Legalisation and translation of documents

The legalisation of original academic documents [to have effect abroad] is an internationally agreed protocol, which requires prior recognition of signatures by the relevant authorities.

For foreign documents to have effect in Spain it is essential that they are legalised, unless there is an international Agreement, Treaty or Accord that exempts this legalisation.

Documents issued in member states of the European Union or signatories of the Agreement on the European Economic Area or signatories of bilateral agreements with the EU do not need legalisation (only cross-reference the original).

Alemania, Austria, Bélgica, Bulgaria, Chipre, Croacia, Dinamarca, Eslovenia, España, Estonia, Finlandia, Francia, Grecia, Hungría, Irlanda, Islandia, Italia, Letonia, Liechtenstein, Lituania, Luxemburgo, Malta, Noruega, Países Bajos, Polonia, Portugal, República Checa, República Eslovaca, Rumanía, Suecia y Suiza (acuerdo bilateral con la UE)

 Legalisation routes:

1. Documents issued by signatory countries of the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 (Apostille) [updated 05/10/2021]

Albania, Alemania, Andorra, Antigua y Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaiyan, Bahamas, Bahrein, Barbados, Belarus, Bélgica, Belice, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Botswana, Brasil, Brunei-Darusalan, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Chile, China, Chipre, Colombia, Corea del Sur, Costa Rica, Croacia, Dinamarca, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eslovenia, España, EE.UU., Estonia, Eswatini, Fidji, Filipinas, Finlandia, Francia, Georgia, Granada, Grecia, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hong-Kong, Hungría, India, Irlanda, Islandia, Isla Mauricio, Isla Niue, Islas Cook, Islas Marshall, Islas Seychelles, Israel, Italia, Japón, Kazajstán, Kirguistán, Lesotho, Letonia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lituania, Luxemburgo, Macedonia, Malawi, Malta, Marruecos, México, Moldavia, Mónaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Namibia, Nicaragua, Noruega, Nueva Zelanda, Omán, Países Bajos, Panamá, Paraguay, Perú, Polonia, Portugal, Reino Unido e Irlanda del Norte, República Checa, República Dominicana, República Eslovaca, Rumanía, Rusia, Samoa, San Cristóbal y Nieves, San Marino, Santa Lucía, San Vicente y las Granadinas, Santo Tomé y Principe, Serbia, Singapur, Sudáfrica, Suecia, Suiza, Surinam, Tayikistán, Swazilandia, Tonga, Trinidad y Tobago, Túnez, Turquía, Ucrania, Uruguay, Uzbequistán, Vanuatú, y Venezuela.

Extensions:  Países Bajos (Antillas Holandesas), Reino Unido (Jersey, Bailia de Guernesey, Isla de Man, Bermuda, Territorio Antártico Británico, Islas Caimán, Islas Falkland, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Santa Elena, Islas Turks y Caicos, Islas Vírgenes)

The Hague Apostille abolishes the requirement of diplomatic and consular legalisation of public documents originating in one Agreement country and intended to be used in another.

The single legalisation procedure - called apostille - comprises the competent authority in each country placing an apostille or annotation on the public document itself certifying the authenticity of public documents issued in another country.

2. Documents issued in countries that have signed the Andrés Bello Agreement (no stamp required from the Spanish Foreign Office)

 Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Spain and Venezuela.

The documents must be legalised through diplomatic channels, presented successively in:

The Ministry of Education in the country of origin for diplomas and certificates of studies and in the corresponding Ministry for birth certificates and nationality.

1. The Foreign Office of the country where the documents were issued.
2. The Spanish diplomatic or consular representation in that country.

3. Other countries:

Documents are legalised through diplomatic channels, presented successively in:

1. The Ministry of Education in the country of origin for diplomas and certificates of studies and in the corresponding Ministry for birth certificates and nationality.
2. The Foreign Office of the country where these documents were issued (to legalise the documents in point 1).
3. The Spanish diplomatic or consular representation in that country (for recognition of the legalisation signature in point 2).
4. The Legalisations Section of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (for recognition of the signature of point 3). (C/ Pechuán 1, 28002 Madrid. Tel. 91 379 16 55). This procedure is not necessary if the signature is protected by a transparent security sticker.

Documents issued by diplomatic or consular authorities of other countries in Spain must be legalised at the Spanish Foreign Office.

All foreign documents legalised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation as of 10 June 2013 (regardless of the issue date of the document) must come with a transparent security label on their last legalisation signature.

1. From that same date, foreign documents duly legalised by Spanish Embassies or Consulates that include the aforementioned security label will be fully valid in Spain without requiring subsequent legalisation by the Legalisations Section at the Spanish Foreign Office.

Translation of documents

All documents issued in a foreign language other than English or French must be accompanied by a translation into Spanish, which may be done:

At the Language Interpretation Office of the Spanish Foreign Office, C/ Oquendo 11 (Madrid). Tel.: 91 71 11 908.

1. By a sworn translator, duly authorised and registered in Spain. The list can be found here:
2. By UNESCO, the Office of the Ibero-American Centre for Cooperation or any other recognised organisation in Spain.
3. Through diplomatic channels: either at the diplomatic or consular representation in Spain of the requesting country (or, where appropriate, the country from which the document comes) or that of Spain abroad. In either case it must be legalised by the Legalisations Section at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.
4. By an official translator in the country of origin. In this case, the translator's signature must be legalised.