Brazil's criminal record certificate (certidão de antecedentes criminais) is issued by the Federal Police and by the state Civil Police, and you can request it yourself. Antecedentes Criminais Brasil is a private service, not a government agency: we explain the route and help when it gets complicated, with the Hague apostille, sworn translation and issuance for people living abroad.
Quick answer: for national visas applied for in Brazil, Spain asks for the Federal Police certificate, issued online (free, valid for 90 days), with the Hague Apostille; translation depends on the consulate. In Brasília, a sworn translation into Castilian Spanish; in Porto Alegre, only for documents that are not in Portuguese or Spanish. For procedures inside Spain, confirm with the receiving body.
| Quick answer | What to know |
|---|---|
| What you need | Federal Police criminal record certificate (and, for the work visa, certificates from the countries of residence in the last 5 years) |
| Where to get it | Federal Police website, online |
| Time | 90 days of validity at the Federal Police; the acceptance period is set by the Spanish authority |
| Cost | Federal Police issuance is free; our private assistance from R$ 30 |
| Apostille | Required in the consular procedures cited; the notary office charges its fee separately |
If you live in Spain and must submit a Brazilian criminal record, the first step is to identify which document the Spanish authority requires. Depending on the procedure, you may have to submit a Brazilian Federal Police certificate, accompanied by the Hague Apostille and a Spanish translation.
Spanish consular guidance confirms these requirements for certain national visas applied for in Brazil. However, that does not mean every procedure carried out inside Spain has identical requirements.
In this guide you will find the officially documented requirements, how to request the Brazilian certificate online, what to watch for with the apostille and translation, and how much private assistance costs.
When is the Brazilian certificate required for Spain?
The required documentation depends on the procedure and the authority in charge of the review.
In the official instructions for the national visa for employed work, applied for in Brazil, the Spanish administration requires applicants over 18 to submit criminal records issued by the Brazilian Federal Police, duly apostilled.
The guidance also requires applicants of criminal age to submit the original and a copy of the criminal record certificates of the countries where they have lived in the last five years.
So, for this type of visa, your residence history matters when determining which documents must be submitted.
For national study visas, the instructions published by the Embassy of Spain in Brasília require criminal records when the stay exceeds 180 days, for applicants of criminal age.
These rules refer to specific consular procedures. If you already live in Spain and must submit Brazilian documents in a local procedure, you need to confirm the requirements directly with the authority that will receive the certificate.
A certificate requirement for a visa applied for in Brazil does not, by itself, prove that the same document is mandatory in every procedure carried out in Spain.
Which certificate should you request for Spain: Federal Police or state?
In Brazil, police certificates are issued by different authorities. The Federal Police offers its national certificate online, while the state Civil Police forces have their own criminal record services.
The choice should not be made only by the name of the document.
Federal Police certificate
For the Spanish national visa for employed work, the consular guidance we consulted expressly identifies the Federal Police as the issuer of the required Brazilian certificate.
The Consulate General of Spain in Porto Alegre also states, in its instructions for the study visa, that for residents of Brazil and Brazilian citizens only the certificate issued by the Federal Police, duly apostilled, is admitted.
This means that, in these procedures, a state certificate does not automatically replace the requested federal certificate.
You can find more information about the document on the page about the federal criminal record certificate.
State certificate
State certificates are issued by the competent authorities of each Brazilian state.
However, the Spanish instructions we reviewed do not require an additional state certificate for the procedures mentioned.
So it is not correct to say that every Brazilian must submit federal and state records together in Spain.
If the body in charge of your procedure asks for a specific certificate, check the issuing authority it indicates before requesting additional documents.
It is also important not to confuse a police criminal record certificate with court certificates issued by tribunals. They are different documents and should not be treated as equivalent without express confirmation from the receiving authority.
What if you have lived in other countries?
The Spanish instructions for the national visa for employed work refer to the countries of residence in the last five years.
This means the applicant may have to submit documents from more than one country, depending on their residence history and the requirements of this category.
The consular guidance provides for submitting the apostilled original, its photocopy, the Spanish translation and a copy of the translation.
For example, a person who has lived in Brazil and in another country during the period considered should check which certificates correspond to the countries of residence covered by the requirement.
Do not presume that a Brazilian certificate automatically covers periods of residence abroad.
Likewise, anyone who already lives in Spain should not apply this five-year rule to any local procedure without checking the specific instructions of the Spanish authority.
The required residence period and the acceptable recency of documents are different questions. The reference to the last five years does not mean a certificate issued five years ago can be submitted.
How do you get a Brazilian criminal record while in Spain?
The Federal Police offers free online issuance of a criminal record certificate.
This lets you start the request without necessarily hiring a private intermediary.
Step 1: Go to the official Federal Police service
Open the Federal Police criminal record page.
Use the official service indicated to request the certificate.
The portal itself gathers the issuance instructions. Before starting, check the requirements and follow the instructions provided by the system.
Step 2: Fill in the requested information
Enter the data required by the Federal Police online service.
Check the information carefully before finishing the request, especially the identification data.
This care matters because some Spanish consular instructions set specific requirements on the identification shown in certificates issued online.
Do not assume that any electronic document will be accepted automatically just because it was issued by a Brazilian body.
Step 3: Obtain the electronic certificate
When issuance is available in your case, obtain the document through the official channel.
According to the Federal Police, the certificate is free, issued online and valid for 90 days.
Free of charge refers to the official issuance of the document, not to private assistance, apostille or translation services.
If you have difficulty obtaining the certificate, consult the guidance of the issuing authority before using alternative channels.
Step 4: Check the data and authenticity
After issuance, check that the data in the document are correct and match the information that will be used in the Spanish procedure.
It is also advisable to verify authenticity through the appropriate official channel.
See our guide on how to verify a criminal record certificate.
This check does not replace the Spanish authority's own review, but it helps identify problems before you submit.
Step 5: Confirm apostille and translation
Before sending the certificate, check whether the receiving body requires an apostille and a translation.
In the Spanish consular procedures documented in this guide, there are express apostille requirements. The translation rules, however, vary with the consular guidance and the type of visa.
Do not order a translation without first confirming the language, the type required and the documentation that must accompany the original.
What if online issuance does not work?
Where electronic issuance is not completed, you need to consult the authority responsible for the document.
The official guidance consulted does not describe this procedure; confirm the applicable channel with the issuing authority before acting.
The information used in this guide does not confirm an alternative consular route that could be presented as a universal solution for Brazilians living in Spain.
For other questions about Brazilian documents used abroad, see criminal records abroad.
Do you need to apostille the Brazilian certificate for Spain?
The Hague Apostille is expressly required in the Spanish consular guidance identified for certain national visas.
See what the Hague apostille is to understand the process.
For the employed-work visa applied for in Brazil, the official instruction states that the Federal Police certificate must be apostilled by a notary office.
The Consulate General of Spain in Porto Alegre also requires the apostilled federal certificate in the study procedure covered by its instructions.
So, in these cases, obtaining only the electronic certificate does not meet all the documentary requirements.
What is the sequence?
For procedures in which an apostille and a translation are required, organise the preparation in this order:
- Request the Brazilian certificate from the Federal Police.
- Check the information and the requirements of the receiving Spanish body.
- Obtain the Hague Apostille according to the confirmed requirement.
- Obtain the translation in the type and language requested.
- Check which originals, copies and translations must be submitted.
The operational order between apostille and translation must also follow the instructions that apply to the procedure.
The facts we consulted give no basis for saying that every Brazilian certificate submitted to any Spanish institution must go through the same process.
Is a sworn translation into Spanish mandatory?
The answer depends on the consular procedure.
The instructions of the Embassy of Spain in Brasília for the national study visa require criminal records to be translated into Castilian by a sworn translator and to carry the Hague Apostille.
In that case, there is an express requirement on the language and type of translation.
However, the consular instructions in Porto Alegre for the study visa set a different rule: translation is only needed for documents not issued in Spanish or Portuguese.
This difference shows why it is not correct to say that all Spanish authorities always require a translation of Brazilian documents written in Portuguese.
What to do if you are already in Spain
Before hiring a translator, request or consult the requirements of the body that will receive your document.
Check specifically whether the certificate in Portuguese will be accepted, whether a translation into Spanish will be needed and whether the translation must be done by a sworn translator.
The consular instructions presented in this guide do not allow us to guarantee that a translation accepted in one procedure will also be accepted in another.
Antecedentes Criminais Brasil offers assistance with sworn translation (tradução juramentada), according to the needs identified when your case is reviewed.
Watch the passport, RG and CPF details
There is an important requirement in the Spanish instructions for the national visa for employed work.
For criminal record certificates issued online, the consular guidance requires the passport number and also the RG or CPF number to appear.
So, before submitting an electronic document in this procedure, you need to check that it meets the required identification.
Do not presume that every electronic certificate issued by the Federal Police automatically contains the fields requested by the Spanish authority.
If any required data does not appear, confirm directly with the responsible authority how to proceed.
Nor can we conclude, from this specific guidance alone, that every procedure carried out in Spain requires the same identifiers.
How long are Brazilian criminal records valid in Spain?
The Federal Police states that its criminal record certificate is valid for 90 days.
This is the official validity period stated by the Brazilian issuing authority.
However, two concepts need to be told apart.
Validity of the certificate: the 90-day period indicated by the Federal Police.
Acceptance period in the Spanish procedure: the limit the receiving authority may set for the issue or submission date of the document.
These periods are not necessarily equivalent.
The official sources consulted do not set an acceptance period for this procedure; confirm it with the responsible authority.
So, when organising your paperwork, do not treat the Federal Police's 90 days as a guarantee that the Spanish authority will accept the document at any moment within that period.
The recommendation is to check the procedure's requirement first and only then organise the issuance and any complementary services.
How much do issuance, apostille and translation cost?
You can request the certificate free of charge directly on the Federal Police website.
If you prefer private assistance, Antecedentes Criminais Brasil offers separate services for assisted issuance, apostille and sworn translation.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Assisted issuance of the certificate | from R$ 30 |
| Apostille service | from R$ 95 |
| Sworn translation | from R$ 110 per page |
The notary office fee is charged separately.
These prices correspond to private services, not to the official issuance fees of the Federal Police.
The final quote depends on the services actually needed and on the documents submitted.
No delivery time is advertised for this package. The time and price that apply to your case are given before any payment.
You do not need to hire private assistance to request the free certificate directly from the Federal Police.
Need help with a Brazilian police certificate for Spain?
If you are already in Spain, you can start by requesting your certificate free of charge from the Federal Police.
Before arranging an apostille or translation, identify exactly which documents are required by the body that will review your procedure.
If you run into difficulties with issuance or need to organise the complementary services, Antecedentes Criminais Brasil can help assess the documentation needed.
We work as a private document assistance service, with no link to the Federal Police, the Spanish consulates or any other government body.
Will you use the certificate abroad, or are you stuck on the request? Leave your contact; we will review the case and tell you the price and timing before any payment.
Sources
- Federal Police: Antecedentes Criminais. Official service for free online issuance of the certificate, valid for 90 days.
https://www.gov.br/pf/pt-br/assuntos/antecedentes-criminais
- Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs: National visa for employed work. Requirements on the Federal Police certificate, apostille, countries of residence, identification and supporting documents.
https://www.exteriores.gob.es/es/ServiciosAlCiudadano/Paginas/Servicios-consulares.aspx?scco=Brasil&scd=263&scca=Visados&scs=Visados+Nacionales+-+Visado+de+trabajo+por+cuenta+ajena
- Embassy of Spain in Brasília: National study visa. Guidance on criminal records for stays over 180 days, sworn translation into Castilian and the Hague Apostille.
https://www.exteriores.gob.es/Embajadas/brasilia/es/ServiciosConsulares/Paginas/index.aspx?scca=Visados&scco=Brasil&scd=33&scs=Visados+Nacionales+-+Visado+de+estudios
- Consulate General of Spain in Porto Alegre: Instructions for the study visa. Requirements on the Federal Police certificate, apostille and translation of documents.
https://www.exteriores.gob.es/DocumentosAuxiliaresSC/Brasil/PORTO%20ALEGRE%20(C)/1.%20NI%20CG%20POA%20visado%20estudios%2023.05.2025.pdf