If you’re a first-year auxiliar, your recent criminal background check should/will be enough for some schools or regions in Spain. However, renewals (2nd, 3rd, 4th years) in the program are required to provide a specific background check called the Certificado de Delitos de Naturaleza Sexual y Trata de Seres Humanos in order to work in Spanish schools. The good news? The process is simple, quick, and free. Here’s everything you need to know.
Step 1: Get an Appointment
You’ll need an appointment at the Ministry of Justice to obtain this certificate. Appointments can sometimes be tricky to secure, but they continue to open up, so keep checking. (Easier than TIE appointments)
Booking the Appointment:
- Visit: https://citaprevia.mjusticia.gob.es/
- If you’re in Madrid, select the corresponding Madrid option.
- If you’re in another region, click “aquí” to go to your regional appointment page.
MADRID
Pick a day and time for your appointment and reserve it. It might be tricky to find a slot at first, but don’t give up; new appointments keep opening.
After clicking “Reservar”, you can fill in your personal information. And don’t forget to check the box at the bottom when booking!
OTHER REGIONS
After clicking “aquí”, you will be redirected to another page. You can continue to the appointment page by clicking on “Solicitud de Cita”.
Input YOUR region in “Centro”, then request Certificado por Delitos de Naturaleza Sexual y Trata de Seres Humanos for “Servicio”.
And don’t forget to check the box at the bottom when booking!
Pick a day and time for your appointment and reserve it. It might be tricky to find a slot at first, but don’t give up; new appointments keep opening.
After you choose a day and time, you’ll be asked to fill out your personal information. Make sure to click “Guardar” to confirm and save your appointment details. Print it out or have it ready on your phone, and bring it with you to the appointment.
Step 2: Complete the Modelo de Solicitud and Gather Your Documents
Before your appointment, make sure you have everything ready. You’ll need:
- Your ID (passport)
- Your appointment confirmation
- A completed Modelo de Solicitud form
Having these ready will save you stress at the office and help the process go smoothly.
Step 3: Attend Your Appointment
Bring your passport, appointment confirmation, and completed form to your scheduled appointment.
Depending on the location, you may receive a certificate the same day, or it might be sent to you via email or text within a week. Either way, keep it safe, as it proves your application is in process while you wait for your TIE card.
‼️ Also, if you have a valid (not expired) TIE card and a digital certificate, you can likely request this online without needing to go in person. It’s worth considering doing this before your TIE or digital certificate expires to save yourself time and hassle. ‼️
REQUEST ONLINE WITH CERTIFICADO DIGITAL
If you already have a valid Spanish digital certificate, you can request the Spanish Certificate of Sexual Offenses online, officially called the Certificado de Delitos de Naturaleza Sexual. You do not need to go to a police station or a physical office when you can complete the electronic identification.
And this is actually the certificate you want for working with children in Spain. The Spanish Ministry of Justice says it is the only Spanish certificate issued for habitual work with minors.
How To Do It
Go to the official Ministry of Justice page: Certificado de Delitos de Naturaleza Sexual | Ministerio de Justicia
Then:
- Select “Solicitud de Certificado de Delitos de Naturaleza Sexual para personas físicas.”
- Choose “Tramitación On-line con CL@VE.”
- Log in using your digital certificate or another accepted electronic identification method. The Ministry specifically says electronic certificates such as an FNMT certificate or DNIe can be used.
- It should then redirect you to its page, and you should see a “descargar certificado.” Click that, and it will automatically download a PDF file to your computer!
And here’s the nice part: it is normally issued immediately. The Ministry says that, as a general rule, the certificate is issued at the moment. There can be exceptions where additional information has to be obtained, but that’s particularly relevant to EU nationals whose information may need to be checked through ECRIS. If you’re American, that particular EU-nationality complication shouldn’t apply to you.
One little distinction!
Don’t accidentally request the regular Certificado de Antecedentes Penales. That’s a different certificate, and the Ministry explicitly says it does not authorize you to work with minors. For that, you need the Certificado de Delitos de Naturaleza Sexual.
So yes, if you already have your Spanish certificado digital/FNMT, this is one of those wonderfully rare Spanish bureaucratic tasks that you can potentially do from your couch. No appointment, no photocopies, and no mysterious window 7 at the Ayuntamiento.
Love always + good luck,
American Girl Meets World
