- DNV (Ley 14/2013): a certificate from the country or countries where you have lived for the past two years and a declaration (declaración responsable) that there have been no convictions for the last five years. [1][3].
- The visa and most other grounds: For the Arraigo, five years are counted before the date of entry into Spain. [2].
- The certificate must be a public document: general rules apply to apostilles or legalizations and translations [4]The Spanish Consulate in Moscow calls the Apostille for inquiries from Russia, Belarus, Armenia and Uzbekistan [5].
- The statute of limitations is not known as UGE's law and certificate. Order it to be fresh on the date of the submission and the consulate's request to specify his check sheet. [1][3].
- Recording does not automatically mean failure: Reglamento requires a security and order assessment, and Tribunal Supremo in 2026 ruled out automatic criminal denial for part of the family. [2][6].
Indictable certificate for residence in Spain: what is required on grounds of
There is no universal formula. The law and Reglamento set different periods and countries according to the basis, and the agency checks what is written for your procedure. In the table, the main cases are not a substitute for your consulate's check sheet or UGE (Unidad de Grandes Empreas, the department's unit that handles the Ley 14/2013).
| Basis | What is required | Source |
|---|---|---|
| DNV and other Ley 14/2013 permits | Certificate from countries where they have lived for the past two years and declaration of no convictions for five years | Ley 14/2013, art. 62.3 (c) [1] |
| Residence visa (no lucrativa, self-employment, work and others) | No convictions in countries of residence in the last 5 years if the applicant is of adult age | RD 1155/2024, art. 38 (e) [2] |
| Long-term student visa (over 6 months) | No convictions in previous countries of residence in the last 5 years | RD 1155/2024, art. 35(j) [2] |
| Arraigo and other exceptional circumstances | A certificate from a country or countries where they lived five years before they entered Spain. | RD 1155/2024, art. 126 (d), 130 [2] |
The age of majority here means that the age of criminal responsibility has been reached by Spanish law (mayor de edad penal), and for minors, please specify in the consulate.
The UGE DNV certificate adds an exception: if the applicant already has a residence permit or a residence in Spain for more than six months and the certificate has been filed for this permit, it is not repeated. [3]This will be useful for the extension and change of base.
For which countries and years to request a certificate
Before ordering, write a timeline: which countries and on which dates you have lived in the last five years. You need countries of actual residence, the country of citizenship is not a solution in itself. If you have spent the first years of a five-year period in one country and then you have moved to another country, you may need a certificate from both countries. [1][3].
Please also write the old names if they have changed: the certificate is ordered for the same option as the passport and the additional options are specified in advance. The error in writing is then corrected only by ordering a new certificate.
The Act and Reglamento refer to the absence of convictions for acts that are also recognized as crimes in Spain. [1][2]As your case is, the department and the lawyer, not the complainant, define the case.
How to order a certificate: general order
The report is issued by the authority of the country in which you lived or, in some cases, by its consulate. Certificate of Independency from Russia: State Services, Apostille and TranslationIf you have lived in Spain, the Spanish certificate issued by the Ministry of Justice is issued in a separate procedure: certificado de antecedentes penalesWhen submitting data in Spain, Registro Central de Penados usually requests the data itself: this is for arraigo and a number of other procedures. [2].
In other CIS countries, the procedure for obtaining legislation is determined by the legislation of each country, and we do not describe it here, and check with the sources of their agencies.
Apostille, legalization and translation of the certificate
The authority's certificate refers to public documents, and the Ministry of Inclusion requires that public documents of foreign authorities should come with apostilles if the country of extradition is a party to the Hague Convention or legalized in the Spanish Consulate if not. [4]The Spanish Consulate in Moscow wrote in a note on the telework visa that the certificates from Russia, Belarus, Armenia and Uzbekistan should be with the Apostilles and that the certificate from Turkmenistan should be signed by the diplomatic agent of the consulate in Russia. [5].
In Russia, the Apostilles put the MOD on a criminal record [7]The jury orders a translation after the apostille: juror's translation for SpainII. General procedure and exceptions: apostille and legalization of documents for Spain.
Statute of limitations and calendar
No law or UGE DNV certificate is known as the single "three months" deadline. [1][3]This does not mean that there are no restrictions: the consulate or the one-in-a-kinda de extrandjeria may set a deadline in their checklist. Recognize it in advance and be guided by it. The order of the certificate, the apostile, the translation and the recording for the application take weeks. If the certificate is ready months before the submission, the question of its relevance will arise, and the new apostille will not make the old certificate fresh.
If the delivery has moved, evaluate the kit before it is sent, not after the requerimiento, about how to respond to the agency's request: Requerimiento and subsanación.
If there's a record in the certificate
The authorities are assessing whether the person poses a real and present threat to the basic interest of society. [2]. The Tribunal Supremo, in its decision of 8 July 2026 (publication in BOE 22.09.2026), invalidated the provisions of Articles 97.4 and 98.1, which prescribed automatic denial of criminal record without individual assessment, in cases falling under Article 20 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU. [6]The decision concerns these family cases, and it cannot be extended to all grounds.
For DNV and other grounds, their own rules apply: no criminal conviction for acts committed in Spain [1]What you do with the recording in your case depends on the nature of the record, the statute of limitations, the payment and the grounds, which is a question for a lawyer, and we don't appreciate any individual cases here.
If it's impossible to get a certificate
Exception is prescribed for exceptional residence visas (art. 42 Reglamento): if it is confirmed that it is impossible to obtain a certificate from the country ’s authorities, a declaration of absence of convictions for five years may be avoided. [2]If the country does not issue a certificate, is closed or is not available for reasons beyond your control, prepare a document explaining the reason and agree with the agency or lawyer before filing.
Typical Errors
- The certificate is "only from the country of nationality" and has been issued in another country.
- They don't check the period, two years for DNV, five years for most other grounds.
- They're going to get the certificate back to the apostille and then the stamp is translated separately.
- They order a certificate months before the delivery, and then the delivery moves.
- They didn't attach a five-year DNV application.
- Send a report to several intermediaries, and the document contains a criminal record, and give it to one responsible person and in a protected manner.
When Individual Review Is Needed
A review is required when a certificate is written, if it is not possible to obtain a document, when a few countries have lived in recent years, when a name or name has changed and when a change of base is changed, when it is doubtful whether the certificate is needed again. There is no universal answer: everything depends on the basis, country and date. The common checklist for reconciliation: Documents for residence in Spain.
What can we help you with?
The NEXO team helps determine which forms you need and during which periods, build an order calendar, apostol and translation, and check the kit before delivery. The disputed questions on the certificate and exceptions go through the team's lawyer. Documents.
Frequent issues
How many years does a certificate of non-judiciality be required for a residence in Spain?
Was the certificate required only from the country of nationality?
Do you need an apostille for a certificate of indecent conviction?
What is the expiry date of the disindictive certificate for Spain?
Can you replace the certificate with a personal statement?
What happens if the certificate has a criminal record?
Do children need a certificate of incriminatingness?
Based on source
- BOE · Ley 14/2013, article 62.3 (requirements for claimants) ♪
- BOE · Real Decreto 1155/2024, arts. 35, 38, 42, 126, 130
- Ministerio de Inclusion · UGE: documents for the initial application teletrabajadores ♪
- Ministry de Inclusion · Hoja 61: legalización y tradección de documentos (May 2025)
- Consuledo de España en Moscú · Visado de teletrabajo de carácter international (note of 02.05.2023)
- BOE · Sentencia del Tribunal Supremo de 8 de julio de 2026 (publication 22.09.2026) ♪
- Ministry of Justice of Russia . Which authority issues the apostille (Russian Government Decision No. 479) .
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.
Turn the information into questions.
The navigator will help to gather topics for individual review; it does not define the right to residence or submit an application.
Collect a memoThe NEXO working conditions: 30 minutes free of charge, full consultation 121 I in 45 minutes; maintenance costs are charged separately, fees and transfers. about the team..
You want to go on your own? Barcelona residence permit: from Empadronamiento to TIE and Formulas based on grounds.
Related materials
The source is viewed on 02.10.2026 · NEXO · Drafting Draft · Sources do not replace individual legal advice.