ACRO Police Certificate Translation for Spain
What Spanish consulates ask for: the apostille, how long the certificate stays valid, and who may translate it.
Not available yet
We are not taking criminal record certificates yet. What this page explains about the apostille, validity and who may translate still applies, and any sworn translator on the Ministry’s register can do it.
Check what your consulate asks forACRO or DBS?
For Spanish immigration purposes the document to get is an ACRO police certificate, issued by the ACRO Criminal Records Office. It is the UK’s standard criminal record document for use abroad, and it is what Spanish consulates in the UK ask for.
A DBS check is a different thing. It exists for employment and volunteering inside the UK, and while we can translate one, submitting it in place of an ACRO certificate is a common and avoidable mistake.
If you have uploaded a DBS check, your translation plan will say so before you pay.
The UK apostille
Your ACRO certificate needs a Hague apostille from the FCDO Legalisation Office before a Spanish consulate will accept it. Apostille first, translate second — the apostille becomes part of the document, and the sworn translator certifies the set they were given.
The apostille is issued on the standard multilingual form and, for this workflow, is submitted as issued. Upload both files and your plan will show you how yours is handled.
Why an appointed translator matters
A traducción jurada is produced by a translator appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC) for that specific language pair, who signs it under their own name and appointment number. Under Real Decreto 724/2020 it is an official translation in Spain; a certified or notarised translation made in another country is not.
Consulates abroad set their own rules. London, Edinburgh and Manchester require a sworn translator, while most US consulates also accept a local certified translator. Offices inside Spain ask for an official translation, and when a translation is not accepted, art. 68 of Ley 39/2015 gives ten working days to fix it before an application can be shelved.
We verify every translator against the Ministry’s public register, including their active status, before assigning work.
Questions
Based on the current published requirements for this application. Requirements may change.
Do I need an ACRO certificate or a DBS check for Spain?
An ACRO police certificate. It is the UK document intended for use abroad, and it is what Spanish consulates in the UK list in their requirements.
Does the ACRO certificate need an apostille?
Yes, from the FCDO Legalisation Office. Get the apostille attached before the translation is produced.
How long is an ACRO certificate valid for a Spanish application?
Spanish consulates publish a six-month window for criminal record documents in visa applications, counted from the issue date on the certificate.
Can you translate other UK documents at the same time?
Yes. Companies House filings, marriage and birth certificates and employment letters are all part of a typical UK file. Upload them together and you will get one plan and one price.
Check your other documents
See which of your documents need a sworn translation for your consulate or office, with the source for each answer.