Spain Certificate Attestation
Spanish apostille and consular legalisation handled from Dubai, with the UAE side of the file closed in 3-4 working days.
Spain has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention since 1978. That simplifies the Spanish end of the process, but it does not remove the UAE end: because the UAE is not a Convention party, a Spanish document destined for use here still needs consular legalisation on top of its apostille. What it does not remove is Spain's decentralised structure: the competent authority depends entirely on what kind of document you hold. Criminal record and judicial documents go through the Ministerio de Justicia. Notarial instruments — powers of attorney, notarised declarations, company deeds — are apostilled by the Colegio Notarial for the region where the notary is registered. Administrative and academic documents route through the relevant government delegation or education authority. Submitting to the wrong body is the single most common reason a Spanish file comes back untouched. GreenAttest coordinates the correct authority for each document, arranges certified Spanish-Arabic translation where the receiving UAE body requires it, and closes the UAE-side attestation in 3-4 working days once the apostilled document is in our hands. For UAE-issued documents travelling the other way, we run MOFA attestation and the Spanish diplomatic legalisation in Dubai and Abu Dhabi on the same timeline.
Spain embassy services
Spanish Birth Certificate Apostille (Certificado de Nacimiento)
Spanish birth certificate apostille and UAE attestation for family visas, dependant sponsorship and school admission.
Spanish Marriage Certificate Apostille (Certificado de Matrimonio)
Spanish marriage certificate apostille and UAE legalisation for spouse sponsorship and residency applications.
Spanish Degree Certificate Apostille (Título Universitario)
Apostille of Spanish university degrees and transcripts for UAE employment, licensing and Ministry of Education equivalency.
Spanish Police Clearance Certificate Apostille (Antecedentes Penales)
Spanish criminal record certificate apostilled through the Ministerio de Justicia and attested for UAE employment and visa use.
Spanish Power of Attorney Legalisation (Poder Notarial)
Spanish notarial powers of attorney apostilled via the Colegio Notarial and legalised for UAE banks, courts and authorities.
Spanish Company Document Apostille (Registro Mercantil)
Spanish company extracts, incorporation deeds and resolutions apostilled for UAE trade licensing and branch registration.
Spanish-Arabic Certified Translation and Attestation
UAE-recognised legal translation of Spanish documents, produced after apostille so the stamps carry through, then attested.
Spanish Single Status Certificate Apostille (Fe de Vida y Estado)
Spanish single-status and proof-of-life certificates apostilled and attested for marriage registration and pensions in the UAE.
Documents this embassy accepts
Requirements
- 01 Original Spanish document or a recent certified copy
- 02 Passport copy of the document holder
- 03 Emirates ID copy where the document is for UAE use
- 04 Spanish apostille, or authority for us to obtain it
Special requirements
- § Spain has no single apostille office. Judicial and criminal-record documents are apostilled by the Ministerio de Justicia, notarial instruments by the regional Colegio Notarial, and administrative or academic documents by the relevant government delegation or education authority. A document sent to the wrong competent authority is returned unprocessed, which is why we confirm the route before anything is submitted.
- § Spanish academic qualifications issued by private or non-university institutions may need prior verification by the awarding body or the education authority of the autonomous community before an apostille can be affixed. Public university titles are more straightforward, but the underlying Título Universitario must be the original award document, not a graduation letter.
Attestation procedure
- 01 Document review and authority check
- 02 Spanish apostille via the competent body
- 03 Certified Spanish-Arabic translation where required
- 04 UAE MOFA attestation
- 05 Delivery anywhere in the UAE
Insider tips
Frequently asked questions
We close the UAE side of a Spanish file in 3-4 working days — that covers MOFA attestation, any required legalisation here, certified translation and delivery. If the Spanish apostille still has to be obtained in Spain, that step runs on the Spanish authority's own timetable and sits outside our 3-4 days. Send us what you already hold and we will tell you which of the two situations you are in before you commit.
Both, in sequence. The apostille is issued in Spain and stands in for the Spanish ministry authentication. It does not stand in for UAE consular legalisation, because the UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention and so is not bound to accept an apostille on its own. Anyone telling you the apostille alone is sufficient for the UAE is mistaken. We confirm the exact chain for your specific file at intake.
It depends on the document type. Criminal record and judicial documents go through the Ministerio de Justicia. Notarial instruments such as powers of attorney are apostilled by the Colegio Notarial covering the notary who signed. Administrative and academic documents route through the relevant government delegation or education authority. Sending a document to the wrong body is the most common cause of delay on Spanish files.
Usually yes, by a UAE-licensed legal translator, and always after the apostille rather than before — a translation produced first will not carry the apostille stamp and has to be redone. One exception is worth asking about: Spanish civil registry certificates can be issued in plurilingual international format, which some receiving bodies accept without separate translation.
Yes. That direction runs UAE MOFA attestation followed by the Spanish diplomatic legalisation handled through the Embassy in Abu Dhabi or the Consulate General in Dubai, depending on the document. Same 3-4 working day target on our side.
It can add a step. Qualifications from private or non-university institutions may need verification by the awarding body or the education authority of the autonomous community before an apostille can be affixed. Public university titles are more direct. Send us a scan and we will tell you which route applies before any fee is committed.
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Tell us what you're working toward. We'll map every stamp.
Visa, job, university, company formation — share the objective and we'll return a full attestation plan with timelines and fees within one business day.