Spain Visa Documents for US and UK Applicants (2026)
Order the criminal record certificate first: an FBI Identity History Summary costs $18, an ACRO police certificate £70. Then get the apostille and a sworn Spanish translation where needed. File at the Spanish consulate for the district where you legally live; London asks for proof of it.
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On this page
- What does the Spanish side ask for?
- US applicants: how do you get the FBI check and its apostille?
- UK applicants: ACRO certificate and FCDO apostille
- Do you need a medical certificate or a sworn translation?
- Which Spanish consulate handles your visa?
- Does the US–Spain Social Security agreement help you?
- Do you still file US taxes and the FBAR?
- Step by step
- Common questions
Holding a US or UK passport and staring at a long document list? Plan around one item: the criminal record certificate, because it comes in two stages, the check and then the apostille.
What does the Spanish side ask for?
It depends on the visa. For the digital nomad visa, you need no criminal record in Spain and in the countries where you lived in the last two years. You also sign a declaration covering the last five years.
c) Carecer de antecedentes penales en España y en los países donde haya residido durante los dos últimos años, por delitos previstos en el ordenamiento jurídico español. Adicionalmente, se presentará una declaración responsable de la inexistencia de antecedentes penales de los últimos cinco años.
c) Have no criminal record in Spain and in the countries where you have lived during the last two years, for offences provided for in Spanish law. In addition, a sworn declaration of no criminal record for the last five years is submitted.
BOE · Ley 14/2013, art. 62.3 c)
The non-lucrative visa is filed at the consulate under the general residence-visa rules. The window there is longer: no criminal record in the countries where you lived during the last five years.
The Ministry’s digital nomad document list asks for the certificate from each country where you lived in the last two years. The London consulate’s digital nomad page accepts a certificate no older than 6 months, unless the certificate itself states a longer validity. Tip: check your own consulate’s age limit before you order, so the certificate is still valid on the day you file.
The London consulate requires every foreign document to be legalised by the issuing country’s consulate or to carry the Hague Apostille. For a digital nomad application filed in Spain, public documents not in Spanish need a translation by a sworn translator-interpreter authorised by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
US applicants: how do you get the FBI check and its apostille?
Order an FBI Identity History Summary, known as a rap sheet. It costs $18 per person, and you cannot pay extra for faster service.
Pick one of three routes:
- Online request: results within 48 hours of visiting a US Post Office for electronic fingerprints.
- Mailed fingerprint card: about 15 days after the FBI receives it.
- Mail request: up to 30 days.
Fingerprints go on a standard fingerprint form, FD-1164. It must be a current card, not a previously processed one.
An FBI-approved channeler may charge an additional fee. It may only process requests for a US citizen or lawful permanent resident located in the US or its territories. If you want a channeler, order before you leave the US.
The apostille is the second stage. A document signed by a US federal official needs an apostille certificate from the Department of State. Do not notarize the document; it is no longer valid if notarized. Do not ask the FBI to forward your result to the Department of State for the apostille; that step is yours.
| Department of State service | Fee | Processing |
|---|---|---|
| By mail | $20 per document | within five weeks of receipt |
| Walk-in | $20 per document | seven business days |
The processing clock starts when the package arrives in Washington, D.C.. A document issued by a state follows another route for a Hague Convention country: the issuing state certifies it.
UK applicants: ACRO certificate and FCDO apostille
Apply to ACRO for a police certificate, which costs £70 for one copy. ACRO asks for your address history for the last 10 years. It can take up to 20 working days from a correctly completed application, excluding delivery.
The London consulate’s digital nomad page asks UK applicants for an ACRO certificate for UK criminal records. Checking that the consulate accepts the certificate is your responsibility, so confirm before you order.
Then the apostille. The UK Legalisation Office checks the signatures, stamps or seals against its records and attaches an apostille. ACRO certificates for England and Wales cannot get an e-Apostille. Use the paper service: £45 per document plus courier or postage, up to 25 working days plus postage time.
In all, that is up to 45 working days before postage, as a total of the two official maximums. The service cannot legalise documents issued outside the UK. A medical certificate signed by a registered doctor can be legalised.
Do you need a medical certificate or a sworn translation?
For the non-lucrative visa, yes. It is filed under the general residence-visa rules. Those rules ask for a medical certificate showing you do not suffer from diseases with serious public health repercussions under the International Health Regulations 2005. For the digital nomad visa, ask your consulate whether it wants one.
At the Montreal consulate, for its non-lucrative visa, a registered doctor issues it at most 3 months before the visa application. Check your own consulate’s page for its age limit.
Este certificado médico acredita que el Sr. / Sra. […] no padece ninguna de las enfermedades que pueden tener repercusiones de salud pública graves de conformidad con lo dispuesto en el Reglamento Sanitario Internacional de 2005.
This medical certificate certifies that Mr. / Ms. […] does not suffer from any of the diseases that may have serious public health repercussions under the International Health Regulations of 2005.
Consulado General de España en Montreal · non-lucrative visa page
For a digital nomad application filed in Spain, sworn translations come from a translator authorised by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Which Spanish consulate handles your visa?
Apply at the consulate whose district covers where you legally live; the London consulate, for one, asks for proof of legal residence in its district. In the US, find your state in the table.
| Consulate General | Covers |
|---|---|
| Boston | Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont |
| Chicago | Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin |
| Houston | New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee |
| Los Angeles | Southern California counties on its list, Arizona, Colorado, Utah |
| Miami | Florida, South Carolina, Georgia |
| New York | New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey |
| San Francisco | Alaska, California except the south, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, US Pacific possessions |
| Washington DC | Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, District of Columbia, North Carolina |
| Puerto Rico | Puerto Rico, Culebra and Vieques, the Virgin Islands |
In the UK, London’s district is a list of territories, starting with the 32 boroughs of Greater London. Edinburgh covers Scotland, Northern Ireland, Cumbria, Durham, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear and Tees Valley.
Does the US–Spain Social Security agreement help you?
An agreement exemption has a catch. Workers exempted from Spanish coverage pay no Spanish social security taxes for other programs, such as health insurance and unemployment benefits. They generally cannot receive benefits from them.
- Employees (digital nomad route). Spanish registration can be replaced only where an agreement exists and the home agency issues a certificate expressly covering work in Spain.
- Self-employed. A self-employed worker who resides in Spain is assigned Spanish coverage. Residents of the US are assigned US coverage. For a self-employed teleworker, RETA registration is mandatory.
- Pensions. With credits in both countries, you may be eligible for benefits from one or both. Each country pays its own benefit.
Do you still file US taxes and the FBAR?
Yes, in general. US citizens and residents living outside the United States generally file income, estate and gift tax returns. They pay estimated tax in the same way as those residing in the US. Usually you must file when your gross income from worldwide sources reaches the amount for your filing status.
An FBAR is due if foreign financial accounts exceed $10,000 in aggregate at any time during the calendar year. Check your balances across the whole calendar year.
Spanish tax residence is a separate question. The tax residency guide explains it, and the Beckham law guide covers the special regime. The digital nomad visa requirements list every other document.
Step by step
- Order the criminal record certificateOrder an FBI Identity History Summary ($18) or an ACRO police certificate (£70). Cover every country where you lived in the last two years for the digital nomad visa, or five years for the non-lucrative visa.
- Get the apostilleThe London consulate requires foreign documents to be legalised or carry the Hague Apostille. Allow up to five weeks by mail at the Department of State or up to 25 working days at the UK Legalisation Office.
- Order the sworn translationFor a digital nomad application filed in Spain, public documents not in Spanish need a translation by a sworn translator-interpreter authorised by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Find your consulateFile at the consulate whose district covers where you legally live; London asks for proof of it.
- Plan Social Security and taxCheck the agreement route for digital nomad employees and keep your US filings and FBAR in order.
Not confirmed: Whether your consulate wants a medical certificate with a digital nomad visa file: ask it. Which US or UK certificate proves Social Security cover for an employee: ask the consulate before ordering. The age limit for a criminal record certificate at US consulates: ask it.
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Common questions
How long does an FBI background check take?
It depends on the route. Online requests: results within 48 hours of visiting a US Post Office for electronic fingerprints. A mailed fingerprint card takes about 15 days after the FBI receives it. Mail requests: up to 30 days, plus mail delivery time.
Do I need an apostille on my FBI check or ACRO certificate?
Yes. The London consulate requires every foreign document to be legalised or to carry the Hague Apostille, and asks UK applicants for an ACRO certificate. A document signed by a US federal official needs a Department of State apostille. ACRO certificates for England and Wales need a paper apostille, not an e-Apostille.
How much does an apostille cost?
The Department of State charges $20 per document. The UK Legalisation Office charges £45 per document for the standard paper-based service, plus courier or postage costs.
Which Spanish consulate do I apply to?
The one whose district covers where you legally live. For example, New York covers New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In the UK, the London consulate asks for proof of legal residence in its consular district.
Do I still file US taxes if I move to Spain?
Yes, in general. US citizens and residents living outside the United States generally file income, estate and gift tax returns in the same way as those residing in the US. An FBAR is also due above $10,000 in foreign accounts at any time in the year.
Does the US-Spain Social Security agreement exempt me from Spanish contributions?
Not for the self-employed: a self-employed worker who resides in Spain is assigned Spanish coverage, and RETA registration is mandatory for self-employed teleworkers. On the digital nomad route, an employee needs an agreement-based certificate that expressly covers work in Spain.
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General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.
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