# Police criminal check



## reinholds (Sep 24, 2018)

Hi all, 

I've recently moved to Spain, and unfortunately my first post here is a new thread. I tried to google a lot, but got not results that would help me. -_-

Currently I am staying with a friend, therefore I don't have NIE sorted out yet, rental agreement, etc. Have found a company to work for (in Gib), but I have been asked for a criminal background check. Since I am staying (and will later on on my own) in Spain I need to submit this from Spain as well. 

Can I do this without having NIE? I've talked to someone helping with NIE's and apparently it might take up to 6 weeks at the time of writing, due to queues, however I want to sort the job out asap, obviously. 

I'd like to assume, there should be a way to do this with my passport or national ID card as those basically have the same info, and one could have a record without having an NIE (e.g. some crazy tourists).

Thank you very much. Please accept my apologies, if this has been covered previously, I really tried to do my research...

Thank you!


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## reinholds (Sep 24, 2018)

Alright, some more research brought me to this - expatforum. com/expats/spain-expat-forum-expats-living-spain/794633-spanish-police-check.html

Maybe someone can suggest if this is right? Should I take my passport, copy and go to notary office in spain to approve it and move forward with the criminal check?

Sorry for the link, not allowed to post one yet. 

Thanks


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

reinholds said:


> Alright, some more research brought me to this - expatforum. com/expats/spain-expat-forum-expats-living-spain/794633-spanish-police-check.html
> 
> Maybe someone can suggest if this is right? Should I take my passport, copy and go to notary office in spain to approve it and move forward with the criminal check?
> 
> ...


If you have recently arrived & have no legal presence yet in Spain, (NIE / resident registration / padrón) you won't be able to get a Spanish police check.

You'll need one from your last country of residence.


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## reinholds (Sep 24, 2018)

xabiachica said:


> If you have recently arrived & have no legal presence yet in Spain, (NIE / resident registration / padrón) you won't be able to get a Spanish police check.
> 
> You'll need one from your last country of residence.


Thank you for your reply. Does that mean that the posts in the link above are not true?
I was specifically asked to deliver one from Spain, not previous country I lived...


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

I need one for getting Spanish nationality and have been told I need to get one from the UK despite living here for 30 years or since 1991 according to my certificate of residence... What do you reckon, is that right?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I need one for getting Spanish nationality and have been told I need to get one from the UK despite living here for 30 years or since 1991 according to my certificate of residence... What do you reckon, is that right?


Yep - I know someone who has lived here years who had to apply for one from the UK.

Istr that he had some problems persuading the UK - I'll ask him how he got on.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

xabiachica said:


> Yep - I know someone who has lived here years who had to apply for one from the UK.
> 
> Istr that he had some problems persuading the UK - I'll ask him how he got on.


Yep, it's not easy when you've been out of the country for so long. I mean I left before computer records were in place! My medical records were destroyed for example as they hadn't been accessed in more than 25yrs


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

reinholds said:


> Thank you for your reply. Does that mean that the posts in the link above are not true?
> I was specifically asked to deliver one from Spain, not previous country I lived...


Yes they want one from Spain, because you presumably have told them that you live in Spain.

But until you are registered, Spain can't check anything about you - you're not in the system in any way. You might just as well be here on holiday at the moment - they can't do criminal record checks on people who are here on holiday. 

How long have you been here?


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## reinholds (Sep 24, 2018)

xabiachica said:


> reinholds said:
> 
> 
> > Thank you for your reply. Does that mean that the posts in the link above are not true?
> ...


But if I'd have a record, made a mess while on hoiday, for example - they would have my name in their system, no? I don't see why I couldn't get an approval (report) I have nothing, even if I don't live here.
I am now about to sort out the NIE, but it will take time. As well as residency, when 180 days here will come closer.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

reinholds said:


> But if I'd have a record, made a mess while on hoiday, for example - they would have my name in their system, no? I don't see why I couldn't get an approval (report) I have nothing, even if I don't live here.
> I am now about to sort out the NIE, but it will take time. As well as residency, when 180 days here will come closer.


The criminal record check is from your country of residence - or previous residence.

You're not resident. You can't get one from a country in which you have never lived. 

You can apply for the _certificado de antecedentes penales _online though https://sede.mjusticia.gob.es/cs/Satellite/Sede/es/tramites/certificado-antecedentes

The requirement is to register as resident if you are here or intend to be here more than 3 months. Not 180 days.


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## JBMadrid (Aug 4, 2014)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Yep, it's not easy when you've been out of the country for so long. I mean I left before computer records were in place! My medical records were destroyed for example as they hadn't been accessed in more than 25yrs


Apologies for jumping in on this, but you are referring to the ACRO police check? I am aplying for Spanish nationality too and need a copy of my criminal record from the UK. Wasnt quite sure if thats the correct one


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

reinholds said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I've recently moved to Spain, and unfortunately my first post here is a new thread. I tried to google a lot, but got not results that would help me. -_-
> 
> ...


I think the lesson to learn't from this is to use the term 'holiday home at a friends house' 
( on your CV ) when your not yet settled into your new country and yet to establish a footprint
as regards credit worthiness and background checks & highlight your non resident Spain
( as you've not been in Spain long enough to be counted as resident in Spain ) status.

Most Employers would understand you using a temporary address in Spain for
correspondence and will therefore seek background check infomation from the
address where you were last permanently resident, whether that was in the UK or 
somewhere else ?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

JBMadrid said:


> Apologies for jumping in on this, but you are referring to the ACRO police check? I am aplying for Spanish nationality too and need a copy of my criminal record from the UK. Wasnt quite sure if thats the correct one


I don't know??


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

JBMadrid said:


> Apologies for jumping in on this, but you are referring to the ACRO police check? I am aplying for Spanish nationality too and need a copy of my criminal record from the UK. Wasnt quite sure if thats the correct one


I wasn't aware that there were more than one type / version of criminal records.

With this in mind, it begs the question if the Spanish Ministry of Justice will know...

But given the extremely long time they take to review and approve / reject applications (currently about 4 yrs I believe), it would be devastating to present a document only to be told later that it was the wrong one.

I would call them and ask. 

I called them for a question about my application and they were surprisingly efficient and helpful with the answer.


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## Katenbill (Jun 11, 2018)

Regarding the NIE, we got ours Within 24 hours last week at the Police Station in Torre del Mar, we used a gestor who queued up, filled in our paperwork paid the bank fee and we just joined her in the queue as the doors opened, and went back the next day to collect the NIEs.


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## Hepa (Apr 2, 2018)

Email on web page, www.acpo.police.uk or Tel. 00441962871111, for criminal record checks in the U.K.

Well that is where we obtained ours in 2012


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## reinholds (Sep 24, 2018)

Answering my own initial question - yes, one can do criminal check with no NIE. although I was told here it's impossible.
Filled 790, paid in bank, got in in Malaga after 20 min. queue.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Katenbill said:


> Regarding the NIE, we got ours Within 24 hours last week at the Police Station in Torre del Mar, we used a gestor who queued up, filled in our paperwork paid the bank fee and we just joined her in the queue as the doors opened, and went back the next day to collect the NIEs.


Took a French girl to the office in Jaén recently, all done, start to finish including NIE in hand, 1½ hours


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