Documents to Prepare Before Moving to Spain (UK, US and Irish)

Before you move to Spain, get the paperwork right at home - because some of it is far easier to obtain before you leave than after. The essentials: a passport with plenty of validity, your visa file if you are non-EU (British or American), civil-status certificates (birth, marriage), your children's school records, and health and financial documents. Crucially, several official documents must be apostilled (Hague Apostille) and translated by a sworn translator (traductor jurado) before Spanish authorities will accept them. How much you need depends heavily on whether you are EU/Irish or non-EU.

Passport and identity documents

• A passport valid well beyond your move - Spain generally wants at least six months' validity for non-EU arrivals, and your visa or residency will be tied to it.
• Irish citizens can enter and settle on freedom-of-movement rules and need far less paperwork; a valid passport or national ID is enough to arrive, and you register locally once here.
• Keep certified copies and digital scans of everything in a secure cloud folder.

Visa paperwork (British and American - non-EU)

This is the big difference post-Brexit: Britons and Americans are non-EU nationals and need a visa to live in Spain long term. Whichever route you choose - the Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV) or the Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) - you assemble the core file at home, usually at the Spanish consulate covering your region. Typically required:

• Proof of income / financial means (for the NLV, passive income around €2,400/month; for the DNV, remote-work income around €2,850/month - check current thresholds).
• Private health insurance with full cover in Spain, no co-payment and no waiting period.
• A criminal record certificate from your home country (and anywhere you have lived recently), apostilled.
• A medical certificate stating you are free of diseases with public-health implications.

The Golden Visa route no longer exists - it was abolished in 2025. For the detail on income levels and which route fits, see our residency guides.

Apostille and legalisation of your documents

An apostille is an international certification that authenticates a public document for use abroad. Both the UK and the US are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention, so their documents are legalised by apostille rather than full consular legalisation:

• UK documents: apostilled by the FCDO Legalisation Office (gov.uk). Order it before you leave - turnaround and postage take time.
• US documents: apostilled by the Secretary of State of the issuing state (and, for federal documents, the U.S. Department of State). Each state has its own process.

Get the apostille attached to birth and marriage certificates and your criminal record certificate, plus any diplomas an employer or authority may ask for. Doing this from Spain later is slow and awkward.

Birth and marriage certificates

Order recent official copies of your birth and marriage certificates before you go (an old photocopy will not do). These are needed for empadronamiento in some cases, for family visa applications, for enrolling children in school, and for registering a marriage or partnership locally. Once apostilled, most will also need a sworn translation (below).

Translations (traductor jurado)

Official documents in English will usually need translating into Spanish by a traductor jurado - a sworn translator officially authorised by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A standard translation is not enough for administrative purposes. Sworn translators can be found on the Ministry's public list, and many work remotely, so you can often arrange this once you know exactly which documents an office wants stamped.

Documents for children and school

Bring school reports and records, proof of vaccinations, and each child's passport. On arrival you will also need the empadronamiento to enrol them. Some schools ask for a sworn translation of reports. To weigh up international, British, American or Spanish state schools, read our guide to choosing a school in Valencia.

Health documents

Carry your vaccination records and current prescriptions (with the generic drug names). Britons should note the GHIC covers tourists, not residents - once you live here you need private cover or the Spanish public system; UK State Pensioners can use the S1 form to access public healthcare. Non-EU residents on an NLV or DNV must hold full private insurance from the outset. You will later open local health rights via the Spanish healthcare system and your SIP card.

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Sources

• GOV.UK - get a document legalised (apostille)
• Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs - list of sworn translators
• Spanish consulates abroad - visa requirements

Information verified in July 2026. Requirements, thresholds and fees change: always check the official source before you start. The Daily Valencia is an AI-assisted publication with human review; our editorial team verifies and takes responsibility for every article. Spotted an error? Write to us and we will correct it.