Spain Embassy in Canada
The Spanish Embassy in Ontario, Canada, provides consular assistance to Spanish citizens currently residing or planning to reside in Canada. The Embassy also serves foreigners who want to live in Spain, invest or visit for a holiday.
This guide provides all you need to know about the services offered by the Spanish Embassy in Canada, processing times, fees, as well as the procedures you’ll have to follow and the documents to submit.
If you’re planning to move to Spain or to visit for business purposes or studying, it helps to know in advance what documentation you will need.
Table of Contents
The Spanish Embassy in Canada
The Spanish Embassy processes passport and visa applications, national identity card (DNI) renewals, residency certificates as well as birth, marriage and death registrations.
As of January 2024, Canadian official documents are not legalized at the Spanish Embassy in Ottawa. In order for Canadian documents to be valid in Spain, they need to be apostilled by Global Affairs Canada or a provincial competent authority.
The Consular section of the Embassy can facilitate applications for Spanish citizenship and assists Canadians who plan to relocate to Spain.
The Embassy also provides consular assistance for Spanish citizens under arrest, who need to hire a foreign lawyer, or who are detained in Canada.
Contact details
The Embassy of Spain
-
74 Stanley Avenue,
Ottawa, Ontario,
K1M 1P4
Canada -
(613) 747-2252, 747-7293,
747-1143 & 747-6181
- 744-1224
- [email protected]
Consulate of Spain in Edmonton
-
10708, 141 St. NW
Edmonton, Alberta,
T5M 1S9,
Canada. - (780) 708-7132
Consulate of Spain in Halifax
-
5450 Kaye Street, Suite 106,
Halifax, Nova Scotia,
B3K 0G7,
Canada. - (902) 399 5593
- (902) 422-9439
- [email protected]
Consulate of Spain in Quebec
-
951 Avenue Casot,
Quebec
G1S 2Y2
Canada. - (418) 478 6984
Consulate of Spain in Montreal / Spanish Embassy Montreal
-
1200 Avenue McGill College, Suite 2025,
Montréal, Québec,
H3B 4G7,
Canada. - (514) 935-5235
- (514) 935-4655
- [email protected]
Consulate of Spain in St. John's
-
131, Duckworth Street,
St. John´s, Newfoundland
A1C 1E9,
Canada. - (+1) (709) 753 7277
- (+1) (709) 738-3775
Consulate of Spain in Toronto / Spanish Embassy Toronto
-
2 Bloor St East, Suite 1201,
Toronto,
M4W 1A8,
Canada - (+1) 416 977 1661/3923
- (+1) 416-593-4949
- [email protected]
Spanish Consulate in Vancouver / Spanish Embassy in Vancouver Canada
-
2185 Capilano Road,
North Vancouver (B.C.),
V7P 3C1,
Canada. - (604) 770-0087
Consulate of Spain in Winnipeg
-
788 Coventry Road,
Winnipeg, Manitoba,
R3R 1B7,
Canada. - (204) 896-4367
Opening Hours
The Embassy of Spain in Ottawa
- 9:00AM - 1.00PM Monday to Friday
Consulate of Spain in Edmonton
- This consulate is temporarily closed.
Consulate of Spain in Halifax
- By appointment only.
Consulate of Spain in Montreal
- 9:00AM - 1.00PM Monday to Friday, by appointment
Consulate of Spain in St. John's
- By appointment only.
Consulate of Spain in Toronto
- 09:00AM - 1.00PM Monday to Friday
Consulate of Spain in Vancouver
- By appointment only.
Consulate of Spain in Winnipeg
- By appointment only.
Payment methods
Only cash, money order or certified cheque payable to the Embassy of Spain are accepted.
Spanish Embassy Legalization
Public documents issued in Canada must be apostilled to be valid in Spain, and all Spanish public documents must be apostilled to be valid in Canada and elsewhere.
Since Canada joined The Hague Apostille Convention in January 2024, the Spanish Embassy in Ottawa no longer legalizes Canadian documents.
Instead, you must follow a two step process:
1. Document Preparation
2. Request an apostille at Global Affairs Canada or a provincial competent authority.
Preparing your document
Depending on the nature of your document, you may need to get it translated and notarized before submitting it to Global Affairs Canada or other competent authorities
Requesting an apostille
An apostille certificate confirms that the signature or seal on your documents is genuine, valid, and recognized.
For this step, you must send your documents to Global Affairs Canada or a provincial competent authority. Where you send the documents depends on where they were issued or notarized:
– Global Affairs Canada apostilles documents issued by the Government of Canada and documents issued or notarized in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, and Yukon. If your document was notarized in one of these provinces or territories but issued elsewhere, you will still send it to Global Affairs Canada.
– Documents issued or notarized in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan must be submitted to these provinces’ competent authority. If your document was notarized in Alberta, Ontario, or Saskatchewan, send it to that province’s competent authority, regardless of where it was issued. In British Columbia and Quebec, the competent authority authenticates a notarized document only if the original was issued there.
Before submitting your documents, ensure that it is an original document with a recognized signature and, if applicable, a seal.
Global Affairs Canada and all other competent authorities study the document to confirm that the signature or seal on your document is genuine. If all’s well, they issue an apostille certificate.
The apostille validates your Canadian document for use in Spain and in other countries party to The Hague Apostille Convention.
The tables below treat the authentication of documents by the Embassy of Spain in Ottawa as outlined in the Spain Embassy in Canada Official Website.
FAQs
Does Canada issue apostilles?
Yes, Canada started issuing apostilles in January 2024. An apostille replaces the authentication and legalization process in all countries that have signed the Convention.
Does Spain issue apostilles?
Yes, it does, because it is a signatory of The Hague Apostille Convention. This is the list of countries that are party to the Convention.
It’s important to note that this process does not take place in Spanish Embassies or Consulates. Anyone who needs to obtain an apostille should contact the Ministry of Justice.
The following documents cannot be apostilled:
- consular documents issued by foreign embassies or consulates in Spain
- documents relating to a commercial or customs transaction.
Can I get photocopies legalized by the Spanish Embassy in Ontario?
Information on how to apply for a legalization of your documents may be obtained via an email request to the Consular office.
How long does it take to attest a document at the Spanish Embassy in Ontario?
Since both Canada and Spain are members of The Hague Apostille Convention, you can request an apostille and not an attestation. Apostille stamps are issued by Global Affairs Canada or a provincial competent authority.
The time it takes to obtain an apostille varies considerably and depends on the work load of the competent authority you are submitting it to. You must also take into consideration the time it takes to get a translation and notarization.
At Document Authentication Canada we work closely with the Spanish Embassy in Canada and Global Affairs Canada to facilitate and expedite the apostille process. Get in touch with our expert team on 1-855-700-5840 for assistance.
Looking for a Faster Apostille?
All other services offered by the Embassy of Spain in Canada
The Spanish Embassy offers a number of other services related to Consular Registration and Assistance, the Civil Register, passports and travel documents, immigration and citizenship, visas, and criminal records. The following subsections give information about each of these services.
Consular Registration at the Spain Embassy Canada
Spanish residents living abroad must register with the Consular Register corresponding to the district where they live. Registration allows them to renew their documentation, prove their residence abroad, request consular assistance when needed, and participate in elections called in Spain (except municipal elections).
Those who register but do not give notice of the continuity of their effective residence abroad during the year following the date of registration will have their registration officially canceled. It is therefore important to maintain regular contact with the Consular Office. You can book an appointment for consular registration via [email protected]
How do I register with Spanish Embassy?
| Consular Registration | |
|---|---|
|
When is an attestation needed? |
When you’re a Spanish resident living abroad, even if living there temporarily. |
|
Description |
Registering with the Consular Register. |
|
Who can apply? |
Spanish residents living abroad. |
|
Fee (in CAD) |
Unknown |
|
Processing Time |
Unknown |
|
Criteria |
|
|
How to submit |
Book your appointment by sending an email to [email protected] |
|
Submission Notes |
Spanish citizens who are abroad temporarily are advised to register as “non-residents”. This includes students taking part in courses or traveling abroad for a certain time. |
Cancellation
Before the end of your stay abroad, you should apply to cancel the registration. On arrival at the new place of residence, you must then register in the Municipal Register or in the Consulate corresponding to your new place of residence.
Consular Assistance
Consular assistance is offered in cases of persons under arrest, as well as emergency situations.
In cases of arrest
The following provides information to families and friends of Spaniards who have been arrested or sentenced to imprisonment in foreign countries. Consular assistance may be provided by the Spanish Government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation and its Embassies and Consulates.
The following also states the types of assistance that are not permitted under Spanish law, which therefore cannot be offered.
Protection and assistance
Assistance is provided when those arrested in a foreign country experience problems related to telephone and postal services, cultural differences and different lifestyles, and a different language.
It should be noted that Spanish nationals are subject to the laws of the country they’ve travelled to, regardless of whether they were aware of those laws or not. Therefore, the offender can never be exempted from the application of foreign law.
In cases of arrest, you should get in contact with:
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, EUROPEAN UNION AND COOPERATION
Dirección General de Españoles en el Exterior y de Asuntos Consulares y Migratorios
C/ Pechuán nº 1 28002
MADRID
Telephone: 91 379 16 55
Prior to taking any action, such as sending money, medication, or travelling to the country where the Spaniard is being detained, contact the Directorate-General of Spaniards Overseas and of Consular and Migratory Affairs, or the corresponding Consulate, to discuss how to proceed.
Hiring a foreign lawyer
The Spanish Consular Sections can provide a list of lawyers specialised in certain types of cases, but they cannot recommend a particular lawyer. The decision to hire a legal professional is the personal responsibility of the arrested person, or of their legal representatives.
Assistance for detainees
Spanish Consular Sections, in line with the laws and regulations of the country where the Spanish citizen is arrested or imprisoned, may:
- Notify family members and friends of their arrest and, as the case may be, of the conviction, providing that the prisoner authorises this.
- Periodically visit them. The frequency of visits will depend on local regulations, the special circumstances affecting the prisoner, the location of the prison, the number of Spaniards in prison, the number of Spaniards detained in penitentiary centres within the consular district and the availability of personnel at the relevant Consular Section.
- Deliver and receive messages and correspondence.
- Request the local authorities, following a request in writing, for information on the case.
- At those penitentiary centres that do not cover the basic needs of arrested persons (food, medication, clothing, etc.), the Consular Sections will try to help obtain these, to the extent possible.
- Gather information on personal belongings that are missing or not available.
- Provide reading material.
- Provide assistance in the event that the prisoner should request a transfer to Spain within the framework of Agreements on the Transfer of persons convicted to deprivation of liberty. This can be done in those countries Spain has signed an agreement of this nature with. Otherwise, they are parties, as in the case of Spain, to the Strasbourg Convention.
They may not:
- Pay out fines imposed on Spanish nationals by the authorities of another country with public funds. They also cannot settle compensation or civil redress imposed by foreign authorities, whether judicial or otherwise.
- Provide legal opinions or interpretations of local laws and regulations.
- Attend legal hearings except in exceptional circumstances, such as if there are well-founded suspicions that the Spanish citizen may be deprived of their fundamental rights.
- Recommend a specific lawyer – although a list of lawyers may be provided – in the event that the national arrested person rejects free legal aid offered, which is generally provided in all countries.
- Become involved in substantial matters between the arrested person and their lawyer.
- Introduce into prison–or send from its premises–anything that is not authorised by the relevant prison regulations.
- Organize accommodation for family or friends of the arrested person who wish to visit the latter.
- Exercise consular protection of Spanish arrested persons who are also nationals of the country in which they are arrested, if the said country does not recognise their dual nationality or if the internal laws and regulations of the same limit the consular protection.
- Undertake any task that may be considered to go against the judiciary’s independence.
Contact with local authorities
Spanish Consular Sections, in line with the laws and regulations of the country where the Spanish citizen is arrested or imprisoned, will:
- Ask the local authorities for immediate contact with and access to a Spanish arrested person, from the time they become aware of the arrest and until their release.
- Endeavour to ensure that the treatment received by the Spanish national is, at least, the same as that received by the nationals of the country in question.
- Work to obtain the authorizations that the detainee may require from all local authorities in order to contact their family and friends as well as the corresponding Consular Section.
- Obtain information on the status of the arrested person and will seek to ensure that the local authorities do not prolong their situation without clear justification.
- Appropriately monitor the health condition of those arrested, and will ensure that the authorities of the correctional establishment provide Spanish prisoners with suitable food and medical services.
- Undertake to ensure that the transfer procedure is carried through as swiftly as possible (in those countries where there is an agreement on the transfer of convicted persons or which are party to the Strasbourg Convention). The transfer may only take place if the three parties agree (the prisoner, sentencing State and State of enforcement).
In emergencies
Spanish residents overseas who find themselves in a situation of need can visit the Consular Section, where they will be informed of the aid programmes that exist and how to proceed with the applications, if appropriate.
Spaniards who are temporarily abroad and find themselves in a situation of unexpected need as a result of an accident, or if they have fallen victim to theft, or suffer a sudden serious illness or any other unforeseen situation, and are unable to leave the country on their own means, can seek the assistance of the Spanish Consulate General. The Consulate will help them get in contact with their family or friends in Spain in order to solve their problem.
Likewise, the Consulates offer consular assistance to Spanish women who suffer gender-based violence while in Canada.
Visas
How do I apply for a Spanish visa from Canada?
Spain is a Schengen area country and Canadian citizens do not need a visa to travel within this area. Visa-free travel applies to stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Stays are cumulative and include visits to any Schengen area country.
If you are a Canadian citizens and intend to stay in Spain for more than 90 days you need a visa.
You must contact the Spanish embassy to obtain the appropriate visa prior to travel.
There are many different types of Spanish national visas:
- Student visa
- NALCAP visa
- Research visa
- Employee visa
- Internship visa
- Self-employed work visa
- Visa for highly-qualified workers and for intra-company transfers
- Investor visa
- Entrepreneur visa
- Non-lucrative residence visa
- Long-term residence or EU long-term residence recovery visa
- Youth Mobility Program visas
- Teleworkvisa (Nomad visa)
Other services provided by the Spanish Embassy in Ottawa
The Spanish Embassy processes applications related to the Civil Register, including the provision of birth, death, and marriage certificates, as well as documents related to nationality and domicile.
The Embassy can also inform you how to renew a Spanish passport in Canada, travel documents, or an ID, as well as provides services related to immigration and citizenship, criminal records, tax identification number, and Foreign Identity Number.
IN CONCLUSION
This guide should have provided a clearer idea of the apostille (legalization) process, and all the services that are provided by the Embassy of Spain in Canada: services related to Consular Registration and Assistance, the Civil Register, visas, assistance to detainees, and more.
The document preparation and apostille process, in particular, can be overwhelming, especially on top of relocation to another country or big life changes.
Our expert team can take care of the process for you, ensuring you meet all document requirements when submitting your request and that your timelines are met.
Get in touch with our expert team on 1-855-700-5840 to request a quote and a free document evaluation.
About The Author
Lori, Director of Operations
Lori Shepherd is a licensed Paralegal, Notary and Mediator in the City of Ottawa and holds a B.A. from Carleton University. A native to the City, she has lived and worked across Canada and overseas. Lori is client focused and dedicated to clear and concise communication to ensure clients feel secure in using our services.
