Documents from India 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.

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Last checked: 19 October 2026. Check the official page: sede.mjusticia.gob.es.

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• Criminal record
• Birth and marriage
• Apostille
• Translation
• Consulates
• Order
• Validity clock

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.

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

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

We found no official Indian page we could read on who issues a birth certificate or how to order one from abroad: the websites of the Registrar General of India's civil registration system did not answer our requests. We therefore say nothing here about the registrar, the State or the form of the certificate: ask the registry that holds the record.

The MEA's apostille page says apostille is done for personal documents such as birth, death and marriage certificates.^[1] It also says the Ministry legalises documents on the basis of the signature of the designated signing authorities of the State Government, Union Territory or Chambers of Commerce.^[2] The page does not say which State authority signs a birth certificate.

The fee chart on the Embassy of India in Madrid's website lists a Birth Certificate among its miscellaneous consular services, with a fee of 20 €.^[3] We found no official page saying what that certificate is based on or whether Spain accepts it: ask the registry.

Spain asks for the birth certificate of the country of origin, legalised and translated where needed.^[4] We found no official Spanish text saying whether an extract or a full copy is needed, and no Indian page stating a validity for a birth certificate. Spain says that for certificates the validity printed on the document counts.^[5]

If you are married, Spain also asks for the marriage certificate of the country where the marriage took place.^[6]

3. Apostille and legalisation

The HCCH status table lists India with accession on 26 October 2004 and entry into force on 14 July 2005.^[1] HCCH's notifications page for India says Belgium, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain raised an objection to the accession.^[2] The same page says that Spain withdrew its objection and that the Convention entered into force between Spain and India on 12 February 2008.^[3]

The Spanish Embassy in New Delhi says that, since India is a member of the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, no additional authentication or legalisation is required for a document apostilled by the Indian authorities to be fully valid in Spain.^[4] The Spanish Ministry of Justice's warning calls legalisation of foreign documents an essential requirement,^[5] and says the Hague apostille is one stamp and signature on the document that simplifies legalisation.^[6]

HCCH's authority page lists the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India as the designated competent authority.^[7] The Spanish Embassy recommends contacting the Indian Ministry of External Affairs to obtain the Hague apostille on documents issued by Indian authorities.^[8] The MEA's page says the Ministry attests original documents or true copies for use abroad.^[9]

On how to apply, the MEA's page says no document is accepted directly from individuals at the Ministry's counter in New Delhi.^[10] It says the original document or true copy is submitted to outsourced service providers with a photocopy of the document and of the applicant's passport,^[11] and that the Ministry does not legalise photocopies.^[12] It adds that, from 1 January 2019, the services were decentralised to Branch Secretariats/RPOs in 16 cities.^[13]

The MEA's page also lists e-Sanad, an e-service for verification and attestation of documents of Indian citizens.^[14] The e-Sanad site describes it as a service for applicants in India, to be extended to applicants abroad in a phased manner.^[15] We found no official page explaining how a person living in Spain obtains an Indian apostille. The Embassy's advisory only says that a PCC obtained in India may be apostilled from India.^[16]

On cost, the MEA's page says a fee of Rs 50 is payable for the apostille of a document.^[17] Its table of fees lists, for apostille, Rs 50 per apostille sticker, Rs 84 per document and Rs 3 per page, without saying which fee each figure is.^[18] The HCCH page, last updated 5 September 2024, lists Rs 50.^[19] The e-Sanad FAQ gives outsourced-agency fees of its own, Rs 22 for a personal document.^[20] We do not know which figures apply today: check the MEA page.

On time, the MEA's page says only that those applying should apply well in advance as the Ministry needs some time to verify and process the documents.^[21] It gives no number of days.

4. Translation into Spanish

The Spanish Ministry of Justice warning says translation must be done or checked at Spanish consulates abroad, or at the consulates in Spain of the document's country of origin, and the documents must then be legalised. It adds that a sworn translator-interpreter named by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs may do it.^[1][2]

The Spanish Embassy in New Delhi says that, only if the receiving authorities so request, an official sworn translation of the complete document, including the apostille, must be made in Spain.^[3] It says official sworn translations cannot be done in India.^[4] Ask the registry which of the two texts applies to your file.

The Embassy of India in Madrid says the Supplementary PCC is issued in English and Spanish^[5] and the Consular PCC only in English.^[6] We found no official page saying in which language Indian birth certificates are issued. Spain asks for the criminal record certificate legalised and translated, and the birth certificate legalised and translated where needed.^[7][8]

5. Consulates in Spain

The MEA's directory of Indian missions in Spain lists the Embassy of India in Madrid and gives its website,^[1] and lists the Consulate General of India in Barcelona.^[2] The Embassy's own page on consulates in Spain also lists the Consulate General in Barcelona.^[3]

The Embassy's page on miscellaneous consular services says applications can be deposited at any of the application centres, irrespective of the applicant's place of residence.^[4] Its fee chart lists, among the miscellaneous consular services, a Birth Certificate^[5] and a Supplementary / Consular Police Clearance Certificate.^[6]

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]

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.

Next steps

The nationality file, step by step

Your file silent after a year

Years to Spanish nationality by country

Criminal record certificate from India: 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

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.