Criminal record certificate Spain accepts for visa approval
- Nearly all Spanish long-stay visas require a criminal record certificate covering the applicant’s countries of residence over the past five years.
- UK applicants use the ACRO police certificate, which must be apostilled by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
- The certificate must then be translated by a sworn translator accredited by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Spanish consulates generally reject certificates older than 90 days at the date of application, and never older than six months.
- Applicants for Spanish nationality also need a criminal record certificate Spain from the Ministry of Justice.
- Minors under 18 are exempt from the requirement.
- Errors in legalisation and translation are among the most common causes of visa refusals.
What criminal record certificate Spain require
Spanish immigration law asks one recurring question of every adult who wants to live in Spain: Can you prove you have no relevant criminal history?
The answer takes the form of a criminal record certificate Spain, and preparing it correctly involves three separate steps that many applicants underestimate.
This guide explains when a criminal record certificate for Spain is required, how to obtain one in the UK and other countries, and how the apostille, sworn translation and validity rules work in practice.
Why does Spain require a criminal record certificate
The requirement comes from Organic Law 4/2000 and the Immigration Regulation approved by Royal Decree 1155/2024, in force since 20 May 2025.
Long-stay applicants must show they have no criminal record for offences recognised under Spanish law, in Spain and in their countries of residence during the previous five years.
The rule protects public order and is applied strictly, so an incomplete or incorrectly legalised certificate is treated as a missing document.
Consulates and immigration offices have no discretion to waive the requirement for adult applicants.
More than 400,000 UK nationals are registered as residents in Spain according to INE data, and almost every one of them presented a criminal record certificate at some stage of their immigration journey.
Which Spanish visas and procedures require it
The criminal record certificate Spain is required for practically every long-stay route.
- Non-lucrative visa applications, as explained in our guide to getting a Spanish non-lucrative visa approved.
- The Digital Nomad Visa is covered in our Digital Nomad Visa guide for UK citizens.
- Work and residence permits for employees and the self-employed.
- Student stays exceeding 180 days.
- Entrepreneur and investor authorisations.
- Family reunification applications for adult family members are described in our guide to family reunification in Spain.
- Spanish nationality applications, which additionally require a Spanish certificate.
Short stays under the Schengen rules do not require a certificate, and neither do children under 18.
Applicants comparing the different long-stay options can review the main pathways to residency in Spain before assembling their documents.
Obtaining the certificate in the UK and other countries
United Kingdom: the ACRO police certificate
UK applicants must obtain a police certificate from the ACRO Criminal Records Office, not a basic DBS check.
ACRO certificates state whether the applicant has convictions and are the document that Spanish consulates in the UK expect.
Applications are made online with identity documents and a passport photograph, and details are published on the UK government website.
ACRO’s standard service issues police certificates in around ten working days, while the premium service reduces this to two working days for a higher fee.
United States and other countries
US applicants use the FBI Identity History Summary, apostilled by the US Department of State.
Irish applicants request a police certificate from the Garda Síochána, and Australians use the AFP national police check.
Anyone who has lived in several countries during the past five years needs a certificate from each of them.
| Country | Issuing authority | Document | Legalisation |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | ACRO Criminal Records Office | Police certificate | Apostille by the FCDO |
| United States | FBI | Identity History Summary | Apostille by the Department of State |
| Ireland | Garda Síochána | Police certificate | Apostille by the Department of Foreign Affairs |
| Australia | Australian Federal Police | National police check | Apostille by DFAT |
Apostille and legalisation of the certificate
A foreign public document has no effect in Spain until it is legalised.
For countries party to the Hague Convention, legalisation takes the simplified form of an apostille attached by the designated authority of the issuing state.
In the UK, the apostille is issued by the Legalisation Office of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Documents from countries outside the Hague system require consular legalisation instead, which takes longer and involves several authorities.
More than 120 states are party to the Hague Apostille Convention, which means the vast majority of applicants can use the single-stamp apostille route rather than full consular legalisation.
Sworn translation into Spanish
Once apostilled, the certificate and the apostille itself must be translated into Spanish by a traductor jurado accredited by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ordinary or certified agency translations are not accepted.
The sworn translator’s stamp and signature give the translation official status before every Spanish authority.
The complete sequence of legalisation and translation is examined in detail in our guide to apostilles and sworn translations for UK documents.
A frequent and fatal error is translating the certificate but not the apostille page, which leads consulates to treat the document as incomplete.
Our immigration law team in Valencia coordinates certificates, apostilles and sworn translations as a single managed process.
Validity periods and timing your application
Spanish authorities apply strict recency rules to the criminal record certificate Spain.
As a general rule, the certificate must be less than 90 days old when the application is filed, and certificates older than six months are rejected outright.
The clock runs from the issue date of the certificate, not from the apostille or the translation.
Applicants should therefore sequence their file so that slower documents are requested first, and the certificate is requested last.
Spanish criminal record certificates for nationality
Foreign residents applying for Spanish nationality need two certificates rather than one.
Alongside the certificate from their country of origin, they must present the Spanish certificado de antecedentes penales issued by the Ministry of Justice.
The Spanish certificate can be requested online with a digital certificate, in person or by post, and residents on the path to citizenship should factor it into their planning, together with the residence periods described in our guide to long-term residence and the route to citizenship.
Common mistakes with the criminal record certificate Spain
- Ordering a basic DBS check instead of the ACRO police certificate.
- Requesting the certificate too early, so it expires before the visa appointment.
- Forgetting certificates from other countries of residence during the past five years.
- Obtaining the apostille but skipping the sworn translation, or translating without a sworn translator.
- Leaving the apostille page untranslated.
- Assuming minor or spent convictions need no legal analysis before applying.
Applicants with any conviction history should seek legal advice before filing, because Spanish law assesses foreign offences against its own criminal categories.
How Delaguía y Luzón can assist with your certificate
Delaguía y Luzón Abogados has guided international clients through Spanish immigration procedures from Valencia since 1960.
Our team identifies exactly which certificates each family member needs, sequences the requests so that nothing expires, and manages apostilles and sworn translations with accredited professionals.
Where a client has a past conviction, we analyse its treatment under Spanish law before any application is filed.
We work in English, French, Spanish, German and Russian, and around 90% of our clients are international.
Speak to our immigration team in Valencia
Contact our legal team for personalised guidance on your visa documents and criminal record certificates.
Email: felix.delaguia@delaguialuzon.com
Phone: +34 963 74 16 57
Office: Avinguda Regne de Valencia, 6, 1º-2º, 46005 Valencia
FAQs about the criminal record Spain certificate
Which Spanish visas require a criminal record certificate?
All long-stay routes require it, including the non-lucrative visa, the Digital Nomad Visa, work permits, entrepreneur visas and student stays over 180 days.
Is a UK DBS check accepted for Spanish visas?
No, Spanish consulates require the ACRO police certificate, and a DBS check will be rejected.
How recent must the certificate be?
It should be under 90 days old when you apply, and certificates older than six months are not accepted.
Do I need certificates from every country I have lived in?
Yes, you need a criminal record certificate from each country where you resided during the past five years.
Does the apostille also need to be translated?
Yes, the sworn translation must cover the certificate and the apostille page together.
Who can translate the certificate for Spain?
Only a sworn translator accredited by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, whose stamp gives the translation official status.
Do children need a criminal record certificate?
No, applicants under 18 are exempt.
What if I have a spent or minor conviction?
Seek legal advice first, because Spanish authorities assess the foreign offence against Spanish criminal categories and outcomes vary case by case.
Do I need a Spanish certificate as well for nationality?
Yes, nationality applicants present both their foreign certificate and the Spanish certificado de antecedentes penales from the Ministry of Justice.
How long does the whole process take?
Allow four to eight weeks for certificate, apostille and sworn translation combined, longer for non-Hague countries requiring consular legalisation.
