Moving to Barcelona Checklist: Documents, Apostilles, 2026

The consulate's appointment is in six weeks, the police certificate expires in three months, the apostille takes longer than you thought and the translation must be done by a sworn translator in Spain. The documents are the part of a move that cannot be fixed on arrival. This guide lists them in the order to prepare them, with the validity windows the consulates state.

What is an apostille, and which documents need one?

An apostille is a certificate issued by a designated competent authority in the country where a public document originates, which replaces the traditional requirement of legalisation, according to the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), and an e-Apostille is as valid as a paper one. Barcelona International Welcome says foreign documents used for an NIE must be translated by a sworn translator and legalised, with an apostille where the issuing country is a Hague Convention party, and multilingual standard EU forms are exempt.

• Police certificates: the Los Angeles consulate requires an FBI check no older than six months with a federal apostille from the US Department of State (a local apostille is not valid) and a certified translation. The Toronto consulate asks for an apostilled and translated RCMP certificate.
• Medical certificate: the Los Angeles consulate asks for one issued within 90 days, apostilled and translated where required, and the Toronto consulate asks for one for stays over 180 days.
• Australian applicants: the Sydney consulate asks for a national police clearance, and one from any other country lived in over the last five years, less than three months old.

What should be in your document folder?

• Passport: GOV.UK says it must have been issued less than 10 years before arrival and not expire within three months after you leave the Schengen area, and the Los Angeles consulate asks for one valid for at least a year with two blank pages for a long-stay visa.
• Civil documents: birth and marriage certificates if you apply for family members or school places. Barcelona International Welcome says a child who has never attended school in Catalonia needs the family book or birth certificate for a mid-year application.
• Insurance and funds: the proofs your visa requires (see our visa comparison guide).
• Driving licence: GOV.UK says a UK licence allows driving in Spain for up to six months, so keep it with you.
• Spanish criminal record: the Embassy of Ireland notes you may be asked for a police clearance (penales) if you lived and worked in Spain, which the Spanish Ministry of Justice explains in English.

Do you need a sworn translation?

Often yes. Foreign documents used for official procedures usually need an official translation into Spanish, and the Los Angeles consulate says apostilled documents must be translated officially where applicable. Sworn translators charge per page, and you can check typical 2026 prices in the price checker. Our gestor and accountant prices page lists sworn translation alongside gestor fees.

Can you bring your belongings duty-free?

Personal belongings can usually be imported free of duty and VAT when you move your main residence from outside the EU, provided you meet the conditions, according to Age in Spain's summary: you generally need to show you lived outside the EU for at least 12 months, that non-consumable goods were used for at least six months before you stopped living in your previous country and that goods arrive within three months of your own arrival. Confirm with your mover. Our removals cost guide has prices.

What is the order to do things in?

• Choose your visa route (our visa comparison) and check the consulate's checklist.
• Order police and medical certificates close to your appointment, because of the 90-day and six-month windows.
• Get apostilles, then sworn translations, then book the consulate appointment if it is not already booked.
• After arrival: register on the padrón and book the NIE or TIE appointment, with the official fees (NIE €9.84, first TIE €16.08).

See the Spanish visa types comparison and our first 30 days checklist.

How do you get the free guide and help connecting with professionals?

Our free 19-page Barcelona English Speakers Directory 2026 puts the practical steps from this guide into a few pages you can keep on your phone: page 3 covers your first 30 days, page 4 the official fees, when a gestor or lawyer is worth paying and sworn translation prices, and page 13 everyday admin. It is plain English, free, and every page links to checked English-speaking professionals. Download it, then join the WhatsApp community for one-way updates when rules, fees or appointment systems change.

If you would like help before you arrive, tell us what you need and which neighbourhood you are considering, and we will point you to English-speaking professionals who serve it. Use the finder on the home page or the request form on any category page, for example sworn translators. We do not test fluency and a listing is not a ranking or an endorsement, so ask each professional directly whether they work in English with clients and what the work will cost.

Find an English-speaking sworn translator or gestor for your documents: All of Barcelona, or by area: Eixample, Poblenou, Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, Les Corts, Diagonal Mar & Vila Olímpica, Gràcia, El Born & Barri Gòtic and Sants.