Goodbye to the Apostille in the European Union?

It is well known how difficult may be that a document issued by any authority of a State, has legal effect in another State.

It seems that the European Union will make things easier (although some may not wish to take part -Brexit Dixit-), through the adoption of a regulation that would simplify certain procedures to authenticate official documents.

Currently, citizens of the European Union, must obtain a stamp to prove that their public documents are authentic in another EU country.

It seems that under the new regulation would be reduced the bureaucratic procedures linked to that public documents that will be accepted by another EU country, without the necessity to be stamped (or legalized before the consulates or diplomatic offices).

The regulation will also abolish the obligation to provide a certified copy or a certified translation of their public documents, as would be used a multilingual standard forms available in all EU languages (concerning birth, person being alive, death, marriage, registered partnership, domicile, residence, absence of criminal records).

The regulation covers public documents in the following areas:

• Birth
• Person being alive
• Death
• Certificates of names
• Certain marriage certificates
• Certificates of divorce, legal separation or marriage annulment
• Registered parnertship (registration and dissolution)
• Parenthood / adoption
• Nationality, domicile, residence
• Absence of criminal records
• Right to vote and stand as a candidate.

Member States have two years and a half from the date of entry into force of the regulation to adopt all necessary measure in their internal legal systems.

In the event that you need advice regarding this matter or any other that you may have before a Spanish Notary, please do not hesitate to contact the English speaking Spanish lawyers and accountants in Marbella of Arcos & Lamers Asociados, lawyers in Spain and tax advisors in Marbella, we have an expert team ready to answer your questions and to provide legal and fiscal advice in Spain.

Félix Ruiz, Lawyer in Spain