If you need to use a Spanish document outside of Spain — a power of attorney in Argentina, a birth certificate in Mexico, a deed in Colombia — you will likely need the Hague Apostille. It is the official seal that guarantees the international validity of Spanish public documents in more than 120 countries. We explain what it is, which documents require it, and how to process it online.
What is the Hague Apostille?
The apostille is an official certification that authenticates the origin of a public document so that it is recognized in another country that is a signatory to the Hague Convention of 1961. This convention simplified the international legalization process by replacing the cumbersome chain of consular legalizations with a single standardized seal.
Currently, more than 120 countries are signatories to the Convention, meaning that a document apostilled in Spain is directly recognized in all those countries without the need for additional procedures.
What Spanish documents require an apostille?
- Notarial documents: powers of attorney, wills, deeds of sale, deeds of incorporation of companies
- Civil Registry documents: birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, divorce certificates
- Administrative certificates: criminal record certificates, residence certificates, proof of life
- University and academic titles: diplomas and degrees issued by universities or the Ministry of Education
- Judicial resolutions: judgments, orders, certifications from courts
Who issues the apostille in Spain?
In Spain, the competent authority to issue the apostille depends on the type of document:
- Ministry of Justice: for notarial and Civil Registry documents (through the electronic registry, electronically)
- Superior Courts of Justice: for judicial documents (judgments, orders)
- Ministry of Universities and Education Departments: for academic titles
How to process the apostille from abroad?
Since 2020, the Spanish Ministry of Justice manages the apostille of notarial and Civil Registry documents electronically, allowing it to be processed remotely. The process with Online Notary is as follows:
- You grant the power of attorney or deed via video call with our notary
- We manage the apostille application with the Ministry of Justice (timeline: 2-5 business days)
- We send the apostilled document to your address in Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, or any other country, via DHL Express
The complete process from the video call to receiving the apostilled power in your country takes approximately 10 to 14 calendar days.
Latin American countries that accept the Spanish apostille
All major countries in Latin America are signatories to the Hague Convention, so they accept the Spanish apostille without additional procedures: Argentina (since 1987), Mexico (1995), Colombia (2002), Chile (2016), Peru (2010), Ecuador (2005), Uruguay (2012), Venezuela, Bolivia, and Paraguay.
Cuba is the only significant Latin American country that is not a signatory to the Convention, so Spanish documents destined for Cuba require consular legalization instead of an apostille.
Difference between apostille and legalization
The apostille is the simplified process of the Hague Convention: a single seal recognized in 120+ countries. Consular legalization is the old process, necessary for countries not signatories to the Convention: the document goes through the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then the consulate of the destination country in Spain. It is slower and more expensive. At Online Notary, we manage both depending on the document's destination.
How much does the apostille of a Spanish document cost?
The official fee from the Ministry of Justice for the electronic apostille is approximately 6.01 euros per document. The management fees from Online Notary are additional. Contact our team for a complete quote that includes the power of attorney, apostille, and international shipping.