Getting an Apostille in Spain
There are different legalisation procedures in Spain, depending on the country for which you are using the documents.
Use in Other EU States
Spain has an agreement with the other member states of the European Union that exempts most multilingual documents issued in any one member state from legalisation. This means, for example, that if you need your birth certificate (certificado de nacimiento) or marriage certificate (certificado de matrimonio) in Germany or Italy, you don’t need to legalise it. The original certificate is good enough.
Note that, as of 1st January 2021, the U.K. is no longer part of the E.U. However, it is a signatory to the Hague Convention.
Use Outside of the EU
Spain is one of many countries that are signatories to the Hague Convention on the Mutual Recognition of Documents. A simplified legalisation procedure is in place between any two countries that are signatories to the Hague Convention. This involves the use of an apostille (in Spanish, apostilla de la Haya). This article explains how to obtain an apostille in Spain for use in another non-EU country.
Use in a non-Hague country
For any non E.U country that is not a signatory to the Hague Convention, a separate legalisation procedure may be necessary. This depends on the requirements of the foreign country. Legalisation of Spanish documents is a standard procedure which can be used where necessary. This procedure is separate from and administered by a different administrative authority than those that issue apostilles.
What is an Apostille?
An apostille issued in Spain is a simplified legalisation that attests to the authenticity of a document's signature or seal, not its content.
As documents issued in Spain will be in Spanish, it is standard procedure to have them translated by a sworn Spanish translator (traductor jurado) into the language of the country for which the document is needed, if it isn't a Spanish-speaking country. If you are legalising a translation along with the original document, the signature of the sworn translator must also be authenticated by a notary (notario).
When do you need an Apostille?
An apostille is required whenever a government agency or employer must examine a foreign official or legal document. It is important that the document can be easily verified, so most governments and official bodies now require an apostille for each official or legal document requested and issued in a foreign country.
Apostilles cannot be forged because whoever is entrusted with issuing an apostille is required to carefully check each official document, including signatures, seals, and watermarks, to ensure it is genuine. This eliminates the problem that most foreign governments and government agencies face in deciding what is genuine and what is not. In Spain, an apostille may take the form of a certificate, a seal or stamp affixed to the original document, or an authenticated, sworn translation of it.
How to get an apostille in Spain
To get an apostille in Spain, you must authenticate public documents you want to use abroad through the Ministry of Justice, Notarial Associations, or High Courts of Justice.
Step 1: Identify your document type
Confirm whether your document is a civil registry document, such as birth, marriage, death, a judicial document, a notarial document, or an academic/commercial document. The issuing authority for the apostille depends on the document type.
Step 2: Notarise if required
Personal statements, private letters, and some translated documents must be certified by a Notary (notario) before they can be apostilled. Government-issued certificates, such as birth and marriage certificates, do not require prior notarisation.
Step 3: Choose your application method
Spain offers in-person, by post, or online via the Ministry of Justice electronic office (sede electrónica) option for document apostille. The online and in-person options are typically faster, with processing times of a few days to one week.
Step 4: Submit to the correct authority
Depending on your documents, you can obtain an apostille at the Ministry of Justice, the Tribunal Superior de Justicia (TSJ), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC), or the Colegios Notariales.
Ministry of Justice for civil registry and judicial documents
Tribunal Superior de Justicia (TSJ) for some regional documents
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC) for consular and commercial documents
Colegios Notariales for notarial documents.
Step 5: The Apostille is issued free of charge
Unlike many countries, Spain does not charge a government fee for apostilles. Costs arise only for sworn translations, notarial copies, or courier services.
Step 6: Translate if required
If the destination country requires a language other than Spanish, translate the apostilled document after receiving the apostille. If your document requires an apostille, Translayte can assist with certified translations and apostilles to ensure compliance with international requirements. Request a free quote for an apostille and certified translation of your Spanish document.
Which documents need an apostille in Spain?
Who actually provides the apostille?
In Spain, apostilles are provided, at no cost, by the relevant agency, depending on the issuing authority of the document (after prior acknowledgement of the signature for some administrative documents). There are several agencies that issue apostilles. These are listed below.
Central Citizen Service Office of the Ministry of Justice
Government Secretariats of the Superior Courts of Justice and of the cities of Ceuta and Melilla.
Territorial Management of the Ministry of Justice and Delegated Offices of Ceuta and Melilla.
For Public judicial documents issued by the National Court and the Supreme Court, use the Secretaries of Government of the respective courts.
For notary documents and private documents whose signatures have been authenticated before a notary, use the notarial association or a notary delegated to issue apostilles.
Note that it is important to know which agency to send your documents to for signature acknowledgement and apostille issuance, as the procedure is complicated. A full list of agencies is provided (in Spanish) by this Spanish government website.
Requirements for getting an apostille in Spanish
You can either appear in person at one of the government agencies mentioned above with the documents you need an apostille for, together with the acknowledgement of signatures already obtained if necessary, or you can send your documents by post to one of the relevant agencies listed.
Note that this can take considerable time, and you should prepare well in advance if you need to legalise documents for a foreign country that requires an apostille.
Does a Spanish apostille expire?
A Spanish apostille doesn’t have a technical expiry date. It is a permanent authentication of the signature and capacity of the person who signed the document. However, other factors can render a Spanish apostille invalid for use. They include:
Document validity: If the document has a validity period, the apostille is only accepted within that timeline.
Freshness requirement: Some authorities might request an apostille issued within a 3 - 6 months time frame. If that’s the case, an older apostille will be rejected for that application.
Reissued documents: If you obtained an updated copy of the document due to errors in the previous version, you need to apostille the new document.
How much does an apostille cost in Spain?
The cost of getting an apostille in Spain depends on the process and additional services required. Here’s a breakdown of the cost:
Government of Spain apostille fee: Free
Agency apostille fee: from €40 per document
Sworn translation (traductor jurado): €30–€80 per page
Notarial copy / certification (if required): €30–€60 per document.
Courier / postal fees: Variable, depending on service and urgency.
Do I need a certified translation of my apostilled Spanish document?
If you need to submit an apostilled Spanish document to authorities outside Spain, and it is written in Spanish, you must obtain a certified translation. For example, if you are submitting an apostilled Spanish birth certificate to UK authorities, you will need to translate the Spanish birth certificate to English.
UK authorities, such as UK Visas and Immigration, require certified translations for any document not in English or Welsh, even if it is already apostilled.
An apostille confirms that the original document is authentic, but it does not translate the content. A certified translation ensures that officials can read and verify the information contained in the document.
An apostilled translation of a Spanish document typically includes:
A full and accurate translation of the original Spanish document
A translation of the attached apostille
A certification statement confirming the accuracy of the translation
The translator’s full name, signature, and contact details
The date of certification
Providing both the apostille and a certified translation helps ensure that your document is accepted without delays or requests for additional information.
Need a certified translation of your Spanish document? Translayte offers UK-compliant certified translations accepted by authorities such as UK Visas and Immigration, with fast turnaround times and secure online document submission. Request a free quote for a certified translation of your apostilled document.
