Plan your documents

List every document you need apostilledCommon: criminal record (FBI / DBS / RCMP), birth certificate, marriage certificate, degree, divorce decree, child custody orders.
Confirm your country is a Hague Apostille Convention memberCheck hcch.net. If yes, apostille. If no, consular legalization required (slower, more expensive).
Check document expiry windowsSpanish consulates typically require documents issued within the last 3-6 months. Time your requests so they are still fresh when you apply.

Hague Convention countries — apostille route

Identify your country's apostille authorityUS: each state's Secretary of State (federal docs: US Dept of State). UK: FCDO Legalisation Office. Canada: provincial Ministry of Government Services (since 2024). Australia: DFAT.
Submit each document for apostilleOften by mail. Federal documents go to a different office than state/provincial documents.
Pay apostille fees$5-$75 per document depending on country and office.
Receive apostilled originals (do NOT laminate)Sworn translators must see the apostille stamp on the original to bind it to their translation.

Notarize and authenticate locally (optional)Notary → state-level authentication → national Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Submit to the Spanish consulate in your country (optional)Final step of the legalization chain. Pay consular fees.
Receive consularly-legalized documents (optional)Equivalent to an apostille for use in Spain.

Find a traductor jurado from MAEC's official directoryOnly translators on the Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores list are accepted by Spanish authorities. Search by language pair.
Send the apostilled / legalized originals (or high-quality scans)Translators bind the translation to a copy of the source. Some require the physical original; many accept scans.
Pay €30-€80 per pageExpress turnarounds (3-5 days) cost 50-100% more. Standard is 1-2 weeks.
Receive bound translations with the translator's seal and signatureKeep originals + translations together. Make 2-3 certified photocopies of each.