Moving to Spain with children involves more than arranging housing and travel. Schools, local authorities and residency offices may ask for UK documents proving identity, family relationships, education history and parental responsibility.
Some UK documents may need to be legalised, certified or translated before they are accepted in Spain. Preparing them before you move can save time once you arrive.
Birth certificates for children
A child’s birth certificate is one of the most commonly requested documents when relocating abroad.
Spanish authorities may use it to confirm the child’s full name, date of birth and parent details. For this reason, the full UK birth certificate is usually more useful than the short version.
The certificate should usually be an original or official certified copy issued by the correct UK registration authority. A photocopy or scan is unlikely to be accepted for formal purposes.
School reports and academic records
Spanish schools may ask for previous school reports, attendance records, transfer letters, predicted grades or confirmation of enrolment.
UK school documents are often issued as PDFs or emails, but these may not be accepted overseas without further preparation.
The school may need to confirm the document’s authenticity, and a UK solicitor or Notary Public may then need to certify it before legalisation.
Letters from the child’s UK school
A formal letter from the child’s current or previous school can be useful when applying to a school in Spain.
This may confirm the child’s year group, attendance, academic level, behaviour, subjects studied or date of leaving.
The letter should ideally be on school letterhead, signed by an authorised staff member and dated. If it is issued digitally, additional certification may be needed before it can be used abroad.
Parental responsibility documents
If only one parent is moving with the child, or if parents are separated, Spanish authorities may ask for evidence of parental responsibility or consent.
This may include a court order, parental consent letter, custody document or statutory declaration.
These documents may need solicitor or notary certification before legalisation, especially if they are private letters or signed declarations.
Name differences between documents
Name differences can cause delays when moving with children.
This may happen where a parent has changed surname after marriage or divorce, where the child has a different surname from one parent, or where documents show different versions of a name.
Supporting documents such as marriage certificates, deed polls or statutory declarations may be needed to explain the name history.
Translation into Spanish
Many UK documents used in Spain may need to be translated into Spanish.
Some authorities require sworn translations completed by an approved translator. In many cases, documents are legalised first and translated afterwards, so the translation includes the legalisation certificate.
Always check the order before arranging translation, as local requirements can vary.
Residency and local registration paperwork
When moving to Spain, family documents may also be needed for residency, local registration, healthcare access or other administrative processes.
This can include birth certificates, marriage certificates, proof of address, school documents and financial records.
Some documents may need to be recent, so check whether the authority has a validity period before ordering or legalising them.
Prepare documents before leaving the UK
It is usually easier to organise school and family documents while you are still in the UK. You can contact schools, order replacement certificates, arrange certification and complete legalisation before moving.
Preparing documents early reduces the risk of delays with school enrolment or local administration in Spain.
If you are moving to Spain with children, 12 Apostille can help check which UK documents need certification, legalisation or translation before your move.