This guide explains which Spanish translation services public offices accept in 2026, what sworn translations cost and how to find and check a sworn translator.
What changed in 2025
The biggest recent change is that sworn translations can now be fully digital. Order AUC/213/2025 of 26 February 2025, published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) on 7 March 2025, allows sworn translators and interpreters to certify their work with a qualified electronic signature. The order takes effect on the day after publication, which is 8 March 2025. Some secondary sources give 7 March, which is the publication date rather than the start date.
| Change | Date | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Electronic signature for sworn translations (Order AUC/213/2025) | In force from 8 March 2025 | You can receive a signed PDF that is valid without a paper stamp, which suits online filing with Spanish authorities. |
| New immigration regulation (Royal Decree 1155/2024) | In force from 20 May 2025 | Residency and visa applications run under new rules. Foreign public documents in another language still need an official Spanish translation. |
Correction to a common claim: Some articles say the 2025 order made electronic signatures compulsory and paper sworn translations obsolete. That is not what the order says. The electronic signature is optional, and the order states expressly that it does not cancel or invalidate the handwritten signature and stamp. Paper sworn translations remain fully valid.
The rules on the electronic version are specific. The signature must be a qualified certificate for an individual under the EU eIDAS regulation, it must cover the whole file (the original document and the translation together), and a text box must show the translator’s full name, authorised language or languages and registration number. Any visible “stamp” image is decorative only; the digital signature itself is what carries legal weight. You can check a signed file on the Spanish Government’s free validation service, VALIDe.
What counts as a certified translation in Spain?
In Spain, the official equivalent of a certified translation is a sworn translation produced by a traductor-intérprete jurado appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. Only translations between Spanish and a foreign language made by a holder of that title have official status before Spanish courts and public bodies.
A sworn translator certifies, using a wording set by the Ministry, that the translation is a faithful and exact rendering of the original. The translator signs and stamps each page, or signs the whole file electronically. Three points often confuse new arrivals:
- A sworn translator is not a civil servant. The title gives no employment link with the State. The translator works privately and sets their own prices, and the Ministry does not assign jobs or act as an intermediary.
- “Certified” means something different elsewhere. In the UK and the US, any professional translator can add a signed statement of accuracy. Spanish authorities do not generally accept that kind of certification for documents translated into Spanish. Notarising it in the UK does not change this.
- Catalan, Basque and Galician are separate. Since 1992, the Ministry has not examined sworn translators for these co-official languages. The Generalitat de Catalunya, the Basque Government and the Xunta de Galicia run their own registers.
Warning: Online agencies sometimes advertise “certified Spanish translation” that is a standard translation with a company stamp. Before you pay, ask for the name and registration number of the sworn translator who will sign it, and check it on the Ministry’s register.
Your translation options compared
For most expats in Spain, a sworn translator in Spain is the simplest and most widely accepted option. Spanish rules recognise several other routes, but each has extra steps.
| Option | Who does it | Accepted by Spanish authorities? | Extra steps | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sworn translation in Spain | Translator appointed by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Yes, official status before courts and public bodies | None beyond the translation itself | Residency, nationality, civil registry, courts, property |
| Translation by a Spanish consulate abroad | Spanish embassy or consulate in the issuing country | Yes | Consular fee; consulates do not all offer this service | Documents you are preparing before you move |
| Translation by your country’s consulate in Spain | Consulate of the document’s country of origin | Yes, but the Spanish Ministry’s legalisation service may need to legalise it | Legalisation step; not every consulate translates | Nationals of countries whose consulates offer this |
| Official translator abroad | Translator authorised in the issuing country | Sometimes; the translator’s signature must be legalised or apostilled as well as the original | Two layers of legalisation | Rarely the cheapest option in practice |
| Translator authorised in another EU country | Translator recognised under that EU state’s law | Yes for public documents covered by EU Regulation 2016/1191 | Check acceptance with the receiving office | EU citizens with EU-issued documents |
| EU multilingual standard form | Issuing authority in an EU country | Yes, used instead of a translation for some documents | Request it when you order the document | Birth, marriage, residence and criminal record documents issued in the EU |
| Simple (non-sworn) translation | Any translator | No for official procedures | None | Your own understanding, informal use, private companies that agree to accept it |
Note: Whether the “translator abroad” and “consulate in Spain” routes are accepted, and whether a further legalisation step is needed, can vary between offices and procedures. Confirm with the office handling your file before you rely on either route.
When you need a sworn translation
You will usually need a sworn translation whenever you submit a foreign public document that is not in Spanish to a Spanish authority. English-language documents are no exception. Applicants for the Spain digital nomad visa should expect to have criminal record certificates and proof of income translated.
Common situations include:
| Procedure | Documents typically translated |
|---|---|
| Residency and visa applications (Oficina de Extranjería or consulate) | Criminal record certificates, birth and marriage certificates, proof of income, pension statements |
| Family reunification | Birth, marriage and civil partnership certificates |
| Spanish nationality by residence | Birth certificate and criminal record certificate from your country of origin |
| Civil registry (marriage, birth registration) | Birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates |
| Recognition of qualifications (homologación) | Degree certificates and academic transcripts |
| Courts and notaries | Wills, powers of attorney, contracts, judgments |
| Driving licence exchange | Usually only where the office asks for proof not shown on the licence itself |
Private bodies, such as banks and some employers, set their own rules. Some will accept a simple translation, so ask before you pay for a sworn one. If you are buying a home, our guide on how to buy property in Spain as a foreigner explains the documents a notary will expect. Foreign tax and pension documents may also need translating for Spanish tax purposes, and expat tax advisers in Spain can confirm what is required.
Apostille first, translation second
Get the original document apostilled or legalised before you send it for translation, then ask the translator to translate the apostille as well. A sworn translator certifies that the translation is faithful; they do not certify that the original document is genuine. That is the job of the apostille or legalisation.
| Where the document was issued | What the original needs | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Another EU country | No apostille or legalisation for public documents covered by Regulation 2016/1191 | Not needed if you attach an EU multilingual standard form; otherwise a translation by an authorised translator from any EU state should be accepted |
| A Hague Apostille Convention country outside the EU (including the UK and the US) | Apostille from the issuing country’s designated authority | Sworn translation of the document and the apostille |
| A country outside the Hague Convention | Full legalisation through the issuing country’s foreign ministry and the Spanish consulate | Sworn translation |
Warning for UK citizens: Since Brexit, the EU rules on public documents no longer apply to UK documents. A UK birth certificate or police certificate now needs an apostille from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office before it can be used in Spain, and then a sworn translation. If you read older guidance saying UK documents are exempt, it predates the end of the transition period.
Order the translation from a scan of the apostilled document. If you translate first and apostille later, the apostille will not appear in the translation and the office may reject your file. Our complete guide to moving to Spain shows where these documents fit into the wider move.
Applying for residency or a visa?
An immigration lawyer can tell you exactly which documents need an apostille and a sworn translation before you spend money on either.
How much a sworn translation costs
Sworn translation prices in Spain are not regulated, so each translator sets their own rates. The Ministry publishes no fee scale. The figures below come from published sources and are a guide only.
| Pricing measure | Published figure | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| University language service minimum (Complutense University of Madrid) | From €45 per page, plus VAT | UCM Gabinete Lingüístico, current price page |
| Simple (non-sworn) translation, for comparison | From €0.08 per word, plus VAT | UCM Gabinete Lingüístico |
Translation services in Spain normally carry 21% VAT. Many translators charge a minimum fee per document, which means a one-page birth certificate can cost close to the price of a full page even if it holds only a few dozen words. Paper copies sent by courier, urgent delivery and each additional certified copy are often charged separately. Ask for an itemised quote.
Tip: Send all your documents together and ask for one quote. Translators often reduce the per-document minimum for a batch, and a single translator will keep names, dates and places consistent across your file.
How to find and check a sworn translator
Start with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ online register of sworn translators and interpreters, which lists every appointed translator and the languages they are authorised for. Then compare quotes and turnaround times.
A practical checklist:
- Check the register. Search the Ministry’s “buscador de traductores e intérpretes jurados” for the translator’s name and language pair. For Catalan, Basque or Galician, use the relevant regional register.
- Match the direction. A translator authorised for English is authorised to translate between English and Spanish. Check that the language on the register matches your document.
- Ask how it will be delivered. Confirm whether you will receive a paper translation, an electronically signed PDF, or both, and which one the receiving office accepts.
- Send good scans. Clear, complete scans of every page, including the back of certificates and the apostille, avoid delays and requotes.
- Check names before signing off. Ask for a draft or check the final carefully for spelling of names, dates and passport numbers. Errors are easier to correct before the translation is certified.
- Keep the original translation. If you receive a paper version, keep it with the original document. Offices may ask to see both.
Do not: Use a machine translation and ask a sworn translator to “just stamp it”. A sworn translator certifies their own work and will usually retranslate the document, so you save nothing.
Moving with a full set of documents to prepare?
Relocation companies in our directory can coordinate apostilles, sworn translations and appointments as part of a wider move.
Paper or electronic: which version to order
Order an electronically signed PDF if you are filing online, and a paper version if the office expects you to bring originals in person. Both are legally valid since March 2025.
| Feature | Paper sworn translation | Electronic sworn translation |
|---|---|---|
| Legal basis | Order AEC/2125/2014 (signature and stamp) | Order AUC/213/2025 (qualified electronic signature) |
| How it is authenticated | Handwritten signature and stamp on each page | Qualified electronic signature covering the original and the translation |
| How to check it | Compare the stamp details with the Ministry register | Validate the file on VALIDe, then check the register |
| Delivery | By post or courier, or collection | By email or download |
| Copies | Each certified copy may cost extra | The same signed file can be submitted more than once |
| Best for | In-person appointments and offices that ask for originals | Online filing through the Spanish electronic offices (sedes electrónicas) |
Caution: Do not print an electronically signed translation and present the printout as an original. Once printed, the digital signature cannot be checked. If an office wants paper, ask the translator for a paper version.
Translations for a property purchase, will or court case?
Legal professionals in our Spain directory work with sworn translators regularly and can arrange translations as part of the wider legal work.
Frequently asked questions
