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Using a U.S. document in Spain

Step by step

1. If the document is not issued by a state authority (e.g. a power of attorney), sign it before a U.S. notary public first; state-issued vital records such as birth certificates do not need notarization.
2. Get the Hague Apostille from the Secretary of State of the state where the document was issued or notarized; for federal documents such as an FBI background check, request it from the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications.
3. Have the document (and, if needed, the apostille) translated into Spanish, preferably by a sworn translator (traductor/intérprete jurado) appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
4. Submit the apostilled original with its translation to the Spanish consulate or Spanish authority handling your case.

Translation

Spanish authorities require foreign public documents to be translated into Spanish. Translations are valid when made by a sworn interpreter (Intérprete Jurado) authorized by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs; translations made or verified by a Spanish diplomatic mission abroad are also accepted under the conditions set by the Ministry. The Spanish Consulate in Washington advises checking whether the apostille itself must also be translated.

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