Legalisation and translation of documents issued outside Spain

The process of legalising documents issued outside Spain is subject to different conditions depending on the issuing country:

• EU-member countries or signatory countries to the European Economic Area Agreement: no legalisation is required. Similarly, documents issued in Switzerland do not require legalisation by virtue of a bilateral agreement with the European Union.
• For documents issued in signatory countries to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, the single legalisation or apostille issued by the country's competent authorities is sufficient.
• Documents issued in signatory countries to the Andrés Bello Agreement must be legalised by diplomatic services. Documents should be submitted to:
  1. The Ministry of Education of the student's home country, for degree certificates and transcripts, and the relevant ministry of the home country for birth certificates and certificates of nationality.
  2. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country in which the documents were issued.
  3. The Spanish embassy or consulate in the country in which the documents were issued.

If the country is also a signatory of the Hague Convention, the procedure outlined for those countries may be followed, as it is more straightforward.

• Documents issued in the remaining countries: legalisation by the corresponding diplomatic service. To do so, the documents should be submitted to:
  1. The Ministry of Education of the student's home country, for degree certificates and transcripts, and the relevant Ministry of the home country for birth certificates and certificates of nationality.
  2. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country in which the documents were issued.
  3. The Spanish embassy or consulate in the country in which the documents were issued.

If the documents have been issued by the embassies or consulates of other countries in Spain, they must also be legalised by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.

Translation of documents issued outside Spain

Regulations governing administrative procedures require foreign documents to be accompanied by official translations into Spanish or Catalan. Official translations may be carried out by:

1. A sworn translator registered in Spain.
2. The Spanish embassy or consulate in the foreign country.
3. The embassy or consulate in Spain of the foreign country of which the applicant is a citizen or the foreign country that has issued the document.
4. A sworn translator working in a foreign country whose signature has been duly legalised.