Legalisation for Spain
For Spain use, start with official Companies House certificates — often a Certificate of Good Standing — then an FCDO apostille. Spain has been a Hague Apostille Convention party since 25 September 1978 (HCCH status table), so an FCDO apostille is usually the UK step Spanish banks and registries expect. Confirm paper vs e-Apostille and any Spanish translation with the recipient. CH buy-now; apostille and translations quote-only.
How a typical Spain document job runs
Three working-day steps — confirm the recipient’s written list first.
Confirm the recipient checklist
Get the Spanish bank, registry, notary or counsel list in writing: exact documents, age window, paper vs e-Apostille, Spanish sworn translation and whether any embassy/consular step is still named despite Spain’s Hague membership.
Order Companies House originals (buy-now)
Order COGS, certified incorporation, articles or the pack from the UKCOGS catalogue. Standard CH aims ~10 working days; we then scan and send, typically within 1–3 working days of receipt. Official CH fees £22 / £65 are shown separately.
Request a legalisation / translation quote
If the checklist needs FCDO apostille (and any translation or embassy extras), submit a quote. We confirm whether we can fulfil before taking legalisation money. Official FCDO fees to cite: paper £45 · e-Apostille £35 (GOV.UK).
Hague Apostille and Spain — what the status table says
The HCCH Apostille Convention status table (last update 30 June 2026) lists 130 Contracting Parties, including Spain with signature on 21 October 1976, ratification on 27 July 1978 and entry into force on 25 September 1978. GOV.UK describes the FCDO apostille as the UK product for Hague destinations (Get your document legalised). For many Spain-facing recipients — Spanish banks, Registro Mercantil counterparties, notaries and relocation counsel — an FCDO apostille is the expected UK legalisation step on a Companies House certificate. Confirm in writing. We will not invent embassy steps your checklist does not require.
Eligibility and honesty warnings
- Match the written list — Spanish banks, notaries and registries can still ask for sworn translation or extras even when Hague applies.
- Filings must be current for the COGS summary statement — overdue accounts or confirmation statement often mean a certificate of fact many counterparties reject.
- No shareholders or PSCs on the company certificate — ownership detail needs a different certified copy if asked for.
- Not an SRA certificate — this page is only for Companies House company documents, not solicitor or barrister certificates.
- Private agent only — not the FCDO, not Companies House, not GOV.UK, not the Spanish embassy. We do not hold FCDO partner status.
- Paper vs e-Apostille is recipient-dependent — ask in writing; do not assume e-Apostille will be accepted in Spain.
- Apostille fulfilment awaits a contracted partner — quotes welcome; we confirm before taking legalisation money.
- Documents only. We do not advise on visas, immigration or opening bank accounts. Neither a certificate nor an apostille has a fixed legal expiry; the recipient decides how recent it must be.
Official fees (last checked 4 October 2026)
These are the official government fees from GOV.UK, shown separately from any UKCOGS service price. UKCOGS buy-now prices for Companies House originals sit beside these official fees, not instead of them.
| Fee | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| FCDO paper apostille (standard)Per document + courier/postage | £45 | GOV.UK legalisation |
| FCDO e-ApostilleEligible digitally signed PDFs | £35 | GOV.UK legalisation |
| Companies House company certificate / certified copy (standard)When ordering CH first | £22 | GOV.UK CH order guidance |
| Companies House same-day / express certificateWhere offered | £65 | GOV.UK CH fees |
| UKCOGS COGS agent handling (buy-now)Ex VAT — includes official CH fee | £79 / £129 | COGS product page |
| UKCOGS apostille / embassy / translation handlingLegalisation step | Quote only | Get a quote |
GOV.UK also lists business-only paper options (e.g. next-day registered business £40 and restricted-urgent £100) — confirm on the live page for your case. Pack pricing £249–£299 ex VAT is buy-now on the company documents pack page. Legalisation remains quote-only.
Paper versus e-Apostille — acceptance reality for Spain
You choose the type when you apply on GOV.UK, but the recipient decides what they will accept. Ask Spanish banks, notaries and registries in writing for paper or electronic. e-Apostille is faster on GOV.UK’s published timescales (often up to about 2 working days) and costs £35; standard paper is £45 plus return courier or postage and usually takes longer (GOV.UK cites up to about 25 working days plus transit — confirm when you apply). Many Spanish teams still want a wet-ink paper chain for company certificates, especially for Registro Mercantil or bank onboarding. Guide: apostille vs e-Apostille vs embassy.
Typical company-document list (examples only)
Common checklist items for Spain include a Certificate of Good Standing, a certified Certificate of Incorporation and certified articles — sometimes further named filings for Spanish banks, corporate registries or relocation counsel. These are examples, not advice on opening an account, registering a branch, or visa/immigration work. Map the written list before you pay. Ambiguous wording? Use Which document?. If filings may be late, run a free filings check before ordering COGS.
Buy-now Companies House prices (ex VAT)
- COGS — £79 std (CH £22) · £129 express (CH £65)
- Certified incorporation — £49 (CH £22)
- Documents pack — £249–£299 (typical £279)
- Company documents hub — certified copies and related CH products
CH standard aims ~10 working days; we typically scan and send within 1–3 working days of receipt. Express COGS follows the before-11am CH rule where offered. Official CH fees are included in those product pages and shown separately.
Freshness and Spanish translation
Companies House prints no legal expiry. Spain-facing recipients often want documents within about 90 days — sometimes shorter — recipient practice, not UK law. Check age with the freshness helper. Spanish sworn translation (traducción jurada) is recipient-specific and quote-only — confirm language, certification and sequence in writing.
Related pages
- Spain destination notes
- COGS buy-now · Pack · Incorporation · Company documents
- FCDO apostille & legalisation hub · Apostilled COGS (quote)
- Embassy legalisation hub · China · UAE · Qatar
- Filings check · Pack builder · Quote form · Order
- FCDO fees guide
Who we are
PASECOM GROUP LTD / Pasecom Group Ltd · 17139327 · 82a James Carter Road, Mildenhall, IP28 7DE · ICO ZC117546 · pete@pasecom.co.uk. Trading as UKCOGS. Private agent — not Companies House, not the FCDO, not GOV.UK, not the Spanish embassy.
Sources checked the week of publish: HCCH Apostille Convention status table (cid=41, last update 30 June 2026; Spain EIF 25 September 1978); GOV.UK “Get your document legalised” (FCDO fees paper £45 / e-Apostille £35); GOV.UK Companies House fees and order-certified-copies guidance (£22 / £65). Fees last checked 4 October 2026. Page last updated 4 October 2026.
FAQ — UK documents for Spain
Confirm every answer against the recipient’s written checklist. Last updated 4 October 2026.
Is Spain a Hague Apostille Convention party?
Yes. The HCCH Apostille Convention status table (last update 30 June 2026) lists Spain among 130 Contracting Parties, with signature 21 October 1976, ratification 27 July 1978 and entry into force on 25 September 1978. That usually means an FCDO apostille can authenticate a UK Companies House public document for use in Spain without a Spanish embassy legalisation chain — but always match the written checklist.
Do I still need Spanish embassy legalisation after an apostille?
Often no for Hague-route public documents when the recipient accepts an apostille. Some Spanish banks, notaries, registries or counsel may still ask for a sworn (jurada) Spanish translation, notarisation wording or other extras. Share the written list; embassy and consular stages remain quote-only if named. We will not invent steps your checklist does not require.
What Companies House documents do Spain-facing recipients commonly ask for?
Examples often include a Certificate of Good Standing (company certificate with summary statement), a certified Certificate of Incorporation and certified articles — sometimes further named filings for Spanish banks, Registro Mercantil counterparties or relocation counsel. Examples only; match the written list. Not bank-account, branch-registration, visa or immigration advice.
What are UKCOGS prices for the Companies House stage?
Buy-now ex VAT: COGS £79 standard / £129 express (official CH £22 / £65 shown separately), certified incorporation £49 (CH £22), pack £249–£299 (typical £279). Confirm official fees on GOV.UK — last checked 2 October 2026.
How much do official FCDO apostille fees cost?
Last checked 2 October 2026 on GOV.UK: paper (standard) £45 per document plus courier or postage; e-Apostille £35. UKCOGS agent handling for legalisation is separate and quote-only.
Paper apostille or e-Apostille for Spain?
Ask the recipient in writing. Paper still dominates for many Spanish bank, registry and notary jobs. e-Apostille is only for eligible digitally signed PDFs and is not universally accepted by Spanish counterparties. We will not choose for you as legal advice — share the written preference and we quote what we can fulfil.
Do I need a Spanish translation?
Often yes for Spanish banks, registries or courts. Language and sworn-translation (traducción jurada) rules are set by the recipient. Translations are quote-only. Do not assume an English-only Companies House certificate will pass without checking.
How fresh should the Certificate of Good Standing be?
Companies House does not print a legal expiry date. Spain-facing recipients often ask for documents issued within about 90 days — sometimes 30 or 60. That is recipient practice, not UK statute. Use the free document freshness helper and confirm the written window.
How long does the process take in working days?
CH standard aims ~10 working days; we typically scan and send within 1–3 working days of receipt. FCDO guidance (week of 2 October 2026): standard paper often up to about 25 working days plus courier; e-Apostille up to about 2 working days. Translation or any embassy extras, if quoted, add time. Not a same-day legalisation promise.
Are you the FCDO, an FCDO partner, Companies House or the Spanish embassy?
No. UKCOGS is a private document agent operated by Pasecom Group Ltd (17139327). We do not claim FCDO-listed or partner status and we are not a government service.
Ready for a Spain document route?
Order Companies House originals now. Request a quote for FCDO apostille and any Spanish translation or embassy extras — quote-only, no apostille buy button.