Use this comprehensive checklist to manage your apostille process from start to finish.
Identify all documents you need for your Spanish purpose (visa, property, marriage, etc.)
For each document, determine: Do you have the original? Is it in apostille-ready condition?
Order any documents you do not have (GRO, ACRO, university registry, etc.)
Check the validity requirements of the specific Spanish authority for each document
Calculate your overall timeline working backward from your Spanish deadline
Decide: DIY or agent? Identify an agent if using one
Determine if any documents need notarisation before apostilling
Book a notary appointment if needed
Identify a sworn Spanish translator (jurado) for the translation stage
Collect all original documents to be apostilled
Prepare covering letter listing all documents and fee calculation
Calculate total fee (£30 per document as of recent rates verify current fee)
Prepare payment (card details, cheque, or postal order)
Prepare a prepaid, tracked return envelope
Use tracked, signed-for posting to send documents to FCDO
Note the reference numbers and tracking information
Set a diary reminder to follow up if you have not heard back within 15 working days
Check all apostilled documents on receipt verify apostille information is correct
Scan/photograph all apostilled documents for your records
Submit to sworn translator for Spanish translation
Keep apostilled originals and certified translations together as packages
Check translations are by a Spanish-Ministry-certified jurado translator
Submit complete packages (apostilled original + sworn translation) to Spanish authority
Recommended Resources
For the most current and authoritative information, always consult:
GOV.UK : FCDO Legalisation: https://www.gov.uk/get-document-legalisedThe official UK government page for apostilles and legalisation. Always check here for current fees, processing times, and submission requirements.
Hague Conference on Private International Law: www.hcch.netThe international treaty organisation behind the apostille convention. The e-Register for verifying apostilles is accessible through their website.
General Register Office: www.gro.gov.ukFor ordering certified copies of birth, marriage, and death certificates for England and Wales.
ACRO Criminal Records Office: www.acro.police.ukFor ACRO International Police Certificates.
Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs: exteriores.gob.esFor sworn translator lists and Spanish consulate information.
Most people who go through the UK apostille process for Spain encounter at least one delay they could have avoided. Not because the process is unreliable, but because one step depends on another and the bottleneck is rarely where you expect it.
The most common delay point is not the FCDO their processing is generally predictable. The most common delay is ACRO. The ACRO criminal record certificate is required for virtually every Spain visa, and ACRO's standard processing time of 10–20 working days is a firm floor, not a guideline. During busy periods, it stretches further. Add postage time to the FCDO and back, then translation, and you are looking at 6–8 weeks minimum for just this one document.
If you are working to a Spanish consulate appointment, a property completion date, or a university enrollment deadline: apply to ACRO first. Before anything else. Order the ACRO certificate on day one. Then work on the rest of your documents while it processes.
That one sequencing decision is the difference between hitting your deadline with a week to spare and scrambling at the last minute.
There is no expiry date on apostilles under the Hague Convention itself. However, many Spanish authorities impose their own validity requirements. The Spanish consulate typically requires criminal record certificates to be no more than 3 months old at the time of visa application. Some other documents may have 6-month windows. The apostilled document should be obtained as close to your actual submission date as reasonably possible. Always check the specific requirements of the Spanish authority you are submitting to.
No. Apostilles are required for documents issued in the UK (or other non-EU countries) that need to be used in Spain. Documents already issued by Spanish authorities, or EU-format documents issued by other EU member states, have different authentication pathways. However, UK documents including documents of UK nationals with dual citizenship need apostilles for use in Spain.
No. The FCDO only apostilles original documents or certified copies. Scans and photocopies cannot be apostilled. You need the actual physical document bearing the original signature and/or seal of the issuing authority.
Yes, in most cases old certificates can be apostilled provided the FCDO can verify the signature or seal. For very old documents, the signatory may no longer be in the FCDO's register. If your old certificate cannot be apostilled, you can order a new certified copy of the original entry from the GRO, which will bear a current registrar's signature that the FCDO can verify.
Yes. Each physical document needs its own apostille. An apostille attaches to a specific document instance. If you need multiple copies of the same document for different Spanish purposes, you will need to obtain multiple originals and have each one separately apostilled.
Yes. Spain operates a unified national system, and apostilles issued by the FCDO are valid throughout Spain, including in autonomous communities like Catalonia, the Basque Country, and Galicia, even those with co-official regional languages. We discuss regional considerations in more detail in Section 18.
Check with the specific Spanish university. Many Spanish universities require the original apostilled degree certificate, not a certified copy. Some, particularly for postgraduate admissions processes, may accept a certified copy. Universities vary in their requirements, so always check in advance before sending your original degree certificate.
A UK driving licence is not a public document in the Hague Convention sense, and the process of converting a UK driving licence to a Spanish one does not involve an apostille of the driving licence itself. The conversion process has its own requirements, which may include other documentation. You should check current requirements with the Spanish DGT (Dirección General de Tráfico) or a specialist adviser, as the rules post-Brexit have been evolving.
If your birth was registered in a foreign country, the birth certificate from that country would need to be apostilled by that country's competent authority. If your birth is also registered in the UK (through the Consular Registration service), you can obtain a certificate from the FCDO's consular records, which can then be apostilled. This is a specialist area and you may want to contact the FCDO directly.
Only civilly registered marriages have official certificates that can be apostilled. A nikah ceremony that was not also registered as a civil marriage would not have a registerable certificate from a UK public authority. If your marriage is not registered in the UK civil register, you may need to consult a specialist about what documentation is available and recognised in Spain.
The FCDO can apostille documents in Welsh as Welsh is an official language in Wales and documents issued by Welsh public authorities may be in Welsh or bilingual Welsh-English. The apostille itself will confirm authenticity. However, for Spanish official use, you will need a sworn translation into Spanish. The translator may need to translate from Welsh (or from the English version if the document is bilingual).
Yes. You can submit multiple documents in one postal application. Each document requires its own fee, but you can include them all in one envelope with a single covering letter. Make sure your covering letter lists all documents included and the total fee payment covers all documents.
If the FCDO cannot apostille a document, they will return it to you with an explanation. The most common reasons for rejection are: the signature or seal cannot be verified (in which case you may need to notarise the document or obtain a new version), the document is a photocopy, the document is in poor physical condition, or there is insufficient payment. Read the explanation carefully and address the specific issue before resubmitting.
Yes. There is no requirement for you to submit documents in person. You can authorise a friend, family member, solicitor, or agent to submit on your behalf. Many people living outside the UK use UK-based friends or professionals to handle their FCDO submissions.
This is a very common situation and entirely manageable. You can order UK civil registration certificates online from the GRO. You can engage a UK apostille agent who will receive documents sent from Spain (or arrange for documents to be ordered directly on your behalf) and submit them to the FCDO. Some agents can handle the entire process entirely remotely. For documents requiring notarisation, you may need to visit the UK temporarily or use the services of a Spanish notary to authenticate UK-signed documents under certain conditions.
No. The apostille is attached to the document but does not change or certify the content. It only certifies the origin and authenticity of the document that it was issued by the authority it purports to be from. If your birth certificate contains an error, the apostille does not cure the error.
If the translation was prepared by a UK notary (as part of a bilingual document or as a notarised translation), the notarised translation can be apostilled. However, for Spanish official use, you would still need a sworn translator with Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs authorisation to certify the translation. Ask your notary about this before proceeding.
It depends on your circumstances. For a single, simple document where you are not rushed, the DIY postal route is straightforward and saves the agent fee. For urgent applications, complex packages, or if you are outside the UK, an agent provides genuine value. The typical agent fee of £25-75 per document is modest compared to the cost of a missed deadline or a rejected application.
There is no specific statutory regulation of apostille agents in the UK. This means the market includes both highly reputable professional services and some less reliable operators. Do your due diligence: check for established companies with verifiable track records, professional memberships, and transparent pricing. Agents who are also solicitors or notaries are subject to professional regulation.
UK notary fees reflect the specialised qualification, training, and international responsibility of the role. Notaries are highly trained in international document law and take on legal responsibility for their certifications. Their fees also reflect the relatively low volume of notarial work compared to general legal practice, and the overhead of maintaining the professional infrastructure required. While fees can seem high, they are proportionate for the international legal certainty they provide.
In common Spanish usage, legalizacion of a foreign document often refers to the apostille process. An FCDO apostille is the correct response to this request. If the Spanish lawyer specifically means something else (for example, consular legalisation from a non-Hague country), they should clarify. In the UK-Spain context, an FCDO apostille is what is required.
Spanish notaries (notarios) are independent public officials who authenticate documents and perform conveyancing and other legal functions. When dealing with UK documents, they should and do require apostilles as proof of authenticity. A reputable Spanish notary will not accept an unapostilled foreign document as proven authentic.
The Spanish Consulate in the UK does not issue apostilles on UK documents (only the FCDO does). The Spanish Consulate's role is to process visa and other applications submitted by UK nationals. They will tell you what documents they need (including apostilled documents) but they do not participate in the apostille issuance process. They can, however, issue Spanish apostilles on Spanish documents issued in the UK.
First, establish clearly why the document was rejected. Common reasons include: expired validity, missing translation, incorrect document type, or a question about the apostille itself. If the apostille's validity is questioned, ask the Spanish authority to verify it through the Hague Conference's online verification portal. If the issue is a translation, arrange for a sworn translation. If the issue is the document type, you may need to obtain a different version.
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