The Spain digital nomad visa documents fall into two piles: the ones the consulate accepts as they are, and the ones it rejects unless they carry an Apostille and a sworn Spanish translation. Most refused or delayed applications come from mixing up the two piles, or from doing the steps in the wrong order.
This checklist goes through every document on the 2026 requirement lists of the Spanish consulates in Washington and London, and states for each one whether it needs an Apostille, a translation, both or neither. Eligibility, income and the application routes are covered in our main guide to the Spain digital nomad visa. Treat it as the document half of the Spain digital nomad visa requirements: the consulate checks every item below before it looks at anything else.
Spain digital nomad visa documents at a glance
The table summarises the Spain digital nomad visa requirements on the document side, as published by the consulates in London and Washington. Details for each item follow below.
| Document | Apostille or legalization? | Sworn Spanish translation? | Validity at submission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa application form and photo | No | No | Photo taken within 6 months |
| Passport plus copy of biometric page | No | No | Valid at least 1 year, issued within 10 years, 2 blank pages |
| NIE certificate | No | No | No expiry |
| Criminal record certificate (FBI, ACRO or national equivalent) | Yes | Yes | Issued within 6 months |
| Responsible declaration of no criminal record (5 years) | No | In Spanish or translated | Signed for this application |
| Company registration certificate | Yes | Yes | Recent; shows at least 1 year of activity |
| Employer certificate or client contract | No | Yes | Recent; at least 3 months of relationship |
| Proof of income (payslips, bank statements, contract) | No | No | Recent months |
| Degree certificate or proof of 3 years of experience | Yes | Yes | No expiry |
| A1, certificate of coverage, S1 or RETA registration | No | Declaration in Spanish or translated | Current |
| Health insurance certificate | No | No | Policy in force at entry |
| Power of attorney for a representative | Yes | Yes | Recent |
| Marriage, partnership and birth certificates (family) | Yes | Yes | Recent civil registry issue |
| Photocopy of every original | – | – | Otherwise originals are not returned |
The three rules behind every consulate list
Every foreign public document must be legalized. For the 120-plus countries in the Hague Apostille Convention that means an Apostille issued in the country where the document was issued. Documents issued by an EU member state are exempt.
Every document that is not in Spanish must be translated by a sworn translator (traductor jurado) recognised by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The consulate in Washington also accepts certified translators listed by the American Translators Association for its applicants. A notarized or “certified true” translation from an ordinary agency is not the same thing, as our guide on sworn vs certified translation explains.
Criminal record certificates have a shelf life. They must be issued within six months before the application, and they must cover every country you lived in for more than six months during the past two years.
Do the steps in this order
The order matters because each step certifies the one before it. Get it wrong and you pay for the translation twice.
- Obtain the original. Order the criminal record certificate last, since its six-month clock starts on the issue date.
- Apostille the original. The Apostille must certify the signature on the document itself. The consulate in Washington rejects Apostilles that certify a notary’s signature stamped on top of a criminal record certificate.
- Have the Apostilled document translated. The sworn translator translates the document and the Apostille together. The translation does not need its own Apostille, and the Apostille does not need a separate translation.
- Submit original and photocopy of every document, Apostille and translation. Originals are not returned unless you provide copies.
Spain digital nomad visa documents, one by one
Criminal record certificate
Apostille: yes. Sworn translation: yes. Validity: six months.
US applicants must submit the FBI Identity History Summary; state or local police checks are refused. UK applicants must submit the ACRO Police Certificate, not a DBS check. Other nationals use the national certificate of their country of residence.
Lived more than 180 days in another country during the past two years? You need a certificate from there as well, Apostilled unless it was issued in the EU. Our criminal records check page explains how these certificates are notarized and Apostilled for non-federal documents.
You also sign a responsible declaration confirming no criminal record in the past five years, in Spanish or translated.
Company registration certificate
Apostille: yes. Sworn translation: yes.
This is the certificate from the commercial register showing when the company was incorporated and what it does, for example a certificate from a US state Division of Corporations or a Companies House document. The consulate in Washington requires it to show real activity for at least one year.
A certificate of good standing is the usual US document for this purpose, and it can be Apostilled online.
Employer certificate or client contract
Apostille: not required. Spanish translation: yes.
Employees provide a letter from the company stating length of employment (at least three months), salary, and explicit permission to work remotely from Spain. The self-employed provide the contract with the client and its terms for remote work. Both consulates ask for this in Spanish or with a translation, and neither lists an Apostille for it.
University degree or proof of experience
Apostille: yes. Sworn translation: yes.
A copy of your degree, or documents proving three years of experience in your field. The UK consulate accepts the HMRC employment history as proof of experience. Degrees are Apostilled in the issuing country; the steps are in our degree certificate Apostille guide.
Proof of income
Apostille: no. Translation: no.
Bank statements, payslips, the employment contract or the company certificate. The threshold for 2026 is 200% of the Spanish minimum wage, €2,442 per month for a single applicant according to the consulate in Washington.
Health insurance and social security
Apostille: no. Translation: only the responsible declaration.
The insurance certificate from an insurer authorised in Spain is submitted as issued. UK applicants using the S1 route submit the S1 registration receipt, and those staying in their home system submit the HMRC A1 certificate (CA3822 or CA3837). The responsible declaration on social security obligations must be in Spanish or translated.
Family documents
Apostille: yes. Sworn translation: yes.
Marriage certificates, birth certificates of children, registration of an unmarried partnership, and proof of dependency for adult children or parents. All are foreign civil registry documents and follow the full Apostille and translation rule.
Power of attorney for a representative
Apostille: yes. Sworn translation: yes.
If a lawyer or agent submits the application, the power of attorney must be Apostilled and translated, and the representative’s ID must be shown. Our power of attorney Apostille guide covers how to notarize and Apostille one online.
Passport, photo, application form, NIE
Apostille: no. Translation: no.
The passport must be valid for at least one year, have two blank pages and be less than ten years old. The NIE certificate is issued by the consulate or in Spain and is submitted as is.
Documents from countries outside the Hague Convention
If a document was issued in a country that is not party to the Apostille Convention, an Apostille is not available. The document is legalized by the ministry of foreign affairs of the issuing country and then by the Spanish consulate there.
The United Arab Emirates is the common example: documents go through the MOFA before the Spanish consulate, as described in our UAE embassy legalization page. The general difference is set out in legalization vs Apostille.
Why applications get sent back
- Criminal record certificate older than six months on the day of submission, often because it was ordered first and the rest of the file took months.
- Wrong type of certificate: a DBS check instead of ACRO, or a state background check instead of the FBI summary.
- Apostille on the wrong signature: a notarized copy of the certificate Apostilled instead of the certificate itself.
- Certified or notarized translation instead of a sworn translation into Spanish.
- Translation done before the Apostille, so the Apostille text is missing from the translation.
- Damaged documents, including certificates where staples were removed to scan them.
- No photocopies, so originals cannot be returned and the file is incomplete.
If a document has already been refused, our guide on what to do when an Apostilled document is rejected abroad covers the fix for each case.
What NotaryPublic24 can do for your file
Among the Spain digital nomad visa documents, we handle the “Apostille: yes” group that are not federal criminal records: company certificates, degree certificates, civil status certificates and powers of attorney. You upload the document and verify your identity online with BankID or a government-issued photo ID; international Apostilles need no meeting. The Apostille is issued and sent to you, with an e-Apostille available where the receiving authority accepts it. UK-issued documents go through our UK notarization and FCDO Apostille services, which include a short video meeting with a UK Notary Public.
Once the Apostille is on the document, our translation service arranges the sworn Spanish translation of the document and Apostille together, so the order above is followed automatically.
FBI Identity History Summaries are Apostilled by the US Department of State, and ACRO certificates by the UK FCDO. We explain both routes in our guides to the FBI background check Apostille for Spain and the Spain digital nomad visa for UK citizens, and we can still handle the translation step afterwards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an Apostille for the Spain digital nomad visa?
Yes, for every foreign public document among the Spain digital nomad visa documents: the criminal record certificate, the company registration certificate, your degree, family civil status documents and any power of attorney. Documents issued in an EU member state are exempt, and private documents such as the employer letter and bank statements are not Apostilled.
Does the Spanish translation need to be Apostilled too?
No. The consulate in Washington states that the translation does not need an Apostille and the Apostille does not need a translation. The sworn translator’s certification is sufficient.
Should I translate before or after the Apostille?
After. The Apostille is attached to the original, and the sworn translation then covers the document and the Apostille together. A translation made before the Apostille is incomplete and is a common reason for a file being returned.
How old can the criminal record certificate be?
No more than six months on the day you submit the application, unless the certificate itself states a longer validity. Some advisers recommend working to a 90-day window to leave room for the Apostille and translation.
Can I use a certified translation instead of a sworn translation?
Not in London, where the consulate requires a translator-interpreter registered in Spain. In Washington the consulate also accepts certified translators listed by the American Translators Association. When in doubt, use a Spanish sworn translator, which every consulate accepts.
What are the Spain digital nomad visa requirements for documents?
A passport, NIE, criminal record certificate with a five-year responsible declaration, company registration certificate, employer or client certificate, proof of income, degree or proof of three years of experience, social security cover and health insurance, plus civil status certificates for family members. Foreign public documents must be Apostilled and translated by a sworn translator.