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Documents from Nicaragua 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

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Sources (1)
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.

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In short

  • Criminal record: The Police's 2022 and 2023 news items describe a conduct certificate (certificado de conducta, also called récord de Policía) printed at kiosks and then authenticated (a February 2022 item says only in Managua, a May 2022 item says service centres will offer it); the February item says that for procedures in Spain it needs an original signature, and we found no official validity, so the clock below uses Spain's six months.
  • Birth and marriage: The CSE's civil registry pages say birth certificates are requested at municipal civil registries and other windows in Nicaragua for C$ 120.00, and its FAQ says authentication and apostille are done at the Cancillería; we found no official validity or route from abroad.
  • Apostille: Nicaragua is party to the Apostille Convention; the HCCH lists the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores as the authority, the Spanish Embassy in Managua names its Dirección General Asuntos Jurídicos, and we could not read the Ministry's own pages, so we found no official fee or time.
  • Translation: We found no official page saying whether a document already in Spanish needs translation; Spain's order says "traducido en su caso" for the birth certificate and "traducido" for the criminal record.
  • 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 that you can finish its apostille and translation while it is still valid; the clock below gives the dates.

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 National Police's news item on authenticating conduct certificates uses two names for the document: certificado de conducta and récord de Policía.[1] Another Police item uses the same pair of names for a "certificado de conducta o récord policial" received at a technological kiosk of a service centre.[2]

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

Sources (2)
  1. policia.gob.ni, idem, párrafo 2Official wordinglas solicitudes para la autenticación de certificados de conducta o récord de Policía se realizan un promedio de 250 trámites a diario
  2. policia.gob.ni, Policía Nacional, noticia 'Sutiava cuenta con un Centro de Atención a la Ciudadanía'Official wordingrecibió su certificado de conducta o récord policial, estrenando así el kiosco tecnológico del Centro de Atención a la Ciudadanía

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

The CSE's civil registry page says birth certificates are requested at the windows of the municipal civil registries, of the Registro Central del Estado Civil de las Personas, of Servigob and of the departmental and regional electoral councils.[1] It lists as requirements the general details of the registered person and/or a photocopy of the birth record, and a cost of C$ 120.00 (córdobas).[2]

The page's note says a procedure done by the person concerned, or by their father, mother, brother or sister, grandparent or child, needs no power of representation.[3]

The CSE also describes a literal certification as the document that copies the whole content of the record.[4] Its value is C$ 300.00.[5] We found no official Spanish text saying which kind of copy (extract or literal) Spain wants: ask the Spanish civil registry.

For marriage, the CSE's FAQ says marriage certificates are requested at the municipal civil registries and at the Registro Central.[6] The marriage certificate page gives a value of C$ 120.[7] It also lists a Poder Especial de Representación among its requirements.[8] Spain asks for the birth certificate of the country of origin, legalised and translated where needed,[9] and, if you are married, for the marriage certificate of the country where the marriage took place.[10]

Who stamps it. The CSE's FAQ asks whether the Registro Central authenticates and apostilles the documents it issues and answers no: it only certifies the records, and the authentication and apostille are done at the Cancillería General de la República.[11] We found no official page saying how a person living in Spain can ask for these certificates (online, by post or through a consulate); the pages quoted describe windows in Nicaragua.

Validity. We found no official page that states a validity for a Nicaraguan birth or marriage certificate. Spain's order says all documents must be in force when you apply.[12]

Sources (12)
  1. cse.gob.ni, CSE, Registro Civil, Nacimiento, Certificado de Nacimiento, introducciónOfficial wordingLos Certificados de Nacimiento se solicitan en las ventanillas ubicadas en los Registros Civiles de cada Municipio, en el Registro Central del Estado Civil de las Personas, Servigob y en las ventanillas de los Consejos Electorales Departamentales y Regionales.
  2. cse.gob.ni, CSE, Certificado de Nacimiento, Requisitos y costoOfficial wordingDatos generales del Inscrito y/o fotocopia de Partida de Nacimiento. Costo: C$ 120.00
  3. cse.gob.ni, CSE, Certificado de Nacimiento, notaOfficial wordingTodo trámite que sea realizado por el interesado o interesada, ó por el Padre, Madre, Hermano (a), Abuelo (a), Hijo (a), del mismo; no requiere Poder de Representación.
  4. cse.gob.ni, CSE, Certificación LiteralOfficial wordingEs el documento en el que se copia íntegramente el contenido del acta.
  5. cse.gob.ni, CSE, Certificación Literal, valorOfficial wordingValor: C$ 300.00
  6. cse.gob.ni, CSE, Registro Civil, Preguntas frecuentes, nº 3Official wording¿Dónde puedo solicitar Certificados de Soltería, Matrimonio, Unión de hecho Estable, Divorcio? En las ventanillas ubicadas en los Registros Civiles de cada Municipio y en el Registro Central del Estado Civil de las Personas.
  7. cse.gob.ni, CSE, Certificado de Matrimonio y/o Unión de Hecho Estable, valorOfficial wordingValor: C$ 120.
  8. cse.gob.ni, CSE, Certificado de Matrimonio y/o Unión de Hecho Estable, RequisitosOfficial wordingPoder Especial de Representación.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. cse.gob.ni, CSE, Registro Civil, Preguntas frecuentes, nº 6Official wording¿El Registro Central Autentica y Apostilla los documentos emitidos? No, Registro Central solo certifica las actas, la Auténtica y Apostilla se realiza ante Cancillería General de la República.
  12. Orden JUS/1625/2016, anexo, 4. Validez de los documentosOfficial wordingTodos los documentos deberán estar en vigor en el momento de la solicitud.

3. Apostille and legalisation

The HCCH status table lists Nicaragua with an accession dated 7 September 2012 and entry into force on 14 May 2013.[1] The HCCH page, last updated on 2 December 2019, lists the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores as Nicaragua's designated competent authority.[2]

The page of the Spanish Embassy in Managua says that since the Convention entered into force for Nicaragua, Nicaraguan public documents for use in Spain only need to be apostilled.[3][4] The same page names the Dirección General Asuntos Jurídicos of the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores as the authority for Nicaragua.[5] We could not read the Foreign Ministry's own pages, so we do not say which office issues the apostille, what it costs or how long it takes: ask the Cancillería.

The Police official in the 2022 item says that after the Police authenticate the documents the person goes to the Cancillería to have them apostilled, because for validity abroad they must be apostilled by the Cancillería.[6] The CSE's FAQ says the authentication and the apostille are done at the Cancillería General de la República.[7]

Spain's Foreign Ministry says documents from countries that signed the Apostille Convention are not legalised.[8] The Ministry of Justice warning calls legalisation of the foreign documents submitted with the application for Spanish nationality by residence an essential requirement.[9] Spain's Foreign Ministry says, about its own diplomatic legalisation, that it has no expiry date but that, if the document has a validity period, legalisation does not extend it;[10] we found no Spanish text saying the same of an apostille, and no Nicaraguan page on whether an apostille expires.

Police certificates are authenticated first. According to the 2022 item the Police authenticate the conduct certificate before the Cancillería apostilles it.[11] We found no official page saying whether a certificate printed at a kiosk can go straight to the apostille: ask the Police and the Cancillería.

Sources (11)
  1. hcch.net, HCCH status table, Convention 12 (Apostille)Official wordingNicaragua 7-IX-2012 A 14-V-2013
  2. hcch.net, HCCH: Nicaragua - Competent Authority (Art. 6)Official wordingDesignated Competent Authorities: Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores
  3. exteriores.gob.es, Embajada de España en Managua, Documentación y trámites, apostilla (1)Official wordingEl Convenio entró en vigor para Nicaragua el pasado 14 de mayo de 2013, por lo que desde esta fecha los documentos públicos expedidos por las autoridades españoles para surtir efectos en Nicaragua
  4. exteriores.gob.es, Embajada de España en Managua, Documentación y trámites, apostilla (2)Official wording–y los nicaragüenses para surtir efectos en España- sólo requieren ser apostillados
  5. exteriores.gob.es, Embajada de España en Managua, Documentación y trámites, autoridadOfficial wordingEn el caso de documentos españoles, la autoridad competente es el Ministerio de Justicia. En el caso de Nicaragua, la Dirección General Asuntos Jurídicos del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores.
  6. policia.gob.ni, idem, párrafo 5 (apostilla)Official wordingDespués que nosotros les autenticamos sus documentos, ellos van a Cancillería a apostillar, ya que estos documentos para que tengan validez en el extranjero deben ir apostillados por Cancillería
  7. cse.gob.ni, CSE, Registro Civil, Preguntas frecuentes, nº 6Official wording¿El Registro Central Autentica y Apostilla los documentos emitidos? No, Registro Central solo certifica las actas, la Auténtica y Apostilla se realiza ante Cancillería General de la República.
  8. exteriores.gob.es, Legalización diplomática > Exenciones a la legalización diplomática > 2.1 ConvenOfficial wordingNo se legalizan documentos de países firmantes del Convenio de la Apostilla
  9. 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
  10. 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.
  11. policia.gob.ni, idem, párrafo 5 (apostilla)Official wordingDespués que nosotros les autenticamos sus documentos, ellos van a Cancillería a apostillar, ya que estos documentos para que tengan validez en el extranjero deben ir apostillados por Cancillería

4. Translation into Spanish

We found no official Nicaraguan or Spanish page saying that a document already in Spanish needs, or does not need, a translation. Spain's order says "traducido en su caso" for the birth certificate and "traducido" 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 consular offices in Spain of the document's country of origin, and that the documents must then be legalised. It adds that a sworn translator-interpreter named by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can do the translation or check.[3][4]

Sources (4)
  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. 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.

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The nationality file, step by step

Your file silent after a year

Years to Spanish nationality by country

Criminal record certificate from Nicaragua: 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.

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