Spain Digital Nomad Visa – Company Certificate 6-month rule
Spanish consulates routinely send follow-up emails (requerimientos) asking applicants to replace “stale” paperwork. The exact wording they quote is blunt:
“The certificate must be less than 6 months old, as well as the apostille or legalisation.”
That single sentence covers both:
- The company-existence document – e.g. Certificate of Incorporation, Certificate of Good Standing, commercial-register extract.
- Its Hague apostille or consular legalisation.
If either date is beyond the 6-month mark, your file will be frozen until you supply a fresh version.
Common misconceptions
| Myth | Reality |
|---|---|
| “My company is 10 years old, so the certificate never expires.” | The business can be decades old, but the document proving that fact ages out after six months. |
| “I can submit a notarised copy of an older certificate.” | 99 % of cases require an original or registrar-issued duplicate with its own fresh apostille. |
| “The six-month clock starts when I print the PDF.” | It starts on the issuance date printed by the registrar (and separately on the apostille). |
Timing checklist
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| -7 months | Ask your registrar how long a new certificate + apostille will take. |
| -6 months | Order the certificate and request the apostille/legalisation the same week. |
| -5 months | Send high-resolution scans for sworn Spanish translation while originals ship. |
| -1 month | Audit every date stamp in your file; replace anything older than 5 months. |
| Filing day | Bring the originals plus sworn translations to your appointment. |
FAQs
Does the apostille date have to match the certificate date?
No, but both dates must be ≤ 6 months old. Easiest path: have them issued on the same day.
What if my country’s apostille takes eight weeks?
Count backwards: file no later than 4 months after the apostille is stamped, or request a faster service.
Any exceptions for notarised copies?
Only in rare scenarios where the consulate itself instructs you to legalise the notary’s signature. In 99 % of Digital-Nomad-Visa cases, notarised copies add complexity and delay.
Key takeaways
- Six months is your absolute ceiling for both the company certificate and its apostille.
- Order, legalise and translate within that window to avoid costly consular back-and-forth.
- A simple “check certificate date” item on your visa prep checklist can save weeks of frustration.
Need personalised advice or a step-by-step document timeline? Book a call with Nomadoro and get your paperwork right the first time.
