Administrative procedures for
your move to Spain
Relocating to Spain involves a series of procedures that are best planned in advance: obtaining and legalizing your civil documents, registering with the relevant authorities and, if applicable, getting your qualifications recognized. This guide summarizes the main steps and where to complete each one.
Birth certificates and civil documents
The birth certificate is one of the documents most frequently requested when settling in Spain: it is needed to register minors, for marriage, for citizenship applications, for degree recognition, or for certain immigration procedures. If you were born outside Spain, you'll need to obtain and prepare it as follows:
Request several original full-copy certificates from your country of origin before you travel — this will save you from depending on consular procedures once you're in Spain, where they tend to be slower.
Hague Apostille and sworn translation
Any foreign public document that needs to take effect before a Spanish authority generally requires two steps: legalization (to certify the authenticity of the signature) and, if it is not in Spanish, a sworn translation.
If the country where the document was issued is party to the 1961 Hague Convention, the process is resolved with a single apostille issued by the competent authority in that country. If the country is not a party to the Convention, chain diplomatic legalization is required, involving the Spanish Consulate or Embassy in the country of origin.
Documents from another EU country: under Regulation (EU) 2016/1191, public documents issued by an EU Member State (for example birth, marriage or criminal-record certificates) must be accepted in Spain without an apostille or legalization. For many civil-status documents you can also request a multilingual standard form from the issuing authority, which avoids the need for a translation.
The sworn translation must be carried out by a sworn translator-interpreter appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation (or its equivalent abroad), or certified through consular channels. A simple, non-sworn translation will not be accepted by registries or official bodies.
The authority that issues the apostille depends on the country that issued the document — it may be the foreign ministry, a court, a regional or state authority or, for notarial documents in some countries (Spain among them), the notarial colleges. Check the HCCH list of competent authorities for the issuing country in advance.
Other registrations
Beyond the documents above, there are a few other registrations to complete once you're in Spain. We cover some of these in more depth in their own dedicated guides elsewhere on the site — linked below — so here we focus on the ones not explained anywhere else yet.
The following are the registrations we haven't covered anywhere else yet. Click on each one for details.
Licences issued in an EU/EEA country remain valid in Spain and do not need to be exchanged. Other foreign licences can be used for at most 6 months from when you become normally resident in Spain. If your country has an exchange agreement with Spain and you obtained the licence before becoming resident, you can exchange it (for car and motorcycle licences usually without a test) — do so within those 6 months to keep driving. Licences from countries without an agreement cannot be exchanged: you will need to pass the Spanish driving tests.
Although not mandatory in most cases, many consulates recommend registering as a resident abroad to facilitate consular assistance, document renewals, and participation in your home country's elections.
Many sports clubs, gyms, municipal libraries and neighborhood associations also request proof of municipal registration to apply resident rates, along with a NIE or passport and, for minors, the family book.
Degree recognition and validation
If you completed your studies outside Spain and want them to be recognized, there are several routes depending on your level of education and purpose. Choosing the right one from the start matters, since the procedures differ.
| Procedure | When it applies |
|---|---|
| Homologación (university-level recognition) | Declares that your foreign Bachelor's or Master's degree is equivalent to an official Spanish degree, granting access to a regulated profession (e.g. medicine, architecture, law). |
| Equivalencia (academic equivalence) | Recognizes your degree at the academic level of Bachelor's or Master's without linking it to a specific Spanish degree — useful for continuing studies or proving academic level. |
| Homologación / convalidación (non-university) | Applies to Secondary Education, Baccalaureate (Bachillerato) or Vocational Training studies completed abroad. |
If your degree was obtained within the European Union and your profession is regulated, a faster recognition route may be available under the EU professional qualifications directive, instead of the general homologación procedure.
Administrative procedures checklist
Use this interactive list to make sure you don't miss any important step when settling in Spain.
Useful links
Official resources and electronic offices for handling these procedures directly with the Spanish administration.
Municipal registration is handled directly online or in person at the town hall of your municipality of residence: requirements and appointment availability vary from one locality to another.
Get in touch with us
Stuck on one of these procedures, or not sure where to start? Tell us what you need and we'll point you in the right direction or connect you with someone who can help.