Hi everyone,

Hoping someone can help me with the following - I have just moved to Spain from the UK and am applying for residency por arraigo familiar (my husband is Spanish). One of the documents I have to provide as part of my application is a certificado de antecedentes penales/a criminal background check - it does not specify which kind of certificate I need, just that it needs to cover the last 5 years and be legalised and translated. I automatically went for a DBS certificate as that’s all I know, but have just had a call from the company I’m using to notarise and legalise the document suggesting that I might instead need an ACRO. Can anybody advise? I want to make sure I have the correct document and avoid wasting time and money getting the wrong one!
Thank you!

You definitely need an ACRO certificate If you go to the ACRO website click on Police certificate and that explains it.
A DBS is only valid for the UK and specifically relates to children and vulnerable people

If you're applying for Autorización de residencia temporal por circunstancias excepcionales. Arraigo familiar (HI 37), shouldn't you instead be applying for Tarjeta de residencia de familiar de ciudadano de la Unión Europea (HI 102)?

The requirements are less stringent and I don't see anything about "antedecentes penales" as a requirement in the EU family member card.

Any reason why you are not applying as a family member (in this case spouse) of an EU citizen? Only reason I can think of is that your husband isn't resident in Spain which would explain it.

Thanks for these. I am applying via arraigo familiar as this is what we were told we needed to do at the oficina de extranjería. We have moved from the UK - my husband had been living there for 12 years and is not yet working here in Spain so perhaps that is why?

That could be the reason as with an EU family member card he'd need to be working/autonomo/student or prove financial means and with arraigo familiar that's not necessary. I hadn't noticed that before.

True, without a job in Spain he would need to prove he has the financial means to support his wife when applying for the "Family member of an EU citizen" card. Add to that private medical insurance.

Not the most difficult thing to do if you have some savings that you can transfer into a Spanish bank account. On the upside no background check certificates needed which can be a HUGE plus in certain situations like moving to Australia, where I remember I had to get those from every country I had lived in for the past 10 years! Imagine the hassle (and cost!)...

Isn't citizenship another option, or possibly going for residency via the "por arraigo familiar" route would bring that a step closer?