How old can your paperwork be for Spanish offices?

Key rules

• Criminal record certificate: It should be no more than 3 months old on the day you file, unless it states its own validity or your consulate sets a different limit.
• Apostille and translation: Neither has its own expiry; the clock runs from the issue date of the original document.
• Counting date: Age is counted to the day you file, so a later review does not make a document too old.
• Local limits: Consulates and offices can set their own periods, so ask before ordering anything.

Criminal record certificate: 3 months

Your criminal record certificate should be no more than 3 months old on the day you file. If the certificate prints its own validity period, that period applies instead. Some consulates set a different limit, for example 90 days, so check your consulate's list before you order. Nationality applications have their own rules, but the foreign certificate usually also needs to be 3 months old or less.

Birth and marriage certificates: no fixed legal limit, but ask

No fixed maximum age is set for these in residence procedures. In practice, offices and consulates ask for recent copies. Many want a copy issued in the last 3 to 6 months, and some accept up to 1 year. Family reunification and nationality cases are more likely to ask for this.

Certificates that show your current status, such as marital status or no impediment to marriage, face a shorter limit. Expect about 3 months.

Ask your consulate or office for its limit before you order copies. It differs by place and procedure.

Medical certificate for a long-stay visa

Consulates typically accept the certificate only if it was issued within about 3 months before you apply. Some state a different window. The period in your consulate's checklist is the one that counts.

Apostille and sworn translation do not add time

An apostille or sworn translation has no expiry of its own. The age limit counts from the issue date of the original document. An apostille does not make an old document newer. Some consulates also look at the apostille date, so get the apostille and translation soon after the document is issued.

A sworn translation must come from a traductor-intérprete jurado, a translator authorised by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

How the age is counted

Count to the day you file, not to your appointment or the decision date. For a consular visa, that is the day you lodge the application. For a procedure inside Spain, it is the day you file electronically.

The document must be within its limit on that day. It can still be processed if the limit passes while your application is under review.

The checklist, documents list and timeline below help you plan your order dates.

Timeline and deadlines

• Get your apostille and sworn translation soon after the document is issued: soon after issue, because some consulates also look at the apostille date

• Criminal record certificate: file while it is still within its limit: no more than 3 months after issue, on the day you file

• Medical certificate for a long-stay visa: lodge your application: within about 3 months of issue, or the period in your consulate's checklist

• Birth and marriage certificates: file recent copies: usually issued within the last 3 to 6 months or 1 year; status certificates within 3 months

• Your documents are checked against the limit: on the day you lodge or electronically file the application

• Review of your application: after filing; a limit passing during the review does not matter

Documents you need

• Criminal record certificate from your home country, no more than 3 months old on the day you file, unless the certificate states its own validity or your consulate sets a different limit.

• Birth or marriage certificate, recent. Offices often ask for a copy issued within the last 3 to 6 months or 1 year. A certificate showing current status, such as marital status or no impediment, is usually needed within 3 months.

• Medical certificate for a long-stay visa, issued within about 3 months before you apply, or within the period in your consulate's checklist.

• Sworn translation by a translator authorised by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (traductor-intérprete jurado). It has no expiry of its own; the age limit counts from the issue date of the original document.

Checklist

• Check the issue date on your criminal record certificate and make sure it is no more than 3 months before the day you file.

• Look for a validity period printed on the criminal record certificate, because it applies instead.

• Ask your consulate or office for its age limit on birth and marriage certificates before you order copies.

• Check your consulate's checklist for the medical certificate period and make sure the certificate is issued within it.

• Count each document's age to the day you file or lodge the application, not the appointment or decision date.

Confirm each limit with your consulate or office before you order documents.

Frequently asked questions

Does an apostille make my document valid for longer?

No, an apostille does not give your document a new expiry date, because the age limit counts from the issue date of the original document.

What happens if my document passes its age limit while the application is being reviewed?

Nothing changes, because the limit is checked on the day you file, not during the review. For a consulate visa that is the day the application is lodged, and for procedures inside Spain it is the day of electronic filing. The document can still be processed afterwards.

Do birth and marriage certificates have a maximum age?

There is no fixed legal maximum, but offices and consulates usually ask for recent copies, often issued within the last 3 to 6 months or 1 year. Certificates that show your current status, such as marital status or no impediment to marriage, usually need to be about 3 months old or newer.

Which medical certificate age limit applies for a long-stay visa?

Consulates typically accept a medical certificate issued within 3 months before your visa application. If your consulate's checklist states a different period, follow the checklist.