Using Spanish Documents in Russia: Apostille and Notarized Translation
If you have a Spanish civil registry document or a notarial deed and need to use it in Russia, the apostille has to be attached in Spain first. Once you send us the apostilled original, we handle the certified Russian translation and notarization here.
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What to Send Us
- The original Spanish document with the apostille already attached, for example a certificado de nacimiento, certificado de matrimonio, certificado de defunción, or a notarial power of attorney (poder notarial)
- If your document has an electronic apostille (apostilla electrónica), the PDF file and a way to check it online, plus a printed copy if you already have one
- A clear scan or photo of every page, including the apostille page itself, so we can confirm it is readable before you send the original
- The Russian authority or office where you plan to use the translated document, so we can format the translation the way that office expects
- A mailing address if you want the notarized Russian translation sent back to you by courier, in addition to a scanned copy by email
Which Spanish Document Do You Have, and Who Apostilled It?
Spanish documents that Russian authorities most often ask for fall into two groups, and each group gets its apostille from a different office in Spain. Civil registry records, such as a certificado de nacimiento (birth certificate), a certificado de matrimonio (marriage certificate), or a certificado de defunción (death certificate), are apostilled by the Ministerio de Justicia. Many of these are now issued and apostilled electronically, as an apostilla electrónica, which comes as a digital file with an online verification code rather than a paper stamp. In some regions, the apostille for a civil registry document is instead handled through the Tribunal Superior de Justicia of that region, so the exact office can vary depending on where the document was issued.
Notarial documents work differently. A poder notarial (notarial power of attorney), a notarized declaration, or any other deed signed in front of a Spanish notary gets its apostille from the Colegio Notarial, the notarial college for the region where that notary practices. This is a separate authority from the Ministry of Justice, so a notarized power of attorney and a birth certificate from the same city can end up apostilled by two different offices, even though both are valid under the same Hague Apostille Convention that Spain joined in 1978.
Whichever office apostilled your document, the important point for using it in Russia is the same: the apostille must already be attached before you send it to us. We do not have any way to add a Spanish apostille from Russia, and a Russian notary cannot substitute for one. Once the apostilled document reaches us, we prepare a certified translation into Russian and have a Russian notary certify the translator’s signature on it — a notarized translation into Russian — which is the format Russian civil registry offices (ZAGS), banks, courts, and other authorities expect.
Spanish Documents and Where the Apostille Comes From
| Document type | Apostille authority in Spain | Typical turnaround in Spain |
|---|---|---|
| Certificado de nacimiento (birth certificate) | Ministerio de Justicia, often as an electronic apostille (apostilla electrónica); in some regions the Tribunal Superior de Justicia | A few days to about 2 weeks, faster when issued electronically |
| Certificado de matrimonio (marriage certificate) | Ministerio de Justicia, often as an apostilla electrónica; in some regions the Tribunal Superior de Justicia | A few days to about 2 weeks, faster when issued electronically |
| Certificado de defunción (death certificate) | Ministerio de Justicia, often as an apostilla electrónica; in some regions the Tribunal Superior de Justicia | A few days to about 2 weeks, faster when issued electronically |
| Poder notarial (notarial power of attorney) | Colegio Notarial of the region where the notary practices | Typically 3-10 business days, depending on the college's workload |
| Other notarized deeds and declarations | Colegio Notarial of the region where the notary practices | Typically 3-10 business days, depending on the college's workload |
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an apostille on a Spanish document to use it in Russia?
Yes, in almost all cases. Spain and Russia are both members of the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, so a Spanish document with an apostille is accepted in Russia without further legalization, once it has a certified Russian translation. Without the apostille, a Russian authority will usually reject the document outright.
Where do I get the apostille, in Spain or in Russia?
Always in Spain. The apostille is a certification that the Spanish document itself is genuine, and only a Spanish authority can issue it, either the Ministerio de Justicia (or the Tribunal Superior de Justicia in some regions) for civil registry records, or the Colegio Notarial for notarized documents. We cannot add a Spanish apostille from Russia; we only translate and notarize the document once it already carries one.
Can I use Spanish residency documents for Russia, like a residency card or NIE certificate?
It depends on what the Russian office is asking for. Residency cards and NIE certificates are usually administrative records, not civil registry documents, and they may not be eligible for an apostille at all in the same way a birth or marriage certificate is. Tell us which Russian office is requesting the document and what it's for, and we'll tell you whether an apostille is possible or whether a different kind of certification applies.
How does a power of attorney from Spain (poder notarial) work for use in Russia?
A Spanish notary drafts and signs the poder notarial, then the Colegio Notarial for that notary's region attaches the apostille. Once you send us the apostilled poder notarial, we translate it into Russian and have a Russian notary certify the translator's signature, so it can be presented to a Russian bank, court, or government office.
What is an apostilla electrónica, and can you work with it?
An apostilla electrónica is a digital apostille that Spanish authorities increasingly issue instead of a paper stamp, usually with an online code the receiving office can use to verify it. We can work with it: send us the digital file (and a printed copy if you have one), and we translate the document along with the apostille text into Russian.
Do you translate the apostille itself, not just the document?
Yes. A Russian authority expects to see the apostille certification translated along with the underlying Spanish document, since the apostille is what confirms the document is genuine. We include the apostille text, whether paper or electronic, in the certified Russian translation.
How long does the whole process take, from Spain to a usable Russian translation?
The apostille itself is normally handled in Spain within a few days to two weeks, depending on the office and whether it is electronic. Once we receive the apostilled document, the certified translation and Russian notarization typically take a few business days, plus courier time if you want the notarized paper copy shipped to you.
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We are not a Spanish government office and we cannot add an apostille to a Spanish document. The apostille must be attached in Spain, either by the Ministerio de Justicia (or the Tribunal Superior de Justicia in some regions) for civil registry documents, or by the Colegio Notarial for notarial documents such as a poder notarial. We accept your already-apostilled Spanish document and provide a certified Russian translation and notarization in Russia.
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