A Spanish Criminal Record Certificate allows you to prove the existence or lack of criminal records in the Registro Central de Penados (Spanish Central Registry of Sentences) and is issued by the Ministerio de la Presidencia, Justicia y Relaciones con las Cortes (Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Courts).
The certificate can be obtained online, with a Spanish digital certificate, through the e-portal of the Ministerio de la Presidencia, Justicia y Relaciones con las Cortes. You can also request it directly from the aforementioned Ministry by post or in person . Spanish nationals who are abroad and wish to request a criminal record certificate by mail must provide a copy of their DNI or passport certified by the Consular Office.
Likewise, Spanish citizens and foreign citizens who have resided in Spain may request a criminal record certificate from abroad through one of the methods detailed below.
Keep in mind that the Consulate does not issue the “Certificado de Antecedentes Penales", nor collects the fee.
1. By Post:
To do it by post you have to send it to the Ministerio de la Presidencia, Justicia y Relaciones con las Cortes following the instructions on their website.
You will be asked to present a certified copy of your passport as part of the application. You can request a certified copy by post at the Consulate by sending an email to the Legalisation Department at cog.manchester.leg@maec.es.
2. In person:
If you wish to submit your application for the Certificado de Antecedentes Penales in person at this Consulate you can do so by presenting the following documents:
- Original, valid passport of the interested person.
- Form 790-006: "Ejemplar para la Administración" (check bottom right of the form) duly completed, but to be signed at the Consular Office. Each time you click on the form link, you create a new document with a new receipt number. Please do not use the same photocopied document for the applications of several people.
- Proof of fee payment, which may be done through any of the following means:
- Payment through electronic banking systems: If you have an open account and electronic signature to operate in any of the financial entities collaborating with the Agencia Tributaria (Spanish Tax Agency), payment can be made through their electronic services. To do this, you firstly must download the form 790 and include your receipt number in the “Tasas Administrativas 790" (790 Administrative Fees) section of the electronic banking system and, if the option exists, “Código 006 Tasas Administrativas Ministerio de Justicia" (Code 006 Administrative Fees Ministry of Justice). The payment will be accredited in this case with the payment receipt that the electronic banking will provide to the individual, which includes the NRC (Complete Reference Number) that must be presented together with the "Copia para la Administración" (Copy for Administration) sheet of form 790.
- Payment through a Spanish financial entity that collaborates with the Spanish Tax Agency: You can go with the completed form 790 to a Spanish financial entity that collaborates with the Spanish Tax Agency that has a branch in the country from where the certificate is requested. The payment will be accredited with the mechanical validation or authorized signature of the financial institution on the “Copia para la Administración" sheet of form 790 that must be presented.
- Payment by bank transfer: The amount of the fee may be paid by bank transfer, provided that said transfer is made from an account opened in a bank located outside the national territory (it will not be valid nor will the payment be accepted if the transfer is made from an account with an Spanish IBAN). Payment will be credited in this case through proof of payment provided by the bank. To make the transfer, the following account will be used:
- ENTITY: BBVA.
- ACCOUNT HOLDER: Ministerio de Justicia – Cuenta Restringida Recaudación Tasas Extranjero
- TAX ID NUMBER OF THE ACCOUNT HOLDER: S-2813610-I
- IBAN or International Bank Account Code: IBAN ES62 0182 2370 4202 0800 0060
- BBVA Bank Identification Code (BIC): BBVAESMMXXX
PRICE OF THE RATE: €3.86 - It is important to make the transfer for the correct amount. If you make a mistake, the financial institution will not be able to return the money immediately. The interested party will have to request reimbursement by filing an application for the return of undue income.
To file your request for a Criminal Record Certificate you will need to make an appointment to visit the Consular Office (Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 14:00). To make the appointment please send an email to cog.manchester@maec.es with your full UK address and a scanned copy of the form 790 (completed except for the date and signature at the bottom left of the form), the proof of payment and your passport with your preferred date and time so we can confirm availability.
You must come to your appointment with all the documents that you wish to submit. The Consulate will only take the documents and send them in a digital format to the desired destination. If you are bringing original documentation, the digital copies will be sent as copia electronica auténtica (digital certified copy). You will receive a proof of submitting the documents at this office with the date and time of the submission and your original documentation will be given back to you during your appointment. Keep in mind the Consulate will not assess if your application is complete or not. For any queries regarding obtaining the certificate, you must contact the receiving body here.
Please note that only the applicant will be able to submit the documents. If any other person wants to present the documents on their behalf, they will need a valid power of attorney with a sworn translation allowing them to do this.
Once the certificate is issued by the Ministerio de la Presidencia, Justicia y Relaciones con las Cortes, the applicant will receive a message by SMS or email so that they can download the certificate with a Secure Verification Code (CSV), the authenticity of which may be validated via the electronic headquarters of the aforementioned Ministry. It is recommended to check your spam or junk mail folder.
3. Through a representative in Spain
The applicant may designate a representative, who must prove their identity and representation when submitting the application in Spain. The certificate has to be requested through the website of the Ministerio de la Presidencia, Justicia y Relación con las Cortes https://sede.mjusticia.gob.es/es/tramites/certificado-antecedentes
Legalization or apostille of the criminal record certificate
The country in which the certificate must take effect will be indicated in the application. The Ministerio de la Presidencia, Justicia y Relaciones con las Cortes will issue it apostilled or legalized, as appropriate.
Sex Crimes Record Certificate
The criminal record certificate does not qualify you to work with minors or host them in Spain. For this purpose, a certificate of crimes of a sexual nature is necessary, which is processed directly through the Ministerio de la Presidencia, Justicia y Relaciones con las Cortes in Spain.
All the information regarding the process for obtaining the certificate of criminal records of a sexual nature can be found here.
You will need to obtain the digital certificate to subsequently obtain the certificate of criminal records of a sexual nature.
If you have any queries regarding the digital certificate, please contact cog.manchester.pas@maec.es