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Criminal record certificate from India for a Spanish nationality file: who issues it and how long it stays valid

What the official pages of India 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.

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Ley 39/2015, art. 30.4
Ley 39/2015, art. 30.4
Ley 39/2015, art. 30.2
Ley 39/2015, art. 30.2
Ley 39/2015, art. 30.4
Ley 39/2015, art. 30.4
Ley 39/2015, art. 30.5

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In short

  • Criminal record: Passport Seva and the Ministry of External Affairs describe a Police Clearance Certificate (the Ministry says it is issued to Indian passport holders); Passport Seva says no validity is specified and that it is generally considered valid for six months, the Embassy reports that Spanish authorities in most cases do not accept its Consular PCC, the Embassy's fee chart lists 35 € for a Supplementary / Consular PCC, and we found no processing time.

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.

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1. Criminal record certificate

The Passport Seva portal's FAQ says that for a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) you fill in the PCC application form online after registering as a PSP user.[1] The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) FAQ says a PCC is issued to Indian passport holders who have applied for residential status, employment or a long-term visa, or for immigration.[2] We found no official page saying that this certificate is the one asked for in a Spanish nationality file: see the Embassy's remarks below.

For an application made at an Indian mission abroad, the MEA FAQ says the mission forwards the application to the concerned Passport Issuing Authority (PIA) in India[3] and issues the PCC on receipt of the status report from the PIA.[4] Passport Seva says a PCC can only be issued for one country through one application form.[5]

The Embassy of India in Madrid has an advisory dated 17 February 2022 on obtaining a PCC.[6] It describes two types. The first is a PCC from India, which one may request directly from the local police authorities in India by giving an authority letter to a family member or friend who may obtain it on one's behalf.[7] After obtaining it, it may be apostilled from India (MEA/RPO).[8] The advisory's note asks the applicant, before applying for the Embassy to attest the authority letter (if so required), to check with the authorities in India whether they would accept such authorisation, and says the Embassy has received feedback that in some cases they had not accepted the document.[9]

The advisory says that, if required, one may then request a Supplementary PCC from the Embassy, in English and Spanish, on the basis of the original apostilled PCC from India.[10] It says the Embassy would not issue a Supplementary PCC if the PCC from India is older than six months.[11]

The second type in the advisory is the Consular PCC, which one can request through the Embassy.[12] The advisory says it will be only in English[13] and that the Embassy can issue it only after receiving the police clearance from the concerned authorities in India.[14]

Which certificate Spain accepts. The Embassy's advisory advises applicants to check with the Spanish or concerned authorities which PCC they would accept before applying.[15] It also says the Embassy has received feedback that in most cases the Spanish authorities do not accept the Consular PCC and insist on the PCC from the police authorities in India.[16] That is reported feedback in a 2022 advisory, not a Spanish rule. Spain's list says the criminal record certificate may be replaced by the Consular Certificate of Good Conduct set by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, duly translated and legalised.[17] We cannot tell from these pages whether the Embassy's Consular PCC is that certificate: ask the registry.

On where to lodge an application in Spain, the Embassy's page on miscellaneous consular services says it was decided to outsource those services to BLS International with effect from 2 January 2025.[18] The 2022 advisory is older than that date, so check the Embassy's current page.

On cost and time, the fee chart on the Embassy's website, which says it applies from 1 July 2026,[19] lists 35 € for a Supplementary / Consular Police Clearance Certificate (PCC)[20] and says that, unless otherwise mentioned, fees are cumulative from one table to another.[21] We found no fee for a PCC applied for through Passport Seva on the pages we read. Passport Seva says the PCC is dispatched automatically to the applicant's address after receipt of a clear police verification report,[22] and gives no number of days.

Validity. Passport Seva's FAQ says there is no validity specified for the PCC, that it is a requirement of foreign governments for immigration, work, residence or family visas, and that generally it is considered valid for six months.[23] The Embassy's six-month remark above concerns only issuing a Supplementary PCC.[24] Spain's order says that for certificates the validity printed on the document itself is what counts,[25] that a criminal record with no stated validity counts for six months from the day it was issued,[26] and that all documents must be in force when you apply.[27]

Spain asks for the criminal record certificate of the country of origin, legalised and translated.[28] It says the certificate must, as a general rule, be issued by the competent body of the country of origin.[29]

Sources (29)
  1. passportindia.gov.in, Passport Seva FAQ, Issue of Police Clearance Certificate (PCC), application
  2. mea.gov.in, MEA FAQ, Police Clearance Certificate (PCC)
  3. mea.gov.in, MEA FAQ, PCC at an Indian Mission abroad, procedure
  4. mea.gov.in, MEA FAQ, PCC at an Indian Mission abroad, procedure
  5. passportindia.gov.in, Passport Seva FAQ, PCC, one country
  6. eoimadrid.gov.in, Advisory on obtaining PCC from India, date line
  7. eoimadrid.gov.in, Advisory on obtaining PCC from India, first type
  8. eoimadrid.gov.in, Advisory, first type, apostille
  9. eoimadrid.gov.in, Advisory, authority letter
  10. eoimadrid.gov.in, Advisory, Supplementary PCC
  11. eoimadrid.gov.in, Advisory, Supplementary PCC, six months
  12. eoimadrid.gov.in, Advisory, second type, Consular PCC
  13. eoimadrid.gov.in, Advisory, Consular PCC, language
  14. eoimadrid.gov.in, Advisory, Consular PCC, condition
  15. eoimadrid.gov.in, Advisory, check with Spanish authorities
  16. eoimadrid.gov.in, Advisory, Spanish authorities and Consular PCC
  17. Orden JUS/1625/2016, anexo 1.a
  18. eoimadrid.gov.in, Miscellaneous Consular Services, outsourcing
  19. eoimadrid.gov.in, Fee chart, header
  20. eoimadrid.gov.in, Fee chart, F Miscellaneous consular services fee, police certificate
  21. eoimadrid.gov.in, Fee chart, introduction
  22. passportindia.gov.in, Passport Seva FAQ, PCC, time
  23. passportindia.gov.in, Passport Seva FAQ, PCC, validity
  24. eoimadrid.gov.in, Advisory, Supplementary PCC, six months
  25. Orden JUS/1625/2016, anexo, 4. Validez de los documentos
  26. Orden JUS/1625/2016, anexo, 4. Validez de los documentos
  27. Orden JUS/1625/2016, anexo, 4. Validez de los documentos
  28. Orden JUS/1625/2016, anexo 1.a
  29. Orden JUS/1625/2016, anexo, 5

Next steps

All the documents from India for a Spanish nationality file: birth certificate, apostille, translation and validity

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