Residents » Overview » Essential Documents

To speed things along, put together a packet of essential documents. Depending on your nationality and corresponding visa and work requirements, this should include:

 Original passport valid for at least one year (or for EU residents, your national identity card).

 Passport or ID photocopies

 Passport photos

 Educational or professional certifications (attested in your home country)

 Resume and references

 Copies of bank, income or tax statements, or other documentation showing you can support yourself during your stay

 Proof of health insurance

 Original birth and marriage certificates plus photocopies

 Employment contract, or for self-employment, a business proposal

 Rental or housing agreements

Many of these documents must be translated into Spanish by a certified translator (see p.), and some will need additional certification, such as an apostille seal, from your home country's government or attestation by a notary public. Start as early as you can on this. It's a lengthy (and costly) process and you may have to go to several different offices to get all the correct approvals. Check out the Ministerio de Trabajo y Asuntos Sociales website (www.mtas.es) for updated information.