If you plan to move to Spain before the end of 2026, leaving your paperwork until the last few weeks is not the best strategy.

At first glance, it may seem there is still plenty of time. However, immigration procedures, obtaining certificates, apostilles and translations often take much longer than expected.

It is also important to keep the Spanish calendar in mind. December is not the most productive month for administrative matters. Spain celebrates public holidays at the beginning of the month, and the Christmas holidays start towards the end. All of this can affect processing times and the work of public offices.

So if your goal is to relocate before the end of 2026, preparation needs to start now.

Below we look at which documents to obtain first and what deserves special attention.

1. Education and professional experience documents

One of the first questions to discuss with an immigration specialist is how to prove your professional qualifications.

Some work-based immigration routes in Spain may require higher education diplomas, vocational training certificates or proof of relevant work experience.

If you do not hold a degree in your field, in some cases your qualifications can be demonstrated through professional experience. This may require employment contracts, letters from employers and other documents.

Pay particular attention to apostilling your diplomas.

Depending on the issuing country and the requirements of the specific procedure, documents may need an apostille or consular legalisation. In some cases, the apostille must be placed directly on the original diploma.

The process can take several weeks, so do not count on getting it done in a couple of days.

Important: education and experience requirements depend on the type of residence permit you choose. A diploma is not mandatory for every immigration route.

2. Criminal record certificate

Another document you should not put off is the criminal record certificate.

It is required for many types of Spanish residence permits, including certain procedures for highly qualified professionals and digital nomads.

The validity of the certificate at the time of application is particularly important.

Depending on the immigration procedure and the applicable requirements, the validity period may be three or six months from the date of issue.

That is why the date you obtain the certificate should be planned around the expected application date.

Also keep in mind that:

  • In some countries, obtaining the certificate can take up to a month or longer.
  • The document may need an apostille or legalisation.
  • An official translation into Spanish may be required for submission in Spain.
  • In some cases, certificates will be needed from several countries where you have previously lived.

If you plan to apply before the end of 2026, now is the time to find out how to obtain the certificate and when it is best to request it.

3. Documents for family members

If you are moving with a spouse, partner or children, family documents should be prepared in parallel with those of the main applicant.

Depending on your family situation and the type of residence permit, you may need:

  • A marriage certificate or documents proving a registered partnership.
  • Children’s birth certificates.
  • Documents proving the financial dependency of adult children.
  • Proof that adult children are unmarried, if required for the chosen procedure.
  • Criminal record certificates for adult family members, where the specific route requires them.

Relocating with adult children deserves particular attention. Whether they can be included in the application depends on the type of residence permit, their age, financial dependency and other circumstances.

Family documents may also require an apostille, legalisation and official translation.

The earlier you start preparing documents for the whole family, the lower the risk that one family member’s paperwork will delay the entire relocation.

4. Apostille, legalisation and translation

A common mistake when preparing to relocate is assuming that simply obtaining the necessary certificates is enough.

In practice, foreign documents often have to go through additional procedures before Spanish public authorities will accept them.

Depending on the issuing country, this may be an apostille or consular legalisation.

At the same time, international agreements between certain countries exempt some documents from these requirements.

Documents may also need an official translation into Spanish.

It is important to find out in advance which documents need an apostille, where the apostille should be placed and which translation will be accepted for your procedure.

Mistakes at this stage can lead to requests for additional documents and longer processing times.

5. Who should handle document preparation?

Even if your employer is organising the relocation, it is important to establish early on who is responsible for immigration support.

Sometimes the company assigns the process to an in-house lawyer or the HR department. However, international relocation requires knowledge not only of corporate procedures but also of Spanish immigration law, administrative practice and the specifics of the particular residence permit.

That is why involving specialists can make the process considerably easier.

A qualified immigration consultant can help define the right strategy, draw up the list of documents, coordinate preparation timelines and handle the process for both the employee and their family members.

In some cases, professional support helps avoid the costs of re-obtaining documents, correcting mistakes and postponing the move.

Why you need to start now

When relocating to Spain, you need to consider not only the processing time of the immigration application but everything that happens before it is submitted.

Obtaining diplomas and certificates, apostilles, translations, aligning documents with your employer — each of these steps takes time.

Add the public holidays and the possible workload of public offices at the end of the year, and it becomes clear that leaving preparation until December is risky.

The key rule of a successful relocation is not to wait until documents are urgently needed, but to prepare them in line with an immigration strategy developed in advance.

At Docsinside, we help companies, employees and their families organise relocation to Spain: from choosing the right immigration route and preparing documents to full support throughout the move.

If you plan to move before the end of 2026, now is the time to assess your options, set realistic timelines and start preparing.

About Docsinside

Planning employee relocation or your company’s expansion to Spain? Docsinside is an all-in-one AI-powered B2B platform designed to help companies manage business expansion and international employee mobility to Spain. The platform supports not only immigration processes but also tax, legal and employment matters, giving companies a single environment to coordinate complex cross-border operations more efficiently. To learn more about our services or discuss your situation, write to us at b2b@docsinside.com.