- An apostille replaces consular legalisation between member countries and certifies the authenticity of the signature, the capacity of the signatory and the seal; it does not check the content of the document (articles 3 and 5 of the Convention) [1].
- As of 30 June 2026, according to the HCCH status table, the convention has 130 contracting parties; Spain has been one since 25 September 1978 [2].
- For immigration procedures, the Ministry of Inclusion (Hoja 61, May 2025) requires an apostille if the document was issued by a member country, and legalisation through a Spanish embassy or consulate if it comes from a non-member country; a translation into Spanish is needed on top [3].
- According to the HCCH, Russia and Belarus have been parties since 31 May 1992, Kazakhstan since 30 January 2001 and Ukraine since 22 December 2003 [2].
- An apostille does not replace a translation and does not determine whether the document is suitable for the procedure: the receiving authority checks its validity period and content [1][3].
What is an apostille?
An apostille is a certificate placed on a document, or on a sheet attached to it, by the competent authority of the state where the document originates. It certifies the authenticity of the signature, the capacity in which the signatory acted and the identity of the seal (article 3 of the Convention of 5 October 1961, Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents) [1]. It is the only formality that may be required instead of legalisation by an embassy or consulate (article 3). The standard form carries the heading “Apostille (Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961)” in French; the rest of the text may be in the language of the issuing authority (article 4) [1].
The Convention applies to public documents: court documents, administrative documents, notarial acts and official certificates placed on private documents. It does not apply to documents executed by diplomatic or consular agents, or to administrative documents dealing directly with commercial or customs operations (article 1) [1]. Each authority keeps a register of apostilles and, on request, verifies whether the details match (article 7) [1].
When do you need an apostille for Spain?
According to the Ministry of Inclusion’s information sheet on legalisation and translation of documents (Hoja 61, last updated May 2025), where there is no convention or agreement exempting the document from legalisation, there are two routes [3].
| Country that issued the document | What is required |
|---|---|
| Party to the Hague Convention | Apostille from the competent authority of the issuing country [3] |
| Not a party | Legalisation through diplomatic channels: Spanish embassy or consulate, signature and security label [3] |
| Any country | Translation into Spanish (or into the second official language of the autonomous community) by a sworn translator appointed by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or another accepted type of translation [3] |
What your particular document needs depends on the procedure and the type of document: for specific cases, see apostille and legalisation of documents for Spain and apostille on degrees and certificates.
What is the position of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan?
The data below come from the Convention status table on the HCCH website, updated on 30 June 2026, and from each country’s declarations page [2][4][5][6].
| Country | Type of participation | In force since | Declarations in the HCCH register |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russia | Succession | 31.05.1992 | On continuing the obligations of the USSR, on the competent authority for military archive documents, a response to Ukraine’s 2015 declaration [4] |
| Belarus | Succession | 31.05.1992 | None listed [2] |
| Kazakhstan | Accession | 30.01.2001 | On the format and language of the apostille stamp [6] |
| Ukraine | Accession | 22.12.2003 | Declarations of 2022 and 2023: the convention applies in full, except in areas of hostilities and temporarily occupied territories [5] |
The table shows no objections to the accession of Ukraine or Kazakhstan [2]. For documents from the territories covered by Ukraine’s declaration, check the procedure separately with a lawyer: we have not found any official guidance for Spanish procedures. Which authorities issue apostilles in each country is listed on the HCCH “Authorities” page [2].
What does an apostille not do?
It does not translate the document and does not replace a sworn translation: Hoja 61 lists the accepted types of translation separately [3]. It does not confirm that the content of the document is correct and suitable for the procedure: an apostille certifies the signature, the capacity of the signatory and the seal (article 5 of the Convention) [1]. How recent a certificate must be is set by the procedure, not by the apostille: a fresh stamp does not make an old certificate current.
Errors in the original document cannot be fixed through the translator: first the authority that issued the document corrects it, then the apostille is added, then the translation is done. We cover the “original, apostille, translation” order in the article on sworn translation.
How to get an apostille: procedure
- Work out which group the document belongs to: court, administrative, notarial or official certificate (article 1) [1].
- Check the issuing country in the HCCH table: party or not [2].
- Request the apostille from the authority designated by that country under article 6; the HCCH lists it [1][2].
- If in doubt, ask the authority to check the apostille against its register (article 7) [1].
- Order a translation of the apostilled document from a sworn translator [3].
- Check the document’s validity period against the requirements of your procedure.
What to change in this order depends on the case. Whether you need an apostille on Russian documents is covered in the article on Russian documents, and the general question of whether you need one at all is discussed in do you need an apostille. We prepare the file for submission as part of our document services; the procedure for each residence permit route is set out on the page Residence permit in Barcelona.
Frequently asked questions
What is an apostille, in simple terms?
Do documents from Russia need an apostille for Spain?
What if the country is not a party to the Hague Convention?
Does an apostille replace a translation?
Does an apostille expire?
Official sources
- HCCH · Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (full text) ↗
- HCCH · Status table, Convention No 12 (updated 30.06.2026) ↗
- Ministerio de Inclusión · Hoja 61: legalización y traducción de documentos (May 2025) ↗
- HCCH · Declarations of the Russian Federation, Convention No 12 ↗
- HCCH · Declarations of Ukraine, Convention No 12 ↗
- HCCH · Declarations of Kazakhstan, Convention No 12 ↗
Sources reviewed on 02.10.2026. Consolidated texts and government reference pages are for information only: applying the law depends on official publications, amendments and the specific circumstances. Reviewed by lawyer Francisco Romero Jiménez (ICAB 33641) on 21.10.2026.
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ReloVictory · Sources reviewed 02.10.2026 · Not a substitute for individual legal advice.