The six reasons applications are refused (and none of them is that you did not deserve it)

There is something deeply unfair about refusals on technicalities: the person met the requirements and still loses months of their life. The good news is that if the problem is the form, the form can be controlled. These are the six most recurrent causes.

1. Translations that do not count

A foreign document needs a sworn translation, done by a translator accredited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A translation done by a relative who speaks the language fluently, however accurate, has no validity. It is the expense most often paid twice because it was done wrong the first time.

2. Missing legalisation or apostille

Foreign public documents need a Hague apostille if the country applies it, or diplomatic legalisation if not. Not every country is a party to the Convention, and the circuit varies by origin. Finding out which applies before moving the document saves weeks.

3. Certificates expired at the decision

This is the cruellest one. Criminal record certificates have limited validity, and what gets checked is not always the date you filed but the moment of the decision. Requesting them too early is as much of a problem as requesting them too late: the timing has to be calculated.

4. Gaps in the padrón

A padrón record that starts late or has uncovered periods forces the administration to ask. Gaps can be filled with other evidence, but they have to be anticipated and presented from the start, not left until a request arrives.

5. Contracts that do not qualify

Not every job offer works for routes that require a contract. There are requirements on hours, duration and conditions that the contract must meet, and a well-meaning employer can offer you something that does not fit. Checking the contract before signing avoids the problem entirely.

6. Unanswered requests

The most avoidable of all, and probably the most frequent. The notification went to an old address, or to an electronic mailbox nobody checks, and the deadline expired. Keeping the address and phone number on the file up to date costs nothing and saves entire applications.