Get your Brazilian Polícia Federal certificate apostilled via CNJ and translated into Spanish for Spain visa and residency applications. Federal and state records handled. Free consultation.
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Spain requires a criminal record certificate from every country where you have lived as part of visa and residency applications. For Brazilians, this means the Certidão de Antecedentes Criminais — primarily at the federal level from the Polícia Federal do Brasil.
Brazil acceded to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention on August 14, 2016. The apostille authority for federal documents is the Conselho Nacional de Justiça (CNJ). For state-level documents, the relevant Tribunal de Justiça (state court) issues the apostille. Spanish authorities accept these apostilles directly — no consular legalization is required.
Brazil's criminal records system has both federal and state components. The Polícia Federal certificate covers federal-level records. Some Spanish consulates also require certificates from the state police (Secretaria de Segurança Pública) of the states where you lived. We verify your specific consulate's requirements before starting your case to avoid unnecessary document requests — or missing required ones.
Applying for a non-lucrative visa, work permit, or residency in Spain? Spanish authorities require your Brazilian criminal record certificate with apostille and certified Spanish translation. Brazil's federal-level certificate is typically the primary document — we determine whether state records are also needed.
Spain's 2026 extraordinary regularization requires a criminal record certificate with apostille from every country of residence for the past 5 years. For Brazilians, this means the Polícia Federal certificate — and potentially state certificates too. We handle the full package.
Living outside Brazil and need your criminal record? The Brazilian gov.br portal allows Polícia Federal certificate requests online from abroad. We guide you through the process or manage it entirely on your behalf.
The clock starts on the issuance date — not the apostille date, not the translation date.
⚡ Pro tip: Submit to Extranjería as soon as the full document package is ready — do not wait until near day 90.
⚠️ Warning: Many applicants lose months of work because the certificate expires while waiting for apostille or translation. Start early.
| Document | Issuing authority | Estimated time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certidão de Antecedentes Criminais da Polícia Federal | Polícia Federal do Brasil (federal level) | Same day to 5 business days (online request available via gov.br) | The federal Polícia Federal certificate covers federal-level records. Available online via the gov.br portal. Some Spanish consulates may also require state police certificates — confirm requirements with your specific consulate before proceeding. |
| State police certificate (Certidão de Antecedentes Criminais Estadual) — if required | Secretaria de Segurança Pública of the relevant Brazilian state(s) | Varies by state — typically 3–10 business days | Not always required, but some Spanish consulates request both federal and state-level certificates. We advise on whether this applies to your specific case. If required, we coordinate the state-level request for each state where you resided. |
| Apostille issued by CNJ or state courts | Conselho Nacional de Justiça (CNJ) for federal documents; state courts (Tribunais) for state-level documents | 3–10 business days per document | Brazil uses a decentralized apostille system. Federal Polícia Federal documents are apostilled by CNJ. State police documents are apostilled by the relevant state court (Tribunal de Justiça). Each document needs its own apostille. |
| Certified Spanish translation | Sworn / certified translator recognized by Spanish authorities | 1–2 business days per document | All documents are in Portuguese — a certified Spanish translation by a sworn translator is required by Spanish authorities. Each apostilled document needs its own translation. |
| Valid Brazilian passport or CPF | Applicant | Must be current | Name must match exactly what appears on all certificates. Brazilian compound names and name variations must be consistent across all documents. |
Request the Certidão de Antecedentes Criminais online from Polícia Federal. Alternatively, via CNJ or state court depending on consulate requirements.
Brazil uses a distributed apostille system through notaries (Cartórios) authorized by CNJ. Must apostille BEFORE translation.
Translation must be done AFTER apostille and must include the apostille stamp text. Brazilian translators are NOT accepted by Spanish Extranjería.
CRITICAL: 90-day clock starts at Step 1 issuance. Translation adds time — plan accordingly.
⚠️ Remember: the 90-day clock starts from Step 1 issuance date — not when you submit to Spain.
Contact us with your Spain visa or residency application details and the specific Spanish consulate you will be submitting to. We determine whether you need only the federal Polícia Federal certificate or also state-level certificates, provide an accurate timeline, and give you a firm quote.
We guide you through the gov.br portal for the federal Polícia Federal certificate, available online from anywhere in the world. For state certificates, we coordinate requests to the relevant Secretaria de Segurança Pública. For clients who prefer full management, we handle all submissions on your behalf.
Brazil's apostille system routes federal documents through the CNJ (Conselho Nacional de Justiça) and state documents through the respective Tribunal de Justiça. We manage all apostille submissions simultaneously to minimize total turnaround time.
All apostilled certificates are translated into Spanish by sworn translators accepted by Spanish authorities. The complete package — all original apostilled documents + certified translations — is delivered by tracked international courier, ready to submit to Spanish immigration or consular offices.
We review your documents before submission to catch every one of these errors before they cause a rejection.
Brazilian applying for Non-Lucrative Visa to retire in Spain.
Has a fresh Polícia Federal certificate but needs apostille and MAEC translation.
Brazilian living in Spain who needs her Brazilian criminal record for residency renewal.
Information on this page is based on procedures from recognized government and intergovernmental bodies — not third-party estimates.
Reviewed by
Laura ChenLegal Document Expert
Specialist in documents for the English-speaking market with a focus on fast and secure processing.
Spain primarily requires the federal Certidão de Antecedentes Criminais issued by the Polícia Federal do Brasil. However, some Spanish consulates additionally require state-level police certificates (Certidão Estadual) from the states where you resided. We verify this for your specific consulate before starting your case.
Yes. Brazil acceded to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention on August 14, 2016. Documents apostilled by the CNJ or the relevant state Tribunal de Justiça are directly recognized in Spain. No consular legalization is required.
Brazil uses a decentralized apostille system. The CNJ (Conselho Nacional de Justiça) handles apostilles for federal documents, including the Polícia Federal certificate. State police certificates are apostilled by the corresponding state court (Tribunal de Justiça). If you need both, each requires a separate apostille from the appropriate authority.
Yes. The Polícia Federal certificate can be requested online through the gov.br portal from anywhere in the world. We guide you through the process or manage the submission on your behalf. For state certificates, the process varies by state.
Yes — Brazilian certificates are in Portuguese, not Spanish. Spain requires a certified translation into Spanish executed by a sworn translator. This applies to the certificate and, importantly, to the apostille text as well. We include all necessary translations in our package.
For the federal certificate only: 7–12 business days (2–5 for the certificate, 3–5 for the apostille, 1–2 for translation). If state certificates are also required, add 5–7 business days per state. We process all documents simultaneously where possible to minimize total time.
If your consulate requires state police certificates, you may need certificates from each state where you lived. We coordinate all requests simultaneously. During your free consultation, we determine exactly which states are required based on your residential history and the requirements of your specific Spanish consulate.
Spanish consulates and immigration offices typically require criminal record certificates issued within the last 3–6 months of your application date. We time the request to ensure the certificate is fresh when you submit your Spain application.
Message us today for a free document review and guidance.