Apostille, legalisation and sworn translation for Spain

Apostille and legalisation: how they differ

Both formalities answer one question: do the signature and seal on the document really belong to the authority that issued it? An apostille does this with a single stamp. It is affixed by the competent authority of the country where the document was issued, and nothing more may be required (Article 3 of the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961) [3]. Legalisation through diplomatic channels works as a chain: first the foreign ministry of the issuing country certifies the signature, then the Spanish mission whose consular district covers the place of issue [2].

For immigration matters the Ministry of Inclusion puts it this way: the document is submitted with an apostille if the issuing country is party to the convention, or legalised at a Spanish embassy or consulate with a signature and security label if it is not. The exception is where a convention or treaty exempts the document from legalisation [1]. For filing with the UGE (Unidad de Grandes Empresas, the ministry unit that handles applications under Ley 14/2013), its guidance note for the application says the same: public documents from foreign authorities must be legalised or apostilled [5].

Neither the apostille nor legalisation vouches for the content: the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs states plainly that legalisation does not mean responsibility for the content or further use of the document [2]. This matters when you expect the stamp to “settle” the question of how recent a certificate is or whether its entries are correct. It does not.

How to choose: three questions for each document

There is no single instruction to “apostille everything”. The decision is made for each document separately, based on three questions.

The convention does not apply to documents executed by diplomatic or consular agents or to administrative documents dealing with commercial or customs operations (Article 1) [3]. Consular certificates, for example of nationality, residence or good conduct, are classed by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs as consular documents: they are legalised by the Servicio de Legalizaciones in Madrid, not apostilled [2].

Check the country against the list as of your filing date. A state’s accession has effect only in relations with those parties that have not raised an objection (Article 12 of the convention) [3]. For Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and a number of other CIS countries, the Spanish Ministry of Justice list shows no notes on problems, but it is best to open the current version for each country [4]. More on the stamp itself and the status of countries: what an apostille is and whether your document needs an apostille.

Which documents get apostilled in practice

The table shows the logic using Russian documents as an example. The authority that affixes the apostille in Russia is set by the list approved by Government Resolution No. 479 of 30.05.2016 [6]. For other countries the scheme is the same; only the authorities change.

Separate articles cover the most common cases: apostille on Russian documents, diplomas and marriage and birth certificates, criminal record certificate from Russia.

What cannot be apostilled or legalised

The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs rules on legalisation show what is most often rejected. Only originals, or certified copies issued by the same authority as the original, with a handwritten signature, are legalised. Electronic signatures are not recognised for diplomatic legalisation. Photocopies and laminated documents are not legalised, nor are documents without the full chain of signatures, documents expired under Spanish rules, or documents that have been altered or damaged so that the essential parts cannot be read [2].

These are the rules for legalisation, not for the apostille. We found no official clarification of how Spanish authorities accept Russian certificates with an electronic signature from online accounts, or electronic apostilles. If your document exists only in electronic form, check the required format before ordering, not after a refusal.

In what order to prepare the document

The order matters: a mistake at the first step carries through all the others.

1. Identify the procedure and the authority the document is submitted to: a consulate, the UGE, an oficina de extranjería. The requirements for the type, age and translation of documents are set there.
2. Check the document itself: names, dates, seals, reverse sides. A mistake is corrected by the authority that issued the act. The translator has no right to correct it.
3. Determine the regime: is the document public, is the country a party, is there an exception.
4. Get the apostille or complete legalisation on the original or on a notarised copy.
5. Order a translation of the whole set, including the stamp and attachments. A translation by a sworn translator appointed by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is accepted, and for procedures in Catalonia also a translation into Catalan by a translator appointed by the community [1]. More: sworn translation for Spain.
6. Check the date against the requirements of the procedure and keep the apostilled originals in the same folder as the translations.

If the translation was done before the apostille, the stamp will have to be translated separately, and the translator may ask to redo the set. So: apostille first, then translation. Agree this with the translator before ordering.

Document validity and apostille validity

The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that legalisation has no expiry date. But if the document itself has a validity period, legalisation does not extend it [2]. The same logic applies to the apostille: it certifies the signature and seal at the time of issue, not that the content is up to date.

The practical conclusion: a criminal record certificate, extracts and dated certificates are not ordered a year before filing. The UGE guidance note on the DNV does not state a maximum age for certificates, and the Spanish consulate in Moscow does not state one in the note cited either [5][7]. Check the type of document against your consulate’s checklist and leave time in reserve: the apostille, translation and appointment for filing take weeks, and a requerimiento can easily come up along the way.

And if the document is Spanish and needed abroad

The mirror situation: a Spanish document is needed in another country. In Spain the apostille is affixed by the Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes. If the destination country is not party to the convention, the document first goes through the preliminary steps required for its type (for example, the Colegio Notarial for notarial documents), then the Servicio de Legalizaciones of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after which it is legalised by the mission of the destination country [2]. Legalisation at the Servicio de Legalizaciones itself is free. Spanish consulates abroad charge a consular fee for it [2].

Common mistakes

• Apostille on a scan or photocopy. The stamp is affixed to the original or to a notarised copy [2][6].
• Apostille on a private document. An employer’s letter is not certified with an apostille; whether a notarised signature is needed depends on what the specific authority requires [5].
• The wrong authority in Russia. For criminal records it is the MVD, for ZAGS the regional authority, for a diploma the authority that certifies education documents. The Ministry of Justice apostilles the other official documents [6].
• Translation before the apostille or without the stamp. The whole set is translated, including the certifications [1][2].
• Correcting a mistake through the translator. The issuing authority corrects it, then the apostille, then the translation.
• Consular documents. A consular certificate is not apostilled; it is legalised by the Servicio de Legalizaciones [2].
• An old document with a new stamp. A recent apostille does not make an old certificate current [2].

When you need an individual review

A review is needed when the set mixes documents from different countries, when a document was issued in a region where the authority’s status is disputed, when it exists only in electronic form, or when you are not sure whether your act falls under the exceptions for Registro Civil certificates or the EU regulation. There is no general answer for such cases: the authority may require more or less than the general rule suggests. Checking the set before ordering the apostille costs less than redoing it after a requerimiento. How to respond to a request from the authority if one has already arrived: requerimiento and subsanación.

How we can help

The ReloVictory team reviews the document set for a specific procedure: it works out which acts are public, which countries require an apostille, in what order to order the apostille and translation, and puts together the folder for filing. The cost of case handling is calculated individually by quote; government fees and translations are paid separately. About document work in general: the “Documents” service.

Frequently asked questions

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ReloVictory · Sources reviewed 02.10.2026 · Not a substitute for individual legal advice.