MFL (Spanish) graduates please help - overseas police check!

[sobloodyconfusing]

DD studied Spanish so obviously went on a year abroad. She is supposed to be starting a PGCE in September and has been told that she needs to obtain a Spanish ‘police check’ because of her time spent there.

Has anybody had to do this before, or know somebody who has? The uni have pretty much said ‘you’re on your own, work it out’, the UK government website guidance directs you to a Spanish website which no longer exists when you click on the link, and the Spanish government guidance is the most bloody confusing thing ever. It says she’ll need to get a copy of her passport notarised and send it off with lots of different forms to different places and include a prepaid envelope to send the certificate back to her (how can she even get one of these which will be ok in Spain? I’m assuming a Royal Mail one won’t work in the Spanish postal system?!)

She doesn’t even have a passport anymore and we are skint as anything so god knows how we are going to afford to apply for one and get a notarised copy (which Google says will be £50+ just for the photocopy?!)

Can anyone please guide us through this process?

Can you contact the Spanish Embassy as I am sure they will be able to provide guidance.

Try joining a teaching Facebook group and ask for advice there. She'll find people who have done this recently who can advise her. I see these posts quite regularly from PDGE students.

You can do it online @sobloodyconfusing - the website is here and you can do it from abroad. It's called a certificado de antecedentes penales.

But you're right the website isn't working! That was the site I used. Maybe try calling the number? Paperwork is awful in Spain!

Thanks so much all! She is currently waiting to hear back from the Spanish consulate in London but they’ve said their replies are taking a while because of less staff.

Will definitely tell her to check out teaching facebook groups.

@QuentinInQuarantino Yes Spanish paperwork is so awful! As soon as DD found out she was going to have to do it she said she was having terrible flashbacks of the day she had to get her NIE Thanks so much for linking to the website, will definitely persevere and hopefully it’s back up working soon. You can do it in person if you’re in Spain and she’s almost tempted to see if she’d be able to travel there sometime this summer to have a mini holiday and get it done but who knows if we will be able to travel!

Know someone who is facing just this issue with Spain but not for PGCE. Going through security checks for a civil service graduate programme. It's gone very high up the system and looks as if they are trying to find a work around.

@EwwSprouts - great to hear that we aren’t alone in this but also not great that you also have a friend/relative stuck in this same crappy position! DD also escalated this further and it went to a sort of hearing with the directors of the PGCE course and she didn’t hear anything for a few weeks but they’ve ultimately ruled that she will have to get it done To make matters even more annoying, she was only in Spain for 3 and a half months before she had to return!

If it helps at all, the Spanish consulate have replied and said they’ll certify DD’s passport (when it arrives!) So that ticks off the notarising business, I’m sure there’s still a cost but at least I know it’s being done by the most relevant party. So if they are struggling with that aspect, perhaps head in that direction. She is also going to ask them about the prepaid envelope and stamps business to see if they can advise a way she could acquire these!

Obviously even when she gets the application off, who knows when and if they’ll get back to her!

I have just done it for a TA position. Firstly you need your passport verified by the Spanish consulate here. You can do this by post and you have to pay. You then send the verification to the Spanish ministry of justice with a form and and saw and a small fee. They send it back here bug you don't have to do anything. The UK send it back there and then they send the certificate to you. Some places you submit it then want it translated. It takes a while. I've powered down my computer for tonight but I can try and find more specific info tomorrow if you like

@margaritasbythesea Thank you so much! We are just so pleased to hear someone’s had success with it because all the other stories we found online on the Student Room etc were people saying they didn’t manage to do it. Great to know that it all worked out fine for you and any extra info would be very much appreciated whenever you get the chance!

No problem. It was difficult to work out (and my DH is Spanish). If you don't hear from me tomorrow, please message me on Sunday to remind me.

This is the webpage she needs. Two things I noticed were that it does not tell you how to get your passport verified. I suggest that she phones the Spanish consulate in London for this. She'll probably have to send her passport and a fee.

www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/LONDRES/es/Consulado/Paginas/Penales.aspx

Also it now gives an internet and email option. This was absolutely not possible in November 2020 . I asked many times and was told it was not legal so I really don't know if it would work now.

The form needed is the 790. Look for the word Descarga (download). It's the last one in the list. Follow the steps and it should work, however arcane it seems. Spanish bureaucracy really is like this. It seems weird to us but it is as it is and in this case actually worked well. The part that got delayed was the UK part.

The name of the certificate she wants is Certificado de Antecedentes Penales.

Usually you can use your passport number or NIE if you don't have a DNI.

@margaritasbythesea Thank you so much you’ve been a lifesaver at processing all of this, we are both so grateful Documents are being sent to the consulate this week and we will go from there! Fingers crossed I’m posting on here in a month or two saying it all went well Thank you again!

Good luck. Be patient. It does take a while.