Living in Spain

Sheet 61 - Legalization and translation of documents for the processing of proceedings in the field of aliens and immigration

* The content of this page is for guidance only. Only the provisions of the regulations in force at the time of submission of the application are applicable.

Last Updated: May 2025

Index of contents

  • Foreign public documents
  • Basic regulations
  • Requirements for documents to be valid
  • Apostille of the Hague and legalization through diplomatic channels
  • Translation

FOREIGN PUBLIC DOCUMENTS

The current legislation on foreigners and immigration provides for the need to provide various documentation issued by foreign public authorities during the processing of procedures in this field in Spain, so that the competent Spanish authorities can assess the granting or refusal of a residence, residence and work authorization, or stay requested.

BASIC REGULATIONS

  • Law 39/2015, of 1 October, on the Common Administrative Procedure of Public Administrations.
  • Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 on the Elimination of the Requirement of the Legalization of Foreign Public Documents.
  • Instrucción DGI/SGRJ/06/2008, sobre aportación de documentos públicos extranjeros para la tramitación de procedimientos en materia de extranjería e inmigración.


 

REQUIREMENTS FOR DOCUMENTS TO BE VALID

  • Unless there is a Convention, Treaty or Agreement that exempts from legalizing the documents that are required in an administrative procedure in Spain, they will be presented, depending on the country that has issued them, legalized in any of the following ways:
  • Apostilled if the country issuing the document is a party to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, or,
  • Legalized through diplomatic channels, if the country issuing the document is not a party to the Hague Convention.
  • The public document must be translated into Spanish or, in the event that the processing corresponds to bodies based in the territory of an Autonomous Community, they may use the language that is co-official in it.

APOSTILLE OF THE HAGUE AND DIPLOMATIC LEGALIZATION

  • Apostille of the Hague: According to the Hague Convention, the only formality required for documents originating from the States Parties to the Hague Convention is the stamp of the Apostille affixed by the competent authority of the State issuing the document.

Consultation of States Parties to the Hague Convention

  • Legalization through diplomatic channels: this is the procedure for legalizing foreign public documents of States that are not parties to the Hague Convention. The document must be legalized by the corresponding Embassy or Consulate of Spain with jurisdiction in the country in which the document has been issued and contain the signature of legalization of the Embassy or Consulate and the mandatory security label.

TRANSLATION

  • The following translations are valid:
  • Those carried out in Spanish by a Jury Interpreter authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation or those carried out in the co-official language of the Autonomous Community by a Jury Interpreter authorized by that Community.
  • The translations made or reviewed by:


 

  • The Diplomatic Missions or Consular Offices of Spain abroad, which must bear their matching or duly signed translation stamp, and must subsequently pass through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation (Legalization Section) to legalize the translation, or
  • The Diplomatic Missions or Consular Offices of the country of origin of the document in Spain that must be apostilled or legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation (Legalization Section).