The criminal record certificate is a document that certifies the absence or presence of criminal acts by the applicant. It is a document of vital importance for all those who wish to work overseas.

The criminal record certificate may be requested by any person of legal age, or, as the case may be, by their authorized representative. In Spain, when citizens of other European Union states request a criminal record certificate, the “Registro Central de Penados” will request a report from the highest competent authority in their country on the possible criminal record of the person concerned to include it in the certificate.

In order to correctly request a criminal record certificate, the following steps must be followed:

• Completion of the Model 790, which can be obtained from the “Gerencias Regionales” of the “Ministerio de Justicia” or, if the applicant resides in Madrid, can be obtained at the Central Office of Customer Service of the Ministry.
• Identification of the applicant, either through his or her presence or through another duly authorized person.
• Payment of the fee. The applicant must present proof of having paid a fee of €3.74for the provision of services at any of the accredited banking entities.

Alternatively, it can be obtained online via the website of the Spanish Ministry of Justice, or by mail using the steps indicated here. This can be useful if you are already working abroad. You may also be able to handle the procedure under the Apostille Convention, which can save unnecessary paperwork.

In the case of adoptions or licenses, a criminal record certificate may be required by a public administration. In such cases, individuals may request that the public administration access their criminal data through the “Plataforma de Intermediación de Datos” managed by the “Ministerio de Hacienda y Administraciones Públicas”.

As can be seen here, having a criminal record certificate at your disposal can be a major advantage to overseas workers; as such, we recommend that obtaining this type of document should be one of the first steps for all those intending to work overseas.

Duguech & Dip Worldwide Legal Services supplies a complete range of personalized solutions in the immigration field by providing support and advice to businesses and individuals to remain fully compliant with local and international laws.  

Legal Notice: Since legal advice must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case, and laws are constantly changing, nothing on this article should be used as a substitute for the advice of competent legal counsel. The content on this article is offered only as information and does not constitute solicitation or provision of legal advice. You should always consult a suitably qualified lawyer regarding any specific legal problem or matter.

 © 2018 Duguech & Dip, S.L.P. – All rights reserved