Criminal record certificate from Argentina for a Spanish nationality file: who issues it and how long it stays valid
What the official pages of Argentina and of Spain say about the criminal record certificate: who issues it, how to ask for it from Spain, cost and time where they are stated, and how long it counts for your file, with a source under every line. Reading this page is free.
Validity clock: your dates, worked out
Type a date you already have and read the date it leads to, with the official rule beside it. Nothing is stored or sent: the calculation runs in your browser. Add a date to your calendar with a reminder.
How we count
Months and years end on the same day number, or on the last day of the month if there is no such day; they start the day after the date you give. A deadline that ends on a weekend moves to the next working day. Document validity is not moved: the date shown is the last day it stays valid, even on a weekend. Days are working days unless a law says otherwise.
Where is my file? With your application number, follow it on the Ministry's website: Ministry of Justice: nationality by residence
Payment received. The link to your File Pack is on its way to your email. Did not arrive? Ask for the link again
The payment was cancelled. Nothing was charged.
The File Pack: your file in one workspace
Your documents with their dates, the order to ask for them, every deadline in one calendar file, two letters already drafted and twenty-five checks before you file. It uses the same sourced rules as this page, organised for your own file.
- A tracker for each document, with a check of whether it will still count on your filing day
- The order to ask for each document, with the dates that can already be worked out
- One calendar file with every date you fill in, and reminders
- Two letters already drafted: asking for the state of your file and answering a requirement, with the last day to answer
- Twenty-five checks before you file, and nine questions to ask before you pay a lawyer
- In English, Spanish, French and Arabic. What you type stays in your browser.
€29.00, one payment. No subscription. Access for 800 days from payment.
You pay on Stripe. The link to your File Pack arrives by email.
Ask for a refund within 14 days of payment and you get your money back, no reason needed. Refund terms
You submit your file yourself on the Ministry's site; the File Pack shows each document and each step, with the official source beside it.
In short
- Criminal record: The RNR, Argentina's national criminal records registry, issues the certificate, online or at an authorised office; its pages give 5 working days of validity, counted from different moments.
Each line sums up a section below. The sources are in that section.
Last checked: 19 October 2026. Check the official page: sede.mjusticia.gob.es.
CiviqPass is an independent service.
1. Criminal record certificate
The Registro Nacional de Reincidencia (RNR, the national registry of criminal records) says on its page that it centralises the information on criminal proceedings in any jurisdiction of the country and certifies criminal records.[1] Spain's order lists Argentina among the federal states for which the certificate must cover the whole country, not only one federated state.[2]
The RNR's page lists these ways to apply: a Mi Argentina user, a Banelco card in your name, an ARCA tax key (clave fiscal) of level 2 or above, or a Social Security (ANSES) key.[3] For the Banelco card, it says only cards issued by a bank in Argentina count.[4] It says that if you have none of these, you must apply in person at an authorised office.[5]
The page offers delivery in 1 hour for $8500 if you apply on a working day between 8:00 and 17:00, or in 5 days for $1000 if you apply on a working day between 8:00 and 18:00, among its options.[6][7] It says these amounts are for offices in Argentina and that, at an embassy or consulate, you should ask there for the amount and the payment method.[8]
For people abroad, the RNR page says that if you do the procedure outside the country you get the contact details of the Argentine embassy or consulate.[9] A page of the Argentine consulate in Santiago de Chile lists three ways to request the certificate from abroad: the UER system, remotely, and "por mandatario" (through an agent).[10] That is a Chilean consulate's page and the Madrid page lists two ways only: ask your consulate whether the agent route is available.
The Argentine consulate general in Madrid says certificates issued by the RNR can be requested in two ways, one of them in person at the consulate general with a prior appointment.[11] For this way it says you must live in the consulate's district.[12] It recommends the online way if you meet the requirements.[13] We read only the Madrid consulate's pages: ask the consulate for your district.
Validity. The RNR's service page prints a validity of 5 working days from when you received the certificate, and adds that you should check with the body where you will present it.[14] The RNR's FAQ says the legal period is 5 working days from when it issued the certificate.[15] The two pages count from different moments. Spain's order says that all documents must be in force when you apply, that a certificate's validity is judged by the period stated on the document itself, and that a criminal record certificate with no stated validity counts for six months from issue.[16][17][18] We found no official page saying whether the 5-day validity is printed on the certificate itself, or how Spanish authorities treat it: ask the registry.
Separately, the RNR's home page says that once you have obtained the certificate you can download it as many times as you need during 90 days.[19] Its FAQ says this is 90 calendar days from the date the certificate was issued.[20] We found no official text that treats this as a validity period.
Spain asks for the criminal record certificate of the country of origin, legalised and translated.[21] Its order says that, as a general rule, it must be issued by the competent body of the country of origin.[22]
Sources (22)
Next steps
When to see a lawyer
- A document is refused and you do not know why.
- Your names are spelled differently in your documents.
- A required document cannot be obtained.
- You are near a deadline.
These are general triggers, not an assessment of your case. A lawyer should confirm what applies to you. CiviqPass does not name or recommend a lawyer.
The nationality file, step by step
Years to Spanish nationality by country
Where is my Spanish nationality file? The official ways to check it
The Spanish nationality oath (jura): what to bring and where to do it
Years, exams and fee for Spanish nationality by country of origin: open data
Your file in one workspace: €29.00, one payment, 14-day refund.
Explanation written with AI from the official source cited on this page.
CiviqPass is an independent service. Built from the texts linked beside each line; procedures change, so confirm on the official pages.