The six-month clock
Spanish consulates state that the criminal record certificate cannot be issued more than six months before you submit your visa application. The clock starts on the issue date printed on your PCC. It does not start on the apostille date, and the apostille does not reset it.
So the sequence that works is simple. Collect all your other Spanish visa papers first. Get the PCC last. Send it to us the same week. Book your appointment so the file reaches the consulate well inside the six months.
A PCC from 7 months ago will not become valid because it now has a fresh apostille. If yours is close to the limit, ask the Spanish office before spending money on it. A new PCC has to come from Passport Seva or the police, and you apply for it yourself.
Spanish visas that ask for a PCC
The PCC appears in most Spanish national (long-stay) visa files for adults:
| Visa | Who applies |
|---|---|
| Work visa (employed) | People with a job offer and work authorisation in Spain |
| Highly qualified professional | Managers, engineers and specialists hired by Spanish companies |
| Student visa (over 6 months) | Students on long courses or degrees |
| Non-lucrative residence | People living in Spain on their own funds without working |
| Digital nomad | Remote workers employed by or contracting with companies outside Spain |
| Family reunification | Family members joining a resident in Spain |
Route by type of PCC
Passport office PCC
Apostille only
The fastest route, ₹1,000. Useful when the six-month window is tight.
Police station, SP or Commissioner PCC
State verification first
Home Department of the state that issued it. On quote. For Spain we do not use Notary + SDM.
Because the Home Department adds a stage, a police-issued PCC uses up more of your six months. If your checklist accepts a passport office PCC, that is usually the easier choice for Spain.
Spanish translation
The Embassy of Spain in New Delhi explains two kinds of translation:
- For the visa application: an unofficial English to Spanish translation. The embassy can give it a seal of approval, by appointment, for visa use only.
- After you reach Spain: if a Spanish authority asks for it, an official sworn translation of the whole document, including the apostille. Sworn translations cannot be done in India.
We prepare the Spanish translation of your PCC and its apostille for the visa file. Getting the embassy's approval seal is your appointment with the embassy, and we do not promise its outcome. If an office in Spain later asks for a sworn translation, that has to be done by a sworn translator in Spain.
Already in Spain?
An advisory from the Embassy of India in Madrid, dated February 2022, says Spanish authorities do not accept a consular PCC from the embassy and insist on a PCC from the authorities in India. Once you have that Indian PCC apostilled, the embassy may issue a supplementary PCC in English and Spanish, but not if the Indian PCC is older than six months. If you are in Spain, family in India can courier the PCC to us for the apostille. Check the current position with the Madrid embassy, as the advisory is from 2022.
What to send us
- The original PCC, with its issue date clearly visible
- A clear copy of your passport (front and back pages)
- Your visa type and planned appointment date
Delhi residents can drop off and collect at New Ashok Nagar. Others courier the original to us, and we return it by Blue Dart. We give you a time estimate with the price, before you send anything.
Questions about PCC apostille for Spain
Does the six months count from the apostille date?
No. It counts from the date the PCC was issued. The apostille date does not matter for this rule.
Can my translation be sworn in India?
No. The Spanish embassy says sworn translations cannot be done in India. For the visa, an unofficial translation approved by the embassy is used.
I am applying for a digital nomad visa from inside Spain. Does this still apply?
The PCC still has to be issued in India and apostilled by the MEA. Family in India can send it to us. Ask the Spanish office about the translation it wants.
My wife is joining me under family reunification. Does she need her own PCC?
Usually each adult applicant needs their own PCC. Each is apostilled and translated separately.
Can you speed up my apostille because my PCC is five months old?
Tell us the PCC date when you first message us. We tell you honestly whether our part can be finished in time before you send anything.