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Planning your documents for SpainArticle 1 of 8 · 8 min read

Which documents to gather before you leave for Spain

A complete list of the personal and family documents to gather before you leave for Spain, with a note on which ones are slow or hard to replace once you are abroad. For anyone planning a move, alone or with family.

Key rules

Criminal record: Adults need a certificate from their country of origin and every country they lived in during the previous 5 years.

Medical certificate: You need one for long-stay visas for stays over 6 months, not for most residence procedures inside Spain.

Passport: For a long-stay visa it must be valid for at least the length of the visa.

Originals: Keep original diplomas, transcripts and civil documents, because replacing or apostilling them from abroad is slow.

Start with the documents you cannot easily replace abroad

Gather the originals now, while you are still at home. The slowest to replace from abroad are:

Criminal record certificates, especially from countries that only issue them in person or through a national office.
Birth and marriage certificates, especially from countries with slow civil registries.
Court divorce decrees and certified copies.
Original diplomas and transcripts. Institutions often will not apostille copies.
Professional licences and employment proofs from former employers.
Passports and national ID cards, when your consulate is slow.

An apostille is usually only available from the country that issued the document, so that adds more delay. The checklist below covers the full set, person by person.

Identity documents

Passport. For a long-stay visa it generally must be valid for at least the length of the visa. Many consulates ask for at least one year of validity and blank pages. For a short Schengen stay, it must be under 10 years old and valid at least 3 months beyond your departure.
Photos. Bring recent colour passport-style photos on a white background. The size depends on the form (32x26 mm or 35x45 mm).
National ID card. Bring it if your consulate asks. EU citizens can register with a passport or a national ID card.

Civil status documents

Spanish offices most often ask for these, for each family member who is part of your application:

Birth certificates.
A marriage certificate, or proof of a registered partnership or non-marital union.
A divorce or annulment judgment, if it proves your current status.
A death certificate of a spouse, if you are widowed.

They normally need to come from your country's authority, be apostilled or legalised, and be translated into Spanish by a sworn translator. Some multilingual international-convention forms are exempt from translation.

Criminal record certificates

Adults need one for most long-stay and residence procedures. It must come from your country of origin and from every country where you lived in the previous 5 years, and it must show no convictions for offences under Spanish law. Minors are generally exempt, and EU-citizen family members usually need less. Spain checks its own records itself.

Request these last, so they stay fresh for your filing date. Because they can be slow, start the request early.

Medical certificate

Long-stay visas for stays over 6 months (including work, non-lucrative, student, family reunification and digital nomad) require a medical certificate. It must say you have no diseases with serious public-health consequences. It should be on a doctor's letterhead, signed and dated, and usually apostilled or legalised and translated. Residence procedures inside Spain generally do not need it. Adults do not usually need vaccination records, but schools ask for them for children.

Education and work documents

If you plan to work in a regulated profession or have your qualifications recognised, keep these originals:

Diplomas and degree certificates.
Full academic transcripts.
Professional licences, registration certificates and certificates of good standing.
Employment letters or contracts and payslips that prove your experience.

Credential recognition, professional-body registration and some visas require apostilled originals with sworn translations. Recognition rules differ by profession and are covered on the credentials pages.

Check with your own office

Each procedure and each office sets its exact list. Confirm the current requirements with your consulate, or with the Oficina de Extranjería if you apply in Spain, before you pay for apostilles and translations.

Timeline and deadlines

Check your passport is valid for at least the length of the visa you request, ideally with a year left and blank pages: before you start gathering other documents
Request criminal record certificates from your home country and every country you lived in during the last 5 years: last, so they stay recent on your filing day
Get the medical certificate for a long-stay visa from a doctor: close to your visa application, once the other papers are ready
For a short Schengen stay, check your passport is under 10 years old and valid beyond your departure: at least 3 months after your planned departure date

Documents you need

Valid passport, valid for at least the length of your visa (many consulates ask for at least one year and blank pages), issued by your country's passport authority.
Recent colour passport-style photos on a white background, in the size your form asks for (32x26 mm or 35x45 mm).
Birth certificate for each family member, issued by your country's civil registry, apostilled or legalised, and translated by a sworn translator unless exempt.
Marriage certificate, or proof of a registered partnership, if your spouse or partner is part of the application, apostilled or legalised and sworn-translated.
Divorce or annulment judgment, or death certificate of a spouse, if it proves your current civil status, apostilled or legalised and sworn-translated.
Criminal record certificate for each adult, from your country of origin and every country where you lived in the previous 5 years, showing no convictions under Spanish law.
Medical certificate from a doctor on letterhead, signed and dated, stating you have no diseases with serious public-health risk, for long-stay visas over 6 months, apostilled or legalised and translated if not in Spanish.
Original diplomas, degree certificates and full academic transcripts, apostilled with sworn translations, if you want qualifications recognised or apply for a work-related visa.
Professional licences, certificates of good standing from your professional body, and employment letters or payslips proving experience, if you work in a regulated profession.

Pre-departure document checklist for your household

For each person, check that the passport is valid and keep passport photos ready.
For each person, gather the birth certificate, apostilled and translated if the Spanish office needs it.
For each adult, request the criminal record certificate last, so it stays fresh for your filing date.
For each person, collect your residence papers: NIE or TIE, EU registration certificate, or any residence authorisation resolutions you already hold.
For each person, collect health and Social Security papers: health card (tarjeta sanitaria), Social Security number and work history record (vida laboral).
For each person, gather tax returns and your digital access to the tax agency (Cl@ve or a digital certificate).
For each person, bring the driving licence, private health insurance policy and your personal bank account details.
For each person, gather language and education certificates, plus your work contract or recent payslips.
For each child, get their own birth certificate, passport, vaccination record and school enrolment papers.
For each parent or dependant joining you, gather proof that they depend on you.
Once for the household, gather the rental contract or property deed, and the household certificate from the town hall (volante colectivo, a padrón certificate listing everyone at the address).
Once for the household, collect utility contracts and bills, community of owners papers, and home and car insurance.
Once for the household, gather joint bank account and mortgage papers, and vehicle registration if you bring a car.
If you are married or in a registered partnership, get the marriage or partnership certificate and the family book (libro de familia), which records the family's civil status.
If you are applying for family reunification, prepare one shared proof of income or funds for the household.
Link each shared document to every member who needs it, for example the lease to each person's padrón entry.

Requirements differ by procedure, so check the exact list for your application with the Spanish consulate or the office that will handle it.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a criminal record certificate from every country I have lived in?

Yes, for most long-stay and residence procedures you need a certificate from your country of origin and from every country where you lived during the previous 5 years. It must show no convictions for offences under Spanish law. Children are generally exempt.

Do I need a medical certificate to move to Spain?

Yes, if you apply for a long-stay visa for more than 6 months at a Spanish consulate, you need a signed, dated medical certificate on a doctor's letterhead. It states you have no diseases with serious public-health risk.

How long must my passport be valid for a Spain long-stay visa?

Your passport generally must be valid for at least the length of the visa you request, and many consulates ask for at least one year of validity plus blank pages.

Which documents are hardest to replace once I have left my home country?

Criminal record certificates from countries needing in-person requests, original birth and marriage certificates, divorce decrees and original diplomas are usually the slowest to replace. Apostilles must be requested in the issuing country, which adds delay. Gather these before you leave.