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Documents from Honduras for a Spanish nationality file: criminal record, birth certificate, apostille and validity

Where each document comes from, who issues the apostille, how long each one stays valid and what Spain's own texts say about legalisation and translation, with a source under every line. 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.

Sources (2)
poderjudicial.gob.hn, ¿Qué se otorga o se entrega al finalizar?Official wordingEl documento tiene una vigencia de seis meses.
Orden JUS/1625/2016, anexo, 4. Validez de los documentosOfficial wordingEn el caso de certificados de antecedentes penales en los que no conste plazo de validez, se entenderá que tienen una vigencia de seis meses a contar desde su expedición.
Sources (1)
sede.mjusticia.gob.es, página del trámiteOfficial wordingDispone de dos meses desde la fecha de creación para completar su solicitud, si pasado ese plazo no ha firmado y presentado su solicitud, se borrará de manera automática.
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.

Ley 39/2015, art. 30.4Official wordingéstos se computarán a partir del día siguiente a aquel en que tenga lugar la notificación o publicación del acto de que se trate
Ley 39/2015, art. 30.4Official wordingo desde el siguiente a aquel en que se produzca la estimación o desestimación por silencio administrativo.
Ley 39/2015, art. 30.2Official wordingSiempre que por Ley o en el Derecho de la Unión Europea no se exprese otro cómputo, cuando los plazos se señalen por días, se entiende que éstos son hábiles
Ley 39/2015, art. 30.2Official wordingexcluyéndose del cómputo los sábados, los domingos y los declarados festivos.
Ley 39/2015, art. 30.4Official wordingEl plazo concluirá el mismo día en que se produjo la notificación, publicación o silencio administrativo en el mes o el año de vencimiento.
Ley 39/2015, art. 30.4Official wordingSi en el mes de vencimiento no hubiera día equivalente a aquel en que comienza el cómputo, se entenderá que el plazo expira el último día del mes.
Ley 39/2015, art. 30.5Official wordingCuando el último día del plazo sea inhábil, se entenderá prorrogado al primer día hábil siguiente.

Where is my file? With your application number, follow it on the Ministry's website: Ministry of Justice: nationality by residence

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
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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 Judiciary's UNAP issues the criminal record certificate, which can be requested online (we found no page on what to enter in the address field when living abroad); its guide says six months of validity but not from which date they count.
  • Birth and marriage: The RNP keeps the civil records and its copia de folio is free; the consulate says a document must be authenticated before an apostille, and we found no official page saying whether Spain accepts a copia de folio: ask the RNP or the consulate.
  • Apostille: The HCCH names the Minister of Foreign Affairs as the competent authority; the Madrid consulate, which issues no apostilles, says it takes 1 to 5 days depending on Honduras' Sección de Auténticas y Apostillas; we found no official page stating a validity.
  • Translation: We found no official page saying whether a document already in Spanish needs a translation for Spain; Spain's warning says a sworn translator named by the Foreign Ministry can also do it.
  • Order: Our arithmetic, not an official rule: request first the documents that need an apostille and a sworn translation, then the criminal record certificate so you can finish its apostille and translation inside its validity; the clock below gives the dates.

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.

1. Criminal record certificate

The Judiciary's page on criminal records says the Unidad de Antecedentes Penales (UNAP), attached to the CEDIJ, is in charge of updating, operating and validating the data register of the Sistema Nacional de Antecedentes Penales.[1] It says the UNAP issues the "Constancia de Antecedentes Penales" exclusively, for internal and external use.[2]

Criminal record certificate from Honduras: who issues it and how long it stays valid

Sources (2)
  1. poderjudicial.gob.hn, Antecedentes Penales, introOfficial wordingLa Unidad de Antecedentes Penales, conocida por sus siglas UNAP, es la entidad, adscrita al Centro Electrónico de Documentación e Información Judicial (CEDIJ), encargada de actualizar, operar y validar el registro de datos en el Sistema Nacional de Antecedentes Penales
  2. poderjudicial.gob.hn, Antecedentes Penales, introOfficial wordingLa UNAP tiene como finalidad expedir en forma exclusiva el documento denominado “Constancia de Antecedentes Penales” para uso interno y externo

2. Birth certificate, and marriage certificate if you are married

The RNP's services page says it is the institution responsible for registering and keeping the records of the civil acts and facts of Hondurans.[1]

The RNP describes the "copia de folio" as the photocopy of the page of the original book that records a person's birth.[2] It says it can be requested at the Registro Civil Municipal where the birth was registered or at the Archivo Central department.[3] It says the copia de folio has no cost and that the delivery time depends on how each Registro Civil Municipal works.[4] We found no official page that says whether Spain accepts a copia de folio, or how a person living in Spain orders a birth certificate from the RNP: ask the registry or the consulate.

The Madrid consulate's page says that before an apostille the document must be authenticated by the corresponding institution.[5] It lists birth certificates, single-status certificates and RNP documents under the Secretaría General del RNP.[6] It says a Honduran document that has not been authenticated first, for example a birth certificate requested online, cannot be apostilled.[7]

Spain asks for the birth certificate of the country of origin, legalised and translated where needed.[8]

If you are married, Spain also asks for the marriage certificate of the country where the marriage took place.[9] The RNP's marriage page says this document is issued by the State through the Registros Civiles Municipales and with the action of a judge.[10] We found no official page on how to get one from abroad: ask the consulate.

Sources (10)
  1. rnp.hn, ServiciosOfficial wordingComo Institución responsable de inscribir y custodiar los registros de hechos y actos civiles de los hondureños
  2. rnp.hn, Solicitud de copia de folioOfficial wordingEs la fotocopia de la hoja del libro original de inscripción de nacimiento de una persona.
  3. rnp.hn, Solicitud de copia de folioOfficial wordingLa Copia de folio se puede solicitar en el Registro Civil Municipal donde se realizó la inscripción de nacimiento al igual que en el departamento de Archivo Central
  4. rnp.hn, Solicitud de copia de folioOfficial wordingLa copia de folio no tiene ningún costo. El tiempo de entrega depende de forma de trabajo de cada Registro Civil Municipal.
  5. consuladohondurasmadrid.es, Paso a paso, Autentica tu documentoOfficial wordingAntes de apostillar, el documento debe estar autenticado por la institución que corresponda:
  6. consuladohondurasmadrid.es, Paso a paso, Autentica tu documentoOfficial wordingPartidas de nacimiento, certificados de soltería y documentos del RNP Secretaría General del RNP
  7. consuladohondurasmadrid.es, ¿Qué documento tienes?Official wordingNo se pueden apostillar: un documento hondureño que no esté previamente autenticado (por ejemplo, certificados de nacimiento solicitados en línea) ni los documentos consulares.
  8. Orden JUS/1625/2016, anexo 1.aOfficial wordingCertificado de nacimiento del país de origen debidamente legalizado y traducido en su caso, conforme los Convenios Internacionales.
  9. Orden JUS/1625/2016, anexo 1.aOfficial wordingEn el caso de personas casadas certificado de matrimonio del país de celebración, debidamente traducido y legalizado en su caso.
  10. rnp.hn, Acta o certificado de matrimonioOfficial wordingEste documento lo emite el Estado a través de los Registros Civiles Municipales y con la actuación de un juez

3. Apostille and legalisation

HCCH's status table for the Apostille Convention lists Honduras with an accession dated 20 January 2004[1][2] and entry into force on 30 September 2004.[3][4] Spain's Ministry of Justice says the Hague Convention is a procedure that simplifies legalisation, with a single stamp and signature on the document.[5]

The HCCH page designates the Minister of Foreign Affairs as the competent authority.[6] It gives a price of Lps.150.00, on a page last updated on 27 September 2021.[7][8]

The Foreign Ministry's FAQ says it has three customer-service locations in Honduras.[9] Its home page says authentications, apostilles and translations can be done through Gobierno Digital.[10]

The Madrid consulate's page says you create a user on the SRECI digital procedures platform.[11] It says the apostille receipt (TGR-1) costs L. 150.[12] It says the apostille takes 1 to 5 days and that the time depends on the Honduran Sección de Auténticas y Apostillas, not on the consulate.[13]

For a criminal record, the same consulate says the certificate and its authentication must be uploaded together, in one PDF.[14] It says the consulate does not issue apostilles.[15]

Validity. We found no official page that states a validity for the authentication or the apostille. The Spanish Foreign Ministry says legalisation has no expiry date, but that if a document has a validity period, legalisation does not extend it.[16] Spain's Ministry of Justice calls legalisation an essential requirement for accepting the documents.[17]

Sources (17)
  1. hcch.net, Status table, HondurasOfficial wordingHonduras 20-I-2004 A 30-IX-2004
  2. hcch.net, Status table, legendOfficial wordingA: Accession;
  3. hcch.net, Status table, HondurasOfficial wordingHonduras 20-I-2004 A 30-IX-2004
  4. hcch.net, Status table, legendOfficial wording4) EIF = Entry into force
  5. Advertencia legalización y apostilla (Ministerio de Justicia), advertencia, punto 2Official wordingEl Convenio de La Haya es un trámite que simplifica la legalización de documentos públicos. Consiste en la estampación de un solo sello y firma en el documento.
  6. hcch.net, Honduras - Competent Authority (Art. 6)Official wordingDesignated Competent Authority(ies): Minister of Foreign Affairs, Secretaría de Estado en el Despacho de Relaciones Exteriores
  7. hcch.net, Practical InformationOfficial wordingPrice: Lps.150.00 (approximately $6.49 or 5.82 euros)
  8. hcch.net, Footer of the pageOfficial wordingThis page was last updated on: 27 September 2021
  9. sreci.gob.hn, Preguntas frecuentes, ¿Dónde puedo tramitar una apostilla?Official wording¿DONDE PUEDO TRAMITAR UNA APOSTILLA? La Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores y Cooperación Internacional cuenta con tres ubicaciones de atención al cliente en Honduras
  10. sreci.gob.hn, Servicios en líneaOfficial wordingRealice el trámite de sus auténticas, apostillas y traducciones de forma ágil y segura a través de Gobierno Digital
  11. consuladohondurasmadrid.es, Paso a paso, Solicita la apostilla en líneaOfficial wordingIngresa a la plataforma de trámites digitales de la SRECI y crea tu usuario .
  12. consuladohondurasmadrid.es, Preguntas frecuentes, ¿Cuánto cuesta?Official wordingEl recibo TGR-1 de la apostilla cuesta L. 150 .
  13. consuladohondurasmadrid.es, Preguntas frecuentes, ¿Cuánto tarda?Official wordingDe 1 a 5 días . El tiempo depende de la Sección de Auténticas y Apostillas de Honduras, no del Consulado.
  14. consuladohondurasmadrid.es, Paso a paso, Solicita la apostilla en líneaOfficial wordingImportante: los antecedentes penales y la auténtica deben subirse juntos, en un mismo documento PDF .
  15. consuladohondurasmadrid.es, Preguntas frecuentesOfficial wordingEl Consulado tampoco emite apostillas.
  16. exteriores.gob.es, Legalización diplomática - 5. Práctica de la legalizaciónOfficial wordingLa legalización carece de fecha de caducidad. No obstante, si el documento tiene un plazo de validez, la legalización no implica su extensión.
  17. Advertencia legalización y apostilla (Ministerio de Justicia), advertenciaOfficial wordingLa legalización de los documentos extranjeros aportados a la solicitud de nacionalidad española por residencia constituye un requisito esencial para la aceptación de dicha documentación

4. Translation into Spanish

We found no official page that says whether a document already in Spanish needs a translation for Spain. The order says "translated where needed" for the birth certificate and "translated" for the criminal record.[1][2]

The Spanish Ministry of Justice warning says translation is done or checked at Spanish consulates abroad, or at the consulates of the country of origin in Spain, or by a sworn translator named by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and that the documents must then be legalised.[3][4]

The Spanish Foreign Ministry says translations by sworn translators recognised by it do not need any further legalisation by the Ministry's Legalisation Service.[5] The Ministry's page on translators says a sworn translator is a professional who can translate written documents from one language to another.[6]

Sources (6)
  1. Orden JUS/1625/2016, anexo 1.aOfficial wordingCertificado de nacimiento del país de origen debidamente legalizado y traducido en su caso, conforme los Convenios Internacionales.
  2. Orden JUS/1625/2016, anexo 1.aOfficial wordingCertificado de antecedentes penales del país de origen debidamente legalizado y traducido conforme a los Convenios Internacionales.
  3. Advertencia legalización y apostilla (Ministerio de Justicia), advertenciaOfficial wordingha de realizarse o cotejarse en las Oficinas Consulares de España en el extranjero o en las del país de origen del documento en España y posteriormente deben legalizarse
  4. Advertencia legalización y apostilla (Ministerio de Justicia), advertenciaOfficial wordingExiste la posibilidad de que la traducción o cotejo de esta la lleve a cabo un intérprete-traductor jurado nombrado por el Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores
  5. exteriores.gob.es, Legalización diplomática - 4.1. Traducciones oficialesOfficial wordingSon plenamente válidas en España por sí mismas, sin requerir ninguna legalización ulterior por el Servicio de Legalizaciones del MAEUEC.
  6. exteriores.gob.es, Traductores e intérpretesOfficial wordingUn traductor jurado es un profesional que puede traducir documentación escrita de un idioma a otro;

5. Consulates in Spain

The consulate's directory page lists the Sección Consular in Madrid, on Calle de Apolonio Morales 3.[1] It also lists consulates general in Barcelona[2], Bilbao[3] and Valencia[4], and a vice-consulate in Girona.[5]

The directory says each office handles its own requests: to ask for an appointment or make an enquiry, contact the office that covers you.[6] A directory of the Honduran Ministry of Labour also lists a consular section in Madrid.[7]

These consulate pages are on the consulate's own site, not on the Foreign Ministry's site. We found no official page that says whether the other consulates offer help with the online criminal record procedure.

Sources (7)
  1. consuladohondurasmadrid.es, Sedes en EspañaOfficial wordingSección Consular Madrid Dirección Calle de Apolonio Morales, 3 28036 Madrid
  2. consuladohondurasmadrid.es, Sedes en EspañaOfficial wordingConsulado General Barcelona Dirección Carrer de Melcior de Palau, 2 08028 Barcelona
  3. consuladohondurasmadrid.es, Sedes en EspañaOfficial wordingConsulado General Bilbao Dirección Calle del Licenciado Poza, 11 48008 Bilbao
  4. consuladohondurasmadrid.es, Sedes en EspañaOfficial wordingConsulado General Valencia Dirección Av. de Pérez Galdós, 125, L'Olivereta 46018 València
  5. consuladohondurasmadrid.es, Sedes en EspañaOfficial wordingViceconsulado Girona Dirección Calle Santa Eugenia, 10, 1-1 17005 Girona
  6. consuladohondurasmadrid.es, Sedes en EspañaOfficial wordingCada sede atiende por su cuenta Para pedir cita o hacer una consulta, comunícate con la sede que te corresponde.
  7. trabajo.gob.hn, Directorio consular, MadridOfficial wordingMADRID, ESPAÑA SECCIÓN CONSULAR

6. Order of requests and validity

Spain's order says that all documents must be in force when you apply.[1] For certificates, the validity stated on the certificate itself counts,[2] and a criminal record certificate with no stated validity counts for six months from the day it was issued.[3]

Legalisation does not make a document last longer. Spain's Foreign Ministry says legalisation has no expiry date but that, if the document has a validity period, legalisation does not extend it.[4]

When you create the online application you have two months to complete and file it, or it is deleted.[5]

Our arithmetic, not an official rule. The sources above fix how long a document stays valid, not the order in which you request things. If the validity counts from the day of issue, and the apostille and a sworn translation take time afterwards, the request date matters most for the documents with the shortest validity. Type a date in the clock below to see when your criminal record certificate stops being valid, then count back the time the apostille and the translation take in your case.

  1. Find out what validity, if any, each issuer prints on its certificate (the sections above say what we found).
  2. Request first the documents that need an apostille and a sworn translation, since those steps come after issue.
  3. Request the criminal record certificate when you can still finish its apostille and translation inside its validity.
  4. Type its issue date in the clock below and file before the "valid until" date it shows.
  5. Create the online application only when you are close to filing: from creation you have two months.
Sources (5)
  1. Orden JUS/1625/2016, anexo, 4. Validez de los documentosOfficial wordingTodos los documentos deberán estar en vigor en el momento de la solicitud.
  2. Orden JUS/1625/2016, anexo, 4. Validez de los documentosOfficial wordingPara determinar la validez en el caso de los certificados se atenderá al plazo de vigencia que conste en el propio documento.
  3. Orden JUS/1625/2016, anexo, 4. Validez de los documentosOfficial wordingEn el caso de certificados de antecedentes penales en los que no conste plazo de validez, se entenderá que tienen una vigencia de seis meses a contar desde su expedición.
  4. exteriores.gob.es, Legalización diplomática - 5. Práctica de la legalizaciónOfficial wordingLa legalización carece de fecha de caducidad. No obstante, si el documento tiene un plazo de validez, la legalización no implica su extensión.
  5. sede.mjusticia.gob.es, página del trámiteOfficial wordingDispone de dos meses desde la fecha de creación para completar su solicitud, si pasado ese plazo no ha firmado y presentado su solicitud, se borrará de manera automática.

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

Your file silent after a year

Years to Spanish nationality by country

Criminal record certificate from Honduras: who issues it and how long it stays valid

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

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What is inside

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.