What is a legalization of documents?
Patrick2024-10-09T05:06:43+00:00Legalisation of documents is a necessary process for foreign and Spanish citizens to be able to carry out certain procedures in Spain. This article indicates what it consists of and its requirements.
What is a legalization of documents?
A legalisation of documents basically consists of Spain accepting as its own documents signed, issued and validated in another country.
This is especially important in immigration matters, but also to validate civil status or even to buy a home or pay taxes.
This is considered an administrative act, but it should be noted that some documents are exempt in countries of the European Union.
Basically, notarial acts, jurisdictional documents from other States of the European Union, administrative or diplomatic documents.
In addition, there are some agreements that would also exempt other types of documents, especially in the bilateral sphere.
What happens?
For example, to validate a marriage certificate, a driving licence or a certificate of studies, this legalisation may be necessary because, otherwise, it will not be valid in Spain.
To see if it affects you, you will have to consult the assumptions indicated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Requirements for legalizing documents
It is true that, in recent years, the requirements for legalising documents have been simplified because numerous agreements have been signed.
Basically, what will always be sought is to authenticate the signatures to verify that they are valid.
And it should be noted that the process of legalising a document has no expiry date.
Let’s see what the main ways are:
Hague Apostille
The so-called Hague Apostille is, in fact, a common seal accepted by the vast majority of sovereign States.
In Spain, the College of Notaries also accepts it and, with this, a foreign document could be validated. If the country of origin certifies the validity, it would be enough.
It is estimated that more than 120 countries have already ratified it, but there are still several that have not.
The main advantage is that the procedures are accelerated, and much, compared to other legalisations.
In addition, there are two types of documents that cannot be apostilled under any circumstances: those issued by officials of diplomatic or consular representations and commercial or customs documents.
Standard legalisation
If the document does not come from a country that applies the Hague Apostille, this is the process to follow.
This will involve, first, a notarial protocol, then a consultation with the authorities of the country of origin and, subsequently, a sworn translation.
However, the number of steps will depend, fundamentally, on the document, but also on the country of origin.
A marriage certificate, a last will certificate or one to recognise work abroad have different processes, depending on each case.
For this reason, it is so important to know what agreements the Kingdom of Spain has established in these cases.
In summary...
Legalization of documents is necessary for many procedures, so it is important to know when you need it and also what the process is.
At the Orihuela Costa Consultancy we help you take the steps so that you do not have problems. Contact us without obligation and we will inform you!