Anyone searching for "Irish criminal record certificate" usually runs into the term Garda Vetting first, and it's the wrong document for almost every procedure in Spain. Here's the difference, and what you actually need to request.
Garda Vetting isn't what you're looking for (almost never)
Garda Vetting, run by An Garda Síochána's National Vetting Bureau, is a check designed for recruitment or volunteering within Ireland: it's requested by the employing organisation, not by the individual, and its purpose is to assess suitability for a specific role involving access to children or vulnerable people. It isn't designed to prove to a foreign administration that you have no criminal record.
The correct document to present in Spain is the Police Certificate, a separate certificate, requested directly by the individual and specifically intended for use abroad.
How to request the Police Certificate
It's issued by the Superintendent of the Garda district where you live or previously lived in Ireland. The process:
- Complete the Police Certificate application form, available on the An Garda Síochána website.
- Post it to the Superintendent of the relevant district, which you can find through the Garda station directory.
- Attach a certified copy of your passport, driving licence or other ID, and proof of address (current and previous, where relevant).
Issuance takes up to three weeks from when the Superintendent's office receives the complete application, and the certificate's practical validity is normally one year.
Why it doesn't need an apostille
Ireland and Spain are both EU member states, and absence of a criminal record is expressly among the facts covered by EU Regulation 2016/1191, which removes the apostille requirement between EU countries for certain public documents. In practice: the Irish Police Certificate doesn't need an apostille to be valid before a Spanish authority.
One nuance worth keeping in mind: the regulation exempts from the apostille a document issued for an EU citizen by the authorities of their own member state of nationality. If you live in Ireland but aren't an Irish national, it's worth confirming with the specific Spanish authority how your case is treated before ruling out the apostille.
Why a sworn translation is usually still needed
The regulation also allows, for this type of document, a multilingual standard form to be attached that avoids translation if the receiving authority considers it sufficient. In practice, the Irish Police Certificate isn't normally issued with that form attached — you have to specifically request it from the Superintendent's office when applying, and not every office is familiar with the process. Unless you've obtained it, the Spanish administration will ask for the Police Certificate translated into Spanish by a sworn translator, the same as with the French bulletin n°3 — see the full comparison of the regulation and its exceptions.
The sworn translation faithfully reproduces whether the certificate is clean or lists a conviction, without summarising or interpreting the content.
When Spain asks for it
- Residence visa (non-lucrative, digital nomad) for stays longer than six months.
- Spanish nationality applications by residence.
- Residence card or immigration procedures when the administration requires it from the Irish applicant.
- Professional registration in regulated professions to practise in Spain.
Common mistakes
- Requesting Garda Vetting instead of the Police Certificate — the most common error, since Garda Vetting doesn't reach the individual directly in most cases.
- Assuming the apostille is needed "just in case" — it isn't, and requesting it only adds time and cost.
- Submitting the certificate without a sworn translation, assuming the regulation exempts it automatically — it only does so if it comes with the multilingual form attached.
- Submitting an outdated certificate: even though the document carries no printed expiry date, most Spanish procedures only accept certificates issued a few months earlier — request it close to the submission date.
Related pages
- EU Regulation 2016/1191: documents without translation or apostille between EU countries
- French criminal record certificate (bulletin n°3): full guide for Spain
- Criminal record certificates: FBI, ACRO and bulletin n°3 compared
→ Request my sworn translation
At Textualia we translate your Irish Police Certificate into Spanish, signed by a translator accredited by the MAEC. If you're not sure whether your procedure requires a translation or the multilingual form is enough, send it to us and we'll confirm before you order anything.