Criminal record certificate from Colombia for a Spanish nationality file: who issues it and how long it stays valid
What the official pages of Colombia 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
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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.
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In short
- Criminal record: Colombia says its online criminal-record consultation has no validity period; for a procedure outside Colombia the Police FAQ says you need the record apostilled through the Foreign Ministry's portal, and we found no validity on it, so the calculator at the top uses Spain's six months.
Each line sums up a section below. The sources are in that section.
Last checked: 18 October 2026. Check the official page: sede.mjusticia.gob.es.
CiviqPass is an independent service run by an individual resident in Spain; the legal notice says who and where.
1. Criminal record certificate
The Policía Nacional's online consultation replaced the Certificado Judicial, abolished by Decreto 19 of 2012.[1]
Colombia says the online consultation has no validity period, because the information is updated every day.[2]
For a procedure outside Colombia, the Police FAQ says you need the record apostilled through the Foreign Ministry's website.[3] That flow applies only to Colombian citizens.[4]
To generate it on the Foreign Ministry (Cancillería) portal: choose electronic documents with digital signature, then the Policía Nacional criminal-record certificate.[5] If you pay in person, you can do it at Banco Agrario, Banco Sudameris, Servibanca ATMs or the Colombian consulate nearest your place of residence.[6]
The consulate's constancia is only useful where the foreign authorities accept it without apostille or legalisation.[7] The Consulate in Barcelona says it has no validity for Spain.[8]
Colombian validity is not Spanish validity. Colombia says its consultation has no validity period. Spain's order treats a criminal record with no stated validity as valid for six months from issue, and the Spanish Foreign Ministry says that where a document has a validity period, legalisation does not extend it.[9][10][11]
Spain asks for the criminal record of the country of origin, legalised and translated. We found no official text that exempts a Spanish-language document from translation: ask the Spanish civil registry.[12]
Sources (12)
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.