How to obtain a police certificate

Spain

Do I need to provide a police certificate when applying for permanent residence?
Yes.

How and where do I obtain one?

If you live in Spain

1. APPLICATION – This must be done using Model 790, which can be downloaded from the Criminal Record Certificate page or is available, free-of-charge, at the following places:

The Regional Offices of the Ministry of Justice.
Civil Registers throughout Spain.
In Madrid, in the Central Office of Citizen Services.

2. PROVIDING PROOF OF IDENTITY OF THE PERSON MAKING THE APPLICATION

Original valid National Identification Card (DNI) if the person is Spanish.
Original of a valid Residency Card, passport, with a valid visa where applicable, or EU identification document if the person is a non-Spanish national.

3. WHEN THE CERTIFICATE IS NOT APPLIED FOR IN PERSON BY THE INTERESTED PARTY BUT BY SOMEONE REPRESENTING HIM/HER, in addition to the documentation mentioned in point 2, this person must provide:

Original or certified photocopy of a valid National Identification Card (DNI) if the person is Spanish.
Original or certified photocopy of a valid Residency Card, passport, with a valid where applicable, or EU identification document or equivalent if the applicant is a non-Spanish national.
Original or certified photocopy of the document that provides proof of representation by any means deemed valid under the law that provides a reliable record of same (public document authorized by a notary, private document with signatures authorized by a notary or private document, granted when the interested party appears in person before a public employee who will record this incident using a legal measure).

4. PAYMENT OF THE FEE. Proof of payment of the fee; this can be provided in any of the following ways:

4.1. If the payment is made in Spain.
- You must take completed form 790 to a financial entity that works with the Tax Agency (practically all financial entities) to make the payment. Proof of payment will be provided through machine validation or authorized signature of the financial entity on the “copy for the Administration” part of form 790 which must be presented in order for the certificate to be issued.
4.2. If the payment is made outside Spain.
- You must take a signed form 790 to a Spanish financial entity that works with the Tax Agency and has a branch in the country where the certificate is being requested. Proof of payment will be provided through machine validation or authorised signature of the financial entity on the “copy for the Administration” part of form 790 which must be sent.
- Otherwise, you can deposit the fee amount via bank transfer into the restricted account of the Ministry of Justice, details of which can be found below, and send the original of proof of payment together with the “copy for the Administration” of form 790.

BANK: BBVA
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 0182-2370-42-0208000060
ACCOUNT HOLDER: Ministerio de Justicia - Cuenta Restringida Recaudación Tasas Extranjero (Ministry of Justice - Foreign Fee Collection Blocked Account)

NIF (TAX IDENTITY NUMBER) OF THE ACCOUNT HOLDER: S-2813610-I
IBAN or International Bank Account Number: IBAN ES62 0182 2370 4202 0800 0060
Bank Identification Code (BIC) of the BBVA: BBVAESMMXXX

Fee price

Criminal record certificate 2011: 3,54 euros.

This amount is updated in January every year.

IMPORTANT: Special care should be taken that the correct amount of the fee is paid, as the financial entity is not able to refund mistaken amounts paid; requests for reimbursement will require that the interested party initiates a procedure for the refund of undue payment.

If you live outside Spain

Criminal record certificate applications made by post from abroad will be sent to the

Central Office of Citizen Services.
Ministry of Justice.
Plaza de Jacinto Benavente, 3.
28012, Madrid,

together with:

The documents described in the “Documentation and necessary requirements” section, substituting the original identification documents with true photocopies.
The document providing proof of payment of the fee. If payment is made outside Spain.
- You must take a signed form 790 to a Spanish financial entity that works with the Tax Agency and has a branch in the country where the certificate is being requested. Proof of payment will be provided through machine validation or authorized signature of the financial entity on the “copy for the Administration” part of form 790 which must be sent.
- Otherwise, you can deposit the fee amount via bank transfer into the restricted account of the Ministry of Justice, details of which can be found below, and send the original proof of payment together with the “copy for the Administration” of form 790.