How long does an urgent apostille take in Spain?

The Hague Apostille is an official seal that authenticates a public document (such as a notarial power of attorney, a judicial sentence, or a birth certificate) so that it has legal validity in the countries that are signatories to the Hague Convention of 1961.

Without an Apostille, a Spanish public document would need to go through a consular legalization process in the destination country (much slower and more expensive).

With Apostille: the document is directly recognized in more than 120 signatory countries without additional procedures.

Who issues the Apostille in Spain:

• The Ministry of Justice for notarial, judicial, and Civil Registry documents
• The Superior Courts of Justice of each autonomous community

A notarial power of attorney apostilled is valid in all the signatory countries of the 1961 Hague Convention, which include more than 120 states:

Europe: all countries of the EU, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, Turkey, Russia...

America: United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay...

Asia-Pacific: Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China (only Hong Kong and Macao), India, Israel...

Africa: South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia...

For non-signatory countries (some African and Asian countries), the document requires consular legalization. Our team informs about the procedure according to the destination country.

Yes, there are two options to process a power of attorney for use in Spain when you are abroad:

Option 1 — Spanish Consulate or Embassy: The consular notaries of Spanish embassies and consulates can grant notarial powers with the same validity as a Spanish notary. Our team drafts the power and advises on the procedure at the consulate in your country.

Option 2 — Local Notary with Apostille: A notary from the country where you reside can authorize the power, apostille it, and translate it if necessary. Its validity in Spain will be subject to it meeting the formal requirements of the Spanish Civil Code.

In both cases, Notaría Online handles the drafting of the power adapted to Spanish legislation and coordinates the necessary procedures.

The total period from the request until receiving the apostilled international notarial power at your address is 10 to 14 calendar days.

The process in phases:

• Days 1-2: Drafting of the power, translation if necessary, and management of the virtual appointment with the notary.
• Days 2-3: Videoconference with the notary and granting of the deed.
• Days 3-5: Obtaining the Hague Apostille (Ministry of Justice).
• Days 5-14: Sending via international courier to your home.

The shipment is made to any point in the world. For destinations within Europe, the timeframe is usually shorter (10-12 days). For more distant destinations, it can take up to 14 days.

Through the CIRCE system (Center for Information and Network for Business Creation), the incorporation of a Limited Liability Company can be completed in approximately 7 business hours from the start of the procedure.

The process includes:

1. Reservation of the name in the Central Mercantile Registry
2. Opening of a bank account with the share capital
3. Granting of the notarial deed
4. Registration with the Spanish Tax Agency and settlement of taxes (exempt from the Tax on Property Transfers and Documented Legal Acts)
5. Registration with Social Security (if applicable)
6. Registration in the Commercial Register

This timeframe is possible because all the involved organizations are connected electronically through the DUE (Single Electronic Document).

Since the reform of the Capital Companies Act (2023), the minimum share capital to establish a Limited Liability Company in Spain is 1 euro.

However, with such little capital:

• The company must allocate 20% of its profits to reserves until reaching 3,000 euros
• If the company is liquidated before reaching that threshold, the shareholders are subsidiarily liable for the debts up to 3,000 euros

For practical reasons (credibility with suppliers, banks, and clients), it is recommended to contribute at least 3,000 euros as initial share capital.

The capital must be fully paid up at the time of incorporation, whether in cash or through non-monetary contributions.