Get your Chilean Registro Civil certificate apostilled by the MINREL and translated for Spain visa and residency applications. One of the fastest processes in Latin America. Free consultation.
⏰ Act now — deadline approaching
This criminal record document is required. Chile applicants need approximately 1 week for the full process. Start today to avoid missing the deadline.
Step 1 of 4
Where are you currently located?
Spain requires a criminal record certificate from every country where you have lived as part of visa and residency applications. For Chileans, this means the Certificado de Antecedentes Penales issued by the Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación de Chile.
Chile is a member of the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. The designated apostille authority is the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (MINREL), which operates a streamlined online apostille portal. Documents apostilled by MINREL are directly recognized in Spain — no consular legalization chain is required.
Applying for a non-lucrative visa, work permit, or residency in Spain? Spanish authorities require your Chilean criminal record certificate (Registro Civil) with apostille and certified translation. Chile's efficient online system means we can often complete your full package in under two weeks.
Spain's 2026 extraordinary regularization requires a criminal record certificate with apostille from every country of residence for the past 5 years. For Chileans, the Registro Civil certificate is the required document — and Chile's streamlined process makes it one of the faster countries to handle.
Living in Spain, the US, or elsewhere and need your Chilean criminal record? The Chilean Registro Civil has an online portal that allows requests from abroad. We can guide you through it 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificado de Antecedentes Penales del Registro Civil | Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación de Chile | Same day to 2–3 business days (online request available) | Available online at registrocivil.cl. Can be requested from abroad. Must be a recent certificate — Spanish authorities typically require it issued within the last 3–6 months. |
| Apostille issued by the Chilean Foreign Ministry | Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Chile (MINREL) | 1–5 business days (online request via portal) | Chile has a streamlined online apostille system. The apostille can be requested through the MINREL online portal. Processing is efficient by regional standards. E-apostille available. |
| Certified Spanish translation | Sworn / certified translator recognized by Spanish authorities | 1–2 business days | Even though the certificate is in Spanish, Spain requires it to be certified by a sworn translator. The translator formally validates the document for Spanish administrative use. |
| Valid Chilean passport or RUT (Rol Único Tributario) | Applicant | Must be current | Name must match exactly what appears on the criminal record certificate. Include all compound names and surnames as they appear on your identity documents. |
Request the Certificado de Antecedentes para Fines Particulares/Especiales online at registrocivil.cl — NOT the domestic "fines internos" version.
Chile's Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores apostilles the certificate free of charge online. No fee — completely free.
Although the certificate is in Spanish, Spain requires a sworn MAEC-recognized translator (perito traductor).
The 90-day window starts from certificate issuance in Step 1.
⚠️ 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. We confirm the exact certificate required (Registro Civil is standard for Spain), check your timeline against your application date, and give you a firm quote and processing estimate.
We guide you through the online request at registrocivil.cl, which can be done from anywhere in the world. For clients who prefer a fully managed service, we handle the request on your behalf using a notarized authorization. The Chilean system is well-organized and typically responds quickly.
Once the Registro Civil certificate is issued, we submit it for apostille through the Chilean Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores online system. Chile's apostille process is one of the most efficient in the region — standard processing typically takes 1–5 business days.
The apostilled certificate is translated by a sworn translator accepted by Spanish authorities. The complete package — original apostilled certificate + certified translation — is delivered by tracked international courier to your address, ready to submit to Spanish consulates or immigration offices.
We review your documents before submission to catch every one of these errors before they cause a rejection.
Chilean applying for a Non-Lucrative Visa to live in Spain.
Chilean in Spain applying for regularización extraordinaria — June 30, 2026 deadline.
Chilean couple applying for Spain's digital nomad visa, working remotely.
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.
Yes. The Certificado de Antecedentes Penales issued by the Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación de Chile is the standard criminal record certificate recognized by Spanish immigration authorities and consulates for visa and residency applications.
Chile's processes are among the most efficient in Latin America. The Registro Civil certificate can often be obtained in 1–3 business days online. The MINREL apostille typically takes 1–5 business days. Certified translation adds 1–2 days. Total realistic timeframe: 5–10 business days.
Yes. The Registro Civil e Identificación de Chile has an online portal that allows requests from abroad. For some cases a notarized authorization may be needed. We guide you through the process or manage it on your behalf, regardless of where you are located.
Yes — this surprises many clients. Even though the Chilean certificate is already in Spanish, Spain requires a formal certified translation executed by a sworn translator. The translation certifies the document for Spanish administrative purposes and is required by most Spanish consulates and immigration offices.
Yes. Chile is a member of the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. Documents apostilled by the Chilean Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores are directly recognized in Spain without any additional consular legalization.
Yes. Chile's MINREL offers an online apostille service that is efficient and trackable. We submit through this system on your behalf and monitor every step. This makes the Chilean process one of the most straightforward in the region.
Spanish consulates and immigration offices typically require criminal record certificates issued within the last 3–6 months. Given Chile's fast processing, we generally recommend requesting it close to your planned Spain application submission date.
Message us today for a free document review and guidance.