What your embassy or consulate in Spain can do for your paperwork

Key rules

• Check first: Services differ by country and by post, so confirm on your own consulate's website before you go.
• Spanish records: Your consulate cannot issue a Spanish police record; that comes from the Spanish Ministry of Justice.
• Apostille: If your country is in the Hague Apostille Convention, your home authority apostilles your documents, not usually the consulate in Spain.
• Translation: Consulates do not translate; you need a sworn translator for Spanish offices.

What your consulate usually does

Consular services in Spain vary, but most posts cover passports and some certificates. Check your own consulate's website before you plan anything, because the range differs by country and by post.

Typically, an embassy in Madrid or a consulate elsewhere in Spain can:

• Issue or renew passports and emergency travel documents.
• Register births, marriages and deaths in your home country's civil records.
• Issue consular certificates, such as proof of nationality, a certificate of no impediment to marriage, a life certificate or a residence or registration certificate.
• Certify signatures and copies, or handle powers of attorney, at many posts.

Some posts also deal with visas, voter registration and citizenship applications.

Not every post offers the same

Large consulates (Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga, Alicante, Palma, Las Palmas) offer more. Honorary consulates usually offer very little. Some countries have moved passports to central, online or regional processing, so you may have to apply outside Spain or by post. Ask before you travel.

Police certificates

It depends on your country. Some consulates take fingerprints, forward your application or issue the home-country certificate themselves. Others do not issue one at all, and you apply online straight to the authority at home, then get the certificate apostilled. Many EU countries let you apply online to the national registry. Check with your consulate which route applies to you.

A consulate in Spain cannot issue a Spanish police record. That comes from the Spanish Ministry of Justice.

Legalising and apostilling documents

Most consulates legalise or notarise documents for use in their own country, not in Spain. If your country is in the Hague Apostille Convention, your own country's designated authority apostilles your documents, not usually the consulate in Spain. If your country is not in the Convention, your consulate may need to legalise its own country's documents. Some countries have agreements with Spain, or EU rules, that simplify public documents. Ask what applies to your nationality.

For Spanish use, a consulate may still certify signatures, issue consular certificates or take sworn statements.

What a consulate does not do

Consulates do not translate documents for Spanish offices. You need a sworn translator (traductor jurado). Spanish notaries handle notarial acts for use in Spain.

The documents list and the questions below cover what to bring and the most common doubts.

Documents you need

• Passport or emergency travel document, issued or renewed by your embassy or consulate (larger consulates offer more; honorary consulates usually offer very little).

• Consular certificate, such as proof of nationality, certificate of no impediment to marriage, life certificate or registration certificate, if your consulate offers it.

• Home-country police certificate, if your consulate takes fingerprints, forwards the application or issues it. Otherwise apply directly to the authority in your country.

• Apostille on home-country documents, from your country's designated authority if it is in the Hague Apostille Convention. If not, your consulate may legalise the document.

• Sworn translation of your documents by a sworn translator (traductor jurado), because consulates do not handle translation for Spanish use.

Frequently asked questions

Can my consulate in Spain issue a Spanish police certificate?

No, a consulate in Spain cannot issue a Spanish criminal record certificate. That comes from the Spanish Ministry of Justice, through its Registro Central de Penados.

Will my consulate issue my home-country police certificate?

It depends on your country, and some consulates do it while others do not. Some take fingerprints or forward your application, but UK and US residents apply directly to their home authority, then get the result apostilled if needed. Check your own consulate's website before booking.

Can my consulate apostille a document for use in Spain?

Usually no, because a country in the Hague Apostille Convention has its own designated authority for apostilles, not its consulate in Spain. Countries outside the convention often require legalisation by their consulate. For a translation, use a sworn translator (traductor jurado) in Spain.