Australians applying for a residence, digital nomad or student visa in Spain need a criminal record certificate — in Australia, the National Police Check, issued by the Australian Federal Police (AFP). The process is fast compared to other countries, but it has its own apostille steps worth knowing before you request it.
How to request the National Police Check
You apply directly through the AFP website, online, with no need to visit a police station. The certificate can be issued in digital format (a PDF with verification) or on paper. For international procedures like this one, it's worth requesting it with the correct stated purpose ("for use overseas"), since it affects which records get checked.
The apostille: issued by DFAT
Australia is party to the Hague Convention, so the certificate is apostilled by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), with no need to go through an embassy. DFAT accepts both formats:
- Paper certificate — DFAT stamps the apostille directly, with no prior notarisation required.
- Digital certificate — DFAT accepts it if you have the AFP Source Email (the AFP's originating email) and the digital certificate is still accessible and downloadable from the AFP portal.
DFAT's usual turnaround for the apostille is up to 3 business days from submission.
What happens if your destination doesn't recognise the apostille
For Spain, being a Hague Convention country, the DFAT apostille is enough — no further consular legalisation is needed. (This isn't the same for every destination: if the receiving country isn't part of the Convention, the certificate needs DFAT authentication followed by legalisation at the relevant embassy or consulate — not the case for Spain.)
The sworn translation
Once apostilled, the National Police Check is translated by a MAEC-accredited sworn translator-interpreter. The translation includes the applicant's identification, the check result (no record, or the details of any that appear), the application reference, and the translated apostille.
Common mistakes
- Requesting the certificate without stating it's for overseas use, which can limit the scope of the police check reflected in the document.
- Trying to apostille the digital certificate without the AFP Source Email — DFAT rejects it if the source can't be verified.
- Expiry: like other criminal record certificates, many consulates only accept the document if it's no older than 3 to 6 months.
- Non-sworn translation.
Related pages
- Criminal records: FBI, ACRO and B3 compared
- Canadian criminal record check: RCMP
- Spain digital nomad visa
- Sworn translation in Alicante · Sworn translation in Barcelona
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