Spain registro mercantil and apostilled articles

13 November 2026

A Spanish Registro Mercantil or bank may ask for apostilled UK company articles, but the requested version and certification route matter. Current articles, original articles, a certified copy and a translated copy are not automatically the same item.

This Advice Centre guide is practical document information, not legal advice, an immigration opinion, a banking decision or a promise of foreign acceptance. Ask the named recipient for its current written checklist before ordering.

Short answer

Ask the Spanish recipient whether it wants the company’s current articles, historic articles adopted at incorporation or a particular clause. Confirm whether a Companies House copy or solicitor/notary certification is accepted, whether apostille must precede translation and whether Spanish translation must be sworn or certified. A UK COGS can support current company status but does not replace the constitutional document.

Current constitution or historic evidence

Current articles are used to understand the company’s live rules, while original articles may establish what was adopted at formation. Amendments, restatements and bespoke provisions can make the difference important. Label the version and date clearly, and do not combine pages from different versions without an index.

What the Spanish reviewer may be testing

The Registro Mercantil or bank may be checking who can represent the company, how directors are appointed, share-transfer rules or whether a resolution is valid. Articles alone may not answer every question. Ask whether a board resolution, officer certificate or COGS is also required.

Certification, apostille and translation

A downloaded copy may not satisfy the requested evidence level. Confirm the acceptable certification before apostille. Ask whether Spanish translation must be completed by a recognised translator and whether apostille wording must be translated. Apostille authenticates the relevant UK element; it does not certify the translation’s legal effect in Spain.

Names and dates

Use the UK company number, exact legal name and current registered office. Check recent filings before ordering and ask whether the Spanish recipient applies a 90-day freshness habit or a different rule. A recent amendment can make an otherwise authentic old article pack unsuitable for a current filing.

Practical checklist

• Ask whether Spain requires current or original articles.

• Confirm the copy and certification standard.

• Ask about apostille and Spanish translation sequence.

• Map articles, COGS and authority documents separately.

• Check company number, name, dates and amendments.

• Keep the Spanish recipient’s written approval with the final pack.

Official fees and sources

Check the live GOV.UK guidance on ordering certified copies and certificates from Companies House before ordering. The current working figures for this batch are £22 for a standard Companies House certificate and £65 for a same-day certificate. These are official charges, not an agent’s full service price. Where legalisation is needed, the live GOV.UK document legalisation guidance lists £45 for a paper apostille, £35 for an e-Apostille, £40 for Next-Day and £100 for Urgent/Restricted Urgent where the relevant conditions apply. Certification, translation, courier, postage and any later embassy stage can be separate. UKCOGS does not claim FCDO partner status; use current official terms when describing any service.

Freshness is a recipient rule

There is no universal 90-day legal expiry for every Certificate of Good Standing. About 90 days is a common recipient habit, but a bank, authority, registrar or clerk may specify 30, 60, 180 days or a document issued after a particular filing. An apostille authenticates the relevant signature, seal or status; it does not refresh company information. Check the recipient’s written rule and the live Companies House record before presentation.

Questions to settle before payment

Ask the receiving organisation to confirm the exact document title, the legal entity, the maximum document age and the accepted delivery format. Ask whether it wants an original, a Companies House certified copy, a solicitor-certified copy or an electronic file. If the document will be used outside the UK, ask whether an apostille is enough or whether translation, embassy legalisation or local filing follows. Put the reply in the order file; a short written answer is more useful than an assumption based on a similar transaction. Also check the practical hand-offs: who will receive the certificate, whether a portal accepts the original electronic file, whether paper will be requested later and whether the courier address differs from the registered office. Keep tracking information and delivery confirmation with the final pack.

Keep the scope clear

A company certificate is one piece of evidence. It should not be described as a guarantee of incorporation history, ownership, financial health, tax compliance, authority to sign or permission to trade unless the document and recipient specifically establish that point. If a reviewer asks a question the certificate cannot answer, add the separate evidence it requests or obtain professional advice. Clear wording protects the client from relying on a document for a purpose it was never designed to meet.

Frequently asked questions

Is a COGS enough for the Registro Mercantil?

Usually not if the request specifically asks for articles or constitutional powers.

Must UK articles be translated into Spanish?

The recipient decides. Ask whether a sworn or certified translation is required.

Can I apostille a download?

Only if the relevant legalisation route accepts that format and certification.

Which articles should I send?

Ask whether the request concerns the current constitution or original formation evidence.

Does apostille prove the articles are current?

No. It authenticates the legalisation element, not continuing accuracy.

UKCOGS can help coordinate the relevant document route. See the Certificate of Good Standing service, apostille and legalisation information, order page or request a quote. Service prices and delivery times are separate from official fees, and the receiving organisation makes its own decision.