

Order matters: if you translate the document before getting the apostille, the translation may be incomplete (it will not include the apostille stamp) and will have to be redone.

Obtain the original document in the issuing country (for example, a criminal record certificate).
Get the apostille placed on the original (in the issuing country), or complete consular legalisation, depending on the country.
Commission the sworn translation of the already legalised document, so that the translation covers both the document and the apostille or legalisation stamp.
Include in your application the original (legalised) and the sworn translation.

Remember the order: legalisation (apostille) first, translation second. Not the other way round.

4Sworn translation (traducción jurada)

Not just any translation will do

You need a sworn translation, carried out by a translator accredited by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC). An agency translation "without a sworn translator's stamp" is not accepted.

The translator is on the official MAEC list (traductor jurado).
The translation is signed and stamped by the sworn translator.
Standard or machine translation without a sworn stamp.

The translation must be complete, including the apostille stamp and all other seals on the document.

5A consular certificate: an important point

Some people apply to their country's consulate in Spain for a certificate. Before applying, check which document your procedure requires and who must issue it.

The type of certificate depends on the procedure. Before using a certificate issued by a consulate, check whether it is accepted for your procedure.

How to avoid a mistake

The certificate is issued by the competent authority of the country (for example, the Ministry of Justice or the Ministry of the Interior).
The requirements for the type of certificate are checked for your procedure before you order it.

If in doubt, clarify before translating and submitting.

Note: consular legalisation (authentication of a document by the Spanish consulate) is a different thing and a valid route. Do not confuse it with "a certificate issued by your own country's consulate".

6Validity

The validity period and the date requirements for the certificate depend on the procedure you are applying for. Check them before ordering.

Order the certificate with a margin: allow time for the apostille and translation so that it is still valid on the date you submit.

7Checklist

Identified the route for your country: EU / Hague Convention (apostille) / other (consular legalisation).
Legalisation (apostille) first, then translation: not the other way round.
Translation is sworn (jurada), with a translator on the MAEC list.
Translation is complete, including the apostille stamp.
The certificate is issued by the competent authority of the country, and its type is checked for your procedure.
The validity period is checked against the date of submission.

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