- Apostille Put public documents between the Hague Convention countries on 5 October 1961, it replaces consular legalization [1][3].
- Public documents on the convention: from the authority or court, administrative, notarization and official marks on private documents, e.g., signature certification [3].
- The Convention does not apply to diplomatic and consul documents or to administrative documents on commercial and customs transactions. [1][3].
- Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan are on the list of parties to the Convention of the Ministry of Justice of Spain of 11 September 2026 [2].
- Apostille confirms signature, title and stamp, but not content or substitute translation [3].
What is apostille, and how is it different from legalization?
Apostille is a stamp on the 1961 Hague Convention, the only formality that can be required to confirm the authenticity of the signature, the signature and the stamp on the document, which is issued by the competent authority of the country in which the document is issued. [3]II. The Convention exempts from diplomatic legalization the instruments to which it applies [3].
Diplomatic legalization is not the case: the signature and printing are first certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country of extradition and then by the Spanish Mission, whose consular district includes the place of extradition. [1]The general rule referred to by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is that public documents of one country that must be in force in another country are subject to legalization, except for the Hague Convention on Apostilles and several other international instruments. [1]The apostille itself does not speak of the contents of the document nor does it test it. [3].
Three questions that determine whether or not to use apostille
The answer depends on three things: type of document, country of issue, destination.
- Is it a public document? Documents of the authority or court, administrative, notarization and official marks on private documents (registration, date confirmation, signature certification) are considered public under the Convention. [3].
- Is the country of extradition a party to the convention? The list of States is maintained by the Spanish Ministry of Justice, and on 11 September 2006, there are Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. [2]If no country is on the list, legalization is required [1].
- Is there an exception? Part of the documents is exempt from apostille and legalization by EU Regulation 2016/1191 and by conventions (Athens 1977, Vienna 1976, London 1968) [1].
For migration procedures, UGE requires that public documents issued by a foreign authority be legalized or apostulated [5]The requirements depend on the procedure and the host authority, so check them before they are processed.
What documents are usually apostilized?
The apostille needs public acts, not any paper, and the table shows the typical situations, which is a illustration of logic, not a list of the requirements of your procedure.
| Document | Publicly conventional? | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of independency from a public authority | Yes, a document of the authority | Apostille of the country of extradition if it is in the convention [1][3] |
| Marriage or birth certificate | Yes, civil status | Apostille, if there is no exception; it is not necessary when released by an international norm [1] |
| Notary power of attorney or copy | Yes, notarized document | Apostille of the competent authority of the country of extradition [3] |
| Letter from employer, contract with company | No, private document. | First, formal signature assurance, e.g. notary, then apostille for the signature [3] |
| Consulate ’s certificate (e.g. citizenship or residence) | No, the consul's document is excluded from the convention. | Legalization in Servicio de Legalizaciones of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs [1][3] |
What does the Apostille not decide?
Apostille does not replace translation or verify content; it confirms only the origin of the document: signature, signature and stamp [3]The Russian document is still needed in Spanish translation. If the translation is ordered after the apostille, it must cover the stamp. The order and cost are described in the articles on the "Apostilles". juror transfer and from which the price of the transfer is added.
The apostille does not extend the validity of the certificate: the relevance of the document itself may be relevant to the migration case, and this determines the type of certificate and procedure. apostille and legalization.
What depends on your case?
Existence of an exception: The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentions the exchange of notes with the USSR in 1984, which exempts from legalization certificaciónes del Registro Civil of Spain and Russia [1]Whether it is applicable to your document and whether your department accepts it without apostilles, the lawyer or the gendarme determines: we have no general answer. If the country of extradition has recently acceded to the convention, check the table of HCCH status for objections by States to accession. [4].
The collection of documents for your procedure helps to collect the service page documents; the composition of the DNV kit is described in DNV route sheetWhat is apostille in general is in the article What is apostille?.
Frequent issues
Do you need an apostille for an indictability certificate for Spain?
Do you need an apostille for a translation?
What if the countries of extradition are not on the list of the convention?
Do you need an apostille from your employer or a contract?
Do you need an apostille for documents from the EU?
Based on source
- Ministry de Asuntos Extraríores · Legalización y apostilla (rules, exceptions)
- Ministry de Justicia · Estados firmantes del Convenio de La Haya de 5 de octubre de 1961 (list of 11.09.2026) ♪
- HCCH · Conventionio de La Haya de 5 de octubre de 1961 (text, arts. 1-6) ♪
- HCCH · Tabla de estado del Convenio Apostilla ↗
- MINISTerio de Inclusion · UGE: documents for the initial application (translation, legalization and apostille) ♪
Sources are viewed on 02.10.2026. Consolidated texts and departmental reference pages are informative: legal application takes into account official publications, changes and specific circumstances. Material has not been personally checked by counsel.
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The source is viewed on 02.10.2026 · NEXO · Drafting Draft · Sources do not replace individual legal advice.