Spain’s immigration regularisation process can give certain foreign nationals a route to legal residence, but the paperwork must be prepared carefully. If your UK documents are missing, outdated, not apostilled or not translated correctly, your application may be delayed or rejected.
Spain has recently announced an extraordinary regularisation process aimed at foreign nationals who were in Spain before 31 December 2025 and meet the relevant criteria. The Spanish government has described the measure as applying to foreign nationals who had been in Spain for at least five months before 31 December 2025, as well as certain international protection applicants who submitted applications before that date.
Alongside this one-off process, Spain also has regular immigration routes such as arraigo, which allow some people to apply for residence from inside Spain based on social, family, labour, training or integration ties. These routes have been affected by recent immigration regulation changes, so applicants should always check current Spanish immigration advice before preparing documents.
This guide focuses on the UK document side of the process: which documents may be needed, when apostille is required, and why sworn translation should be arranged in the correct order.
Spain’s regularisation process explained
Regularisation is a process that may allow a person without valid immigration status to obtain legal residence if they meet specific conditions.
The exact route depends on the person’s situation. Spain may use different mechanisms, including:
- extraordinary regularisation
- arraigo social
- arraigo laboral
- arraigo familiar
- arraigo socio-formativo
- arraigo de segunda oportunidad
- residence linked to family, work, training or integration
- other immigration routes available under Spanish law
The extraordinary regularisation announced by Spain is separate from the normal arraigo system. It is designed as a specific process for eligible people who can prove presence in Spain before the relevant cut-off date and meet the other requirements.
Why UK documents matter
If you have lived in the UK, were born in the UK, married in the UK, studied in the UK, worked in the UK or need to prove your UK criminal record status, Spanish authorities may ask for UK documents.
These documents may need to be:
- official
- recently issued
- apostilled
- translated into Spanish
- sworn translated
- complete and readable
- consistent with your passport and application details
A UK document is not always accepted in Spain just because it is genuine. It may need legalisation and translation first.
Common UK documents for Spanish regularisation
The exact document list depends on your case and the Spanish authority handling the application.
Common documents may include:
- UK criminal record check
- ACRO police certificate
- DBS certificate, in some cases
- birth certificate
- marriage certificate
- civil partnership certificate
- divorce final order
- deed poll or name change document
- certificate of naturalisation
- UK passport copy
- proof of address
- employment letters
- payslips or tax documents
- HMRC letters
- academic certificates
- proof of previous residence
- family relationship documents
Do not prepare every possible document without checking the requirement. Some documents may not be needed, and others may need to be issued in a specific format.
Criminal record checks for Spain
A criminal record certificate is often one of the most important documents in Spanish immigration procedures.
If you have lived in the UK, Spanish authorities may ask for a UK criminal record document. Depending on the requirement, this may be:
- ACRO police certificate
- basic DBS check
- standard or enhanced DBS, if requested for a specific role
- Disclosure Scotland certificate
- AccessNI certificate
For immigration and residency matters, ACRO is commonly used as a UK police certificate for overseas purposes. However, the receiving authority’s wording should always be checked before applying for any certificate.
If Spain asks for a criminal record certificate, check:
- which UK certificate is accepted
- how recent the certificate must be
- whether it needs apostille
- whether it needs sworn translation
- whether certificates from other countries are also required
ACRO police certificate for Spain
An ACRO police certificate may be required where Spain asks for a police certificate or criminal record certificate from the UK.
It is commonly used for visa, residency, immigration and overseas police clearance purposes. If you have lived in several countries, Spain may also ask for criminal record certificates from each country where you have lived for a relevant period.
Before applying, check whether Spain requires:
- original ACRO certificate
- apostilled ACRO certificate
- sworn Spanish translation
- certificate issued within a specific number of months
- additional police certificates from other countries
Apostille and translation should be arranged before submission if required.
DBS certificate for Spain
Some Spanish employers, schools, charities, care providers or professional bodies may ask for a DBS certificate.
A DBS certificate may be relevant for:
- teaching roles
- childcare
- healthcare
- volunteering
- safeguarding-related work
- professional registration
- employer background checks
However, a DBS certificate is not always the same as a police certificate for immigration purposes. If the application is for residence regularisation, confirm whether Spain wants ACRO instead of DBS.
Birth certificate
A UK birth certificate may be required to prove identity, parentage, family relationship or civil status.
For Spanish use, it is usually safer to provide a full birth certificate rather than a short birth certificate, especially where parent details are relevant.
A UK birth certificate can often be apostilled directly if it is an official certificate issued by the General Register Office or a local register office.
If the certificate is old, damaged, laminated or unclear, order a fresh official copy before apostille.
Marriage or civil partnership certificate
A UK marriage certificate or civil partnership certificate may be needed if your application depends on a family relationship, spouse, partner or civil status.
It may be required for:
- family-based residence
- proving relationship status
- name change evidence
- dependent applications
- family unity or registration
- supporting civil status records
The certificate may need FCDO apostille and sworn translation into Spanish before it is submitted.
Divorce or previous relationship documents
If your marital status has changed, Spain may ask for evidence.
This may include:
- divorce final order
- decree absolute
- civil partnership dissolution order
- death certificate of a former spouse
- previous marriage certificate
- name change evidence
These documents may also need apostille and sworn translation.
Name differences across documents are a common source of delays, so the relationship between old and new names should be clear.
Name change documents
If your current passport name differs from your UK certificates, you may need evidence explaining the change.
This may include:
- deed poll
- statutory declaration of name change
- marriage certificate
- divorce document
- adoption certificate
- certificate of naturalisation
- gender recognition certificate
For Spanish use, name change documents may need apostille and sworn translation. If your documents show different spellings or transliterations, a statutory declaration may also be useful.
Proof of residence and presence in Spain
Spain’s extraordinary regularisation process is linked to proving presence in Spain before the relevant cut-off date. The Spanish government announcement refers to foreign nationals who had been in Spain for at least five months before 31 December 2025.
Proof of presence or residence in Spain may include Spanish documents rather than UK documents, such as:
- padrón registration
- medical records
- school records
- rental documents
- utility bills
- bank records
- employment evidence
- appointment records
- official correspondence
- dated applications or receipts
UK documents may still be needed to support identity, family status or criminal record checks, but proof of presence in Spain is usually based on Spanish evidence.
Does a UK document need apostille for Spain?
A UK document often needs apostille before it can be used for a Spanish immigration or civil procedure.
An apostille confirms the recognised UK signature, stamp or seal on the document. It does not translate the document and does not confirm that the Spanish authority will accept the document for every purpose.
For Spain, apostille is commonly required for:
- ACRO police certificates
- DBS certificates
- birth certificates
- marriage certificates
- civil partnership certificates
- divorce documents
- name change documents
- statutory declarations
- powers of attorney
- academic documents
- company documents
- HMRC letters
The document type determines whether it can be apostilled directly or needs solicitor or notary certification first.
Documents that can often be apostilled directly
Some official UK documents can often be apostilled directly if they are originals or official copies.
These may include:
- birth certificates
- marriage certificates
- death certificates
- civil partnership certificates
- adoption certificates
- court documents
- certificates of no impediment
- some Companies House certified documents
- some government-issued documents
The document must be complete, clear and suitable for legalisation.
Documents that may need certification first
Some documents may need solicitor or notary certification before apostille.
This can apply to:
- passport copies
- proof of address documents
- bank statements
- utility bills
- employment letters
- private declarations
- DBS certificates, in some cases
- degree certificate copies
- downloaded PDFs
- digital documents
- statutory declarations
- powers of attorney
The apostille is then attached to the solicitor’s or notary’s signature, rather than directly to the underlying document.
Sworn translation into Spanish
Spanish immigration authorities may require documents in Spanish. In many cases, this means a sworn translation by a recognised translator.
The correct order is important. Often, the UK document should be apostilled first and then translated, so the Spanish translation includes both the document and the apostille.
Before arranging translation, check whether the Spanish authority requires:
- sworn translation in Spain
- sworn translation in the UK
- translation after apostille
- translation of the apostille itself
- original paper translation
- digital submission
- certified copy of the translation
Do not translate too early if the apostille also needs to be translated.
Apostille first or translation first for Spain
For many Spanish procedures, the safer route is:
- obtain the UK document
- arrange certification if needed
- obtain FCDO apostille
- arrange sworn translation into Spanish
- submit both apostilled document and translation
This route helps ensure the apostille is included in the Spanish translation.
However, always check the instructions from the Spanish immigration office, lawyer or authority because some processes may have specific translation rules.
Timing your documents
Spanish regularisation and immigration processes can be deadline-sensitive.
Allow time for:
- applying for UK criminal record checks
- ordering replacement civil certificates
- solicitor or notary certification
- FCDO apostille
- sworn translation
- courier delivery
- reviewing documents for consistency
- obtaining documents from other countries
- Spanish appointment or filing deadlines
If your criminal record certificate must be recent, do not order it too early. If apostille and translation take time, do not leave it too late.
Common mistakes to avoid
Common mistakes include:
- preparing documents before checking the Spanish requirement
- applying for DBS when ACRO is required
- using an old criminal record certificate
- forgetting apostille on UK documents
- translating documents before apostille
- failing to translate the apostille itself
- using a short birth certificate when a full certificate is needed
- submitting documents with inconsistent names
- sending photocopies without certification
- assuming UK documents are accepted in English
- leaving apostille and sworn translation until the deadline
These mistakes can delay or weaken an immigration application.
How to prepare UK documents for Spanish regularisation
The process usually works as follows.
1. confirm the Spanish route
Check whether your application is under extraordinary regularisation, arraigo or another immigration route.
2. get a document checklist
Ask your Spanish lawyer, immigration adviser or authority for the exact document list.
3. order UK documents
Apply for ACRO, civil certificates, court documents or other UK records as required.
4. check names and dates
Make sure names, dates of birth and passport details are consistent across documents.
5. arrange certification if needed
Copies, PDFs and private documents may need solicitor or notary certification before apostille.
6. arrange FCDO apostille
Legalise the UK documents that Spain requires to be apostilled.
7. arrange sworn translation
Translate the apostilled documents into Spanish in the required format.
8. submit before deadlines
Keep scans, tracking details and proof of submission where possible.
How we can help
We can help prepare UK documents for Spanish immigration regularisation and residency procedures.
Our service can include checking which UK documents may need apostille, advising whether solicitor or notary certification is required, submitting documents for FCDO apostille, and helping arrange sworn translation into Spanish.
If you are preparing a Spanish regularisation application, send us the document checklist from your Spanish lawyer or authority. We can help confirm which UK documents need apostille and translation before you submit them.