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Step one: prove the document is genuine
The Ministry of Inclusion's guidance for immigration procedures sets the rule. Unless a treaty exempts the document, a foreign public document must arrive in one of two forms, depending on the country that issued it:
- Apostilled, if the issuing country is a party to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961. The only formality is the apostille stamp from the competent authority of the issuing country.
- Legalised through diplomatic channels, if it is not a party. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the document is legalised first by the foreign ministry of the issuing country, then by the Spanish embassy or consulate for that country.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs links to the list of states party to the Convention. Check your issuing country there, not the country you hold a passport from: what counts is where the document was issued.
Only public documents qualify, and only originals or authenticated copies from the issuing body. The Ministry says plain photocopies and laminated documents are not legalised.
Step two: a translation Spanish offices accept
Under the Ministry of Inclusion guidance, the document must be translated into Spanish. Where the office is in a region with a co-official language, that language can be used.
The translations that are valid for immigration procedures are:
- A translation by a traductor jurado (sworn translator) appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry says these are fully valid in Spain on their own, with no further legalisation.
- A translation made or reviewed by a Spanish embassy or consulate abroad, which must then be legalised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Madrid.
- A translation made or reviewed by the embassy or consulate in Spain of the country that issued the document, which must be apostilled or legalised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Foreign Affairs page adds that an ordinary local translation done abroad can be legalised by a Spanish consulate, but that some Spanish administrations may not accept it. If you want certainty, use a sworn translator.
The Ministry of Inclusion sheet covers immigration and foreigners' procedures. Other procedures (courts, universities, civil registry, nationality) can have their own rules, so ask the office that will receive the document.
How to check a sworn translator
The Oficina de Interpretación de Lenguas of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishes a searchable list of sworn translators and interpreters. You can search by first name, surname, country, province, language and type of title. The page requires at least one search filter.
- Open the official search (link in Sources) and enter the translator's name.
- Check that the language pair on your document is covered by their title. A title is for specific languages.
- Check the finished translation. The Ministry says sworn translators certify their work with their signature and seal. The legalisation page says the certification must be at least in Spanish, and that a legalised translation must include a complete copy of the original, stamped and dated on every sheet, with the translator's seal joining all consecutive pages.
The Ministry does not act as an intermediary and does not produce sworn translations itself: you choose and hire the translator. For Catalan, Galician and Basque, the titles are granted by the regional governments, which keep their own registers.
One thing we did not find on an official page: a step-by-step way to confirm a stamp is genuine. The list check, plus the seal and certification above, is what the sources support. If a procedure is high stakes, ask the receiving office what it will accept.
Order of work
- Get the original document from the issuing authority.
- Get the apostille (or the foreign ministry plus Spanish consulate legalisation) in the issuing country.
- Have the apostilled document translated by a sworn translator. The translator must not alter, sign or stamp the original document itself.
The legalisation itself carries no expiry date, but the Ministry is explicit that if the document has its own validity period, legalisation does not extend it. Documents that are considered expired under the Spanish rules for that procedure will not be legalised.
How long documents stay valid
We found no single official rule. Whether a criminal record certificate or other document must be recent depends on the procedure and on the consulate or office handling it. A widely repeated "three months" is not a general rule we could confirm. Ask the specific office, and get the document dated close to your application.
Electronic apostilles
Several countries issue apostilles electronically. The official Spanish pages we read do not say whether Spain accepts another country's e-apostille for a given procedure. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs does say that for diplomatic legalisation it only recognises handwritten signatures, not electronic ones. That statement is about diplomatic legalisation, not apostilles. Confirm with the receiving office before you rely on a digital apostille.
Documents issued in another EU country
Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 exempts certain public documents issued by an EU member state from legalisation or apostille, and provides multilingual standard forms to help with translation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also notes that, within the Regulation's scope, sworn translations by someone authorised under a member state's law are valid without legalisation. It applies only to the documents and matters it covers. If your document is from outside the EU, this section does not apply.
Sources
- Ministry of Inclusion: Sheet 61, legalisation and translation of documents for immigration procedures (last updated May 2025)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Legalización diplomática (includes translation rules)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs: official search of sworn translators and interpreters
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Traducción e interpretación jurada
- HCCH: status table for the 1961 Apostille Convention
Who can do this for you
A translator can produce the sworn translation. Ask for their name, then check it on the list above before you pay. A lawyer can tell you which documents a specific procedure needs and in what form.
This page is general information, not legal advice. It was checked against the sources above on the date shown. Rules differ by procedure and office, so confirm with the office that will receive your documents.