How do I get an ACRO certificate for a Spain student visa?
For a Spanish student visa longer than 6 months, you order an ACRO police certificate from acro.police.uk, choosing the POSTAL certificate (roughly £65-£70 standard or £115-£125 premium). Order it early: the standard service takes up to 20 working days, and the certificate then needs an FCDO apostille and a sworn Spanish translation before your visa appointment.
Who needs it
Spain asks every adult applying for a stay of more than 6 months to prove their criminal-record status for the countries they have lived in over the past 5 years. For UK residents that means the ACRO police certificate. Courses of 6 months or less do not need one.
The one mistake that ruins applications
Order the postal (paper) certificate, not the emailed PDF. The UK's FCDO can only apostille a wet-ink original, and Spain requires the apostille. An emailed PDF cannot be legalised, so students who pick the digital option have to order again and lose weeks.
Cost and timing
- Standard service: about £65-£70, up to 20 working days plus postage
- Premium service: about £115-£125, around 2 working days plus postage
- The certificate must be under 6 months old when you apply
- After it arrives: FCDO apostille (about £45, ~10 working days) and sworn translation (£30-£80)
After the certificate arrives
Two more steps before it's consulate-ready: the FCDO apostille (the international legalisation stamp) and a sworn translation into Spanish by a translator on Spain's official MAEC list. Both have their own turnaround times, so the full ACRO chain is realistically 4-8 weeks end to end on standard services.
Streamline the whole process
Visado puts every step in the right order for your course date and walks you through them one at a time. Nothing missed, nothing late.
Start my free planFrequently asked
Can I use the emailed ACRO certificate for Spain?
No. Spain requires an apostille, and the FCDO can only apostille the posted paper original. Always order the postal version.
How long is an ACRO certificate valid for a Spanish visa?
The consulate expects it to be under 6 months old when you submit your application, unless the certificate states a longer validity.
Do I need an ACRO certificate for a one-semester course?
If the course is 6 months or less, no. Over 6 months, yes.