Sworn translation services in Spain
Sworn translations (traducción jurada) by translators appointed by Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC), for your residency, property, company and family paperwork
Your UK, Irish, US, Australian or other documents translated into Spanish with the sworn translator’s seal and signature, ready to present at Extranjería, the notary, the Registro Civil, your bank or a university. Order online and receive your translation digitally or on paper.
What is a sworn translation and why does Spain ask for one?
Spanish public bodies, notaries and courts generally ask for documents in another language to come with an official translation into Spanish: the traducción jurada, or sworn translation. Only a sworn translator appointed by Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation (MAEC), listed in the official register of its Office of Language Interpretation, can sign it. For Catalan, Galician and Basque, sworn translators are appointed by the Generalitat, the Xunta and the Gobierno Vasco.
A certified translation made in the UK, Ireland, the US or Australia is not the same thing. When a Spanish body asks for a traducción jurada, it needs the seal and signature of a MAEC sworn translator. We work with MAEC sworn translators across Spain: each translation carries their seal, signature and registration number.
- Presented at
- Extranjería, police stations, notaries, registries, universities, banks and courts
- Price
- About 70 € per page, with a discount on additional pages
- Delivery
- Digital with electronic signature, or on paper
When you need a sworn translation in Spain
The procedures our English-speaking clients ask us about most.
NIE, TIE and residency
Birth and marriage certificates, police certificates and proof of income for your residency application, a family member’s application or a change of status.
Digital nomad and non-lucrative visas
ACRO or FBI police certificates, bank statements, pension and income documents, degrees and employment contracts requested by the consulate or the immigration office.
Buying property at the notary
Powers of attorney signed abroad, marriage or divorce documents and proof of funds for the notary, your lawyer and the Registro de la Propiedad.
Setting up an SL or a branch
Certificates of incorporation, articles of association, board resolutions and certificates of good standing for the notary and the Registro Mercantil.
Opening a bank account
Proof of income, tax returns and company documents that Spanish banks ask for when they check who you are and where your funds come from.
Degrees and professional recognition
Degrees and transcripts for the homologación or equivalencia of your qualifications, a Spanish university or a regulated profession.
Sworn translation for individuals, students, companies and law firms
Each procedure calls for different documents. These are the most common cases and how we help with each one.
Sworn translation for individuals and families
Residency, visas, marriage and nationality.
Birth, marriage and police certificates for your NIE, TIE, residency, a wedding in Spain or Spanish nationality. Send us a scan and receive your sworn translation digitally or on paper.
UK birth certificatesSworn translation for students and professionals
Homologación, studies and work in Spain.
Degrees, transcripts and diplomas for the homologación of your qualifications, a Spanish university or a job offer. We translate the full document, in the format the body asks for.
UK degreesSworn translation for companies and entrepreneurs
Company set-up, branches and banking.
Certificates of incorporation, articles of association, resolutions and accounts to set up your SL or open a branch in Spain, and for banks and tenders. One contact person coordinates your documents, with deadlines agreed in advance.
UK company recordsSworn translation for lawyers, gestorías and notaries
Notarial and court procedures.
Powers of attorney, deeds, judgments and wills for notaries, registries and courts. We coordinate each assignment with your firm and agree delivery dates to suit the procedure.
UK powers of attorney
Which document do you need translated?
The documents English speakers in Spain send us most often. Documents with their own UK page open it; for the others, ask for a quote.
Sworn translation of UK birth certificates
Sworn translation of marriage certificates
Sworn translation of ACRO police certificates
Sworn translation of FBI background checks
Sworn translation of UK financial documents for visas
Sworn translation of UK degrees
Sworn translation of academic transcripts
Sworn translation of UK company documents
Sworn translation of annual accounts
Sworn translation of UK powers of attorney
Sworn translation of notarial deeds
Sworn translation of court judgments and divorce decrees
Apostille first, then the sworn translation
Spanish bodies often ask for foreign public documents, such as birth certificates, police certificates or degrees, to carry the Hague Apostille, which certifies the signature of the official who issued them. The United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Canada and Australia are all parties to the Hague Apostille Convention, so no consular legalisation is needed.
The apostille is issued in the country that issued the document: for example by the FCDO Legalisation Office in the UK, the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ireland, DFAT in Australia, or the US Department of State for an FBI background check. Get the apostille first and send us the document with it: we translate both.
Ask the Spanish body which formalities it requires before you order, and tell us when you request your quote.
- Who issues the apostille
- An authority in the country that issued the document
- What comes first
- The apostille, then the sworn translation of the document and its apostille
- Apostille countries
- UK, Ireland, United States, Canada, Australia and most of Europe
Sworn translators for English, French, German, Arabic and more languages
The language combination sets the price and the deadline. If yours is not listed, ask us.
- EnglishMAEC sworn translator
- FrenchMAEC sworn translator
- GermanMAEC sworn translator
- ArabicMAEC sworn translator
See all 10 languagesSee fewer languages
- RussianMAEC sworn translator
- ItalianMAEC sworn translator
- PortugueseMAEC sworn translator
- RomanianMAEC sworn translator
- DutchMAEC sworn translator
- ChineseMAEC sworn translator
The flags show some of the countries and regions where each language is spoken, not a single country of origin.
How to order a sworn translation online
Everything is done at a distance: you do not need to travel.
AI-generated video
- 1
Send us your document
Scan it as a PDF and email it or send it with the form. A good-quality digital copy is enough.
- 2
Price and deadline
We reply within 8 working hours with the price and the delivery date.
- 3
Translation with seal and signature
A sworn translator appointed by the MAEC translates the document and certifies it with their seal and signature.
- 4
Digital or paper delivery
With an electronic signature in 2–3 working days; on paper, about 2 days more, collected at our Valencia office or sent by post.
Turnaround and format: digital or paper
How long each step takes, and how to tell whether the digital version is enough or you need paper.
Sworn translation turnaround
- You request a quote
Send us a scan of your document, in PDF, from anywhere.
- Reply within 8 working hours
With a fixed price and deadline. Weekends and national public holidays in Spain are not counted.
- Certified digital sworn translation: 2–3 working days
Signed electronically by the sworn translator.
- Paper: about 2 more days
Collected at our Valencia office by appointment, or sent by post.
24-hour or next-day delivery: only exceptionally, at a premium and once we confirm it.
Digital or paper?
Does the receiving office accept a digital sworn translation (electronic signature)?
- YesCertified digital version: usually enough, and it arrives sooner
2–3 working days, signed electronically.
- No / not sure
- Ask the office which pages it needs and whether it requires paper
- Paper: about 2 more days
Collected in Valencia by appointment, or sent by post.
We can translate only the pages you are asked for.
How much does a sworn translation cost?
The price depends on the language, the type of document and its length. As an indication, a sworn translation costs about 70 € per page, with a discount on additional pages.
Send us your document and we give you a fixed price and deadline, with no obligation.
Get a Free QuoteSworn translation wherever you live in Spain
Sworn translation is ordered online, so it does not matter where you live. These are some of the cities our clients send documents from.
Madrid region12
Central Spain5
Request a sworn translation quote
Tell us the languages, the pages and the procedure. We reply within 8 working hours.
Sworn translation: frequently asked questions
What is a sworn translation?
It is the official translation that Spanish public bodies, notaries and courts work with. It is signed by a sworn translator appointed by Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation (MAEC), with their seal, signature and registration number.
Is a certified translation from the UK or the US valid in Spain?
A certified translation from your home country is not a Spanish sworn translation. If the Spanish body asks for a traducción jurada, the translation must be signed by a sworn translator appointed by the MAEC. Ask the body what it requires.
Do I need an apostille on my ACRO certificate or FBI background check?
Spanish authorities often ask for police certificates with the Hague Apostille. The ACRO certificate is apostilled by the FCDO in the UK, and the FBI background check by the US Department of State. Get the apostille first, then send us the document with it.
How much does a sworn translation cost?
About 70 € per page, with a discount on additional pages. The price depends on the language and the document. Get a quote and we reply within 8 working hours (except weekends and national public holidays in Spain).
How long does it take?
We reply to your request within 8 working hours. The certified digital sworn translation is usually ready in 2 to 3 working days; if you need the paper version, allow about 2 more days to collect it at our Valencia office or receive it by post. 24-hour or next-day delivery is possible only exceptionally, at a premium and once we confirm it.
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Can you translate only some pages, or only one language of a bilingual document?
Yes. Before ordering, check with the office that asked for the document exactly which pages it needs, and whether the certified digital version is enough or it requires paper. The digital version is enough in most cases, but we need to know from the start.
Can I bring my documents to your office?
Yes, by appointment at our Valencia office (Calle Dr. Ferran, 13). The translation is not done on the spot: our sworn translators do not work at the office, so we give you the delivery date with your quote. You can also collect the paper translation there.
Can I order online, and do you need the original?
Yes, everything is done online. A good-quality scan in PDF is usually enough to translate the document. Some bodies ask to see the original when you submit your papers, so keep it to hand.
Will a sworn translation work for my TIE, visa, Spanish nationality or pareja de hecho application?
These are the procedures we are asked about most. A sworn translation is signed and stamped by a sworn translator appointed by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC), which is the translation Spanish public bodies ask for. Check with the office whether it also needs the Hague Apostille on the original document, or a document issued recently.
Do you translate US, Canadian or Australian documents, not only British ones?
Yes. We translate English-language documents from any country into Spanish, for example FBI background checks, birth and marriage certificates, degrees and bank statements for a non-lucrative or digital nomad visa. If a document carries an apostille, it is translated too.
What should I include in my quote request?
A legible copy of every page (including the apostille), the procedure and the country where you will submit the translation, the date you need it by and whether you need it digitally or on paper. We reply within 8 working hours.
Can someone also come with me to the appointment?
Yes. In Valencia an interpreter can go with you to the notary, Extranjería, the police station or the doctor. See our interpreting services.
Need a professional translation?
Request a free, no-obligation quote. We reply within 8 working hours.