Sworn translation for Spain: when it is required, who does it and what it costs

Spanish consulates ask for every foreign document to be submitted legalised or apostilled and, if it is in a language other than Spanish, accompanied by its translation ³. The same rule appears in immigration procedures in Spain: the NIE, for example, requires the translation to be done by a sworn translator ⁵.

For someone coming from Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Venezuela or any Spanish-speaking country, this means your documents in Spanish (birth certificate, criminal record, degrees, bank statements) do not need translation. You need it when you provide documents in another language, for example:

• an employment contract or an income certificate in English if you work remotely for a foreign company;
• documents from Brazil or another country in Portuguese;
• bank statements from a bank that does not issue them in Spanish; in that case the Consulate General of Spain in Bogotá asks for the translation into Spanish ³.

In Catalonia, Barcelona City Council accepts documents in Catalan or Spanish for the padrón; all others must be translated ⁶.

Under the regulation of the Language Interpretation Office, translations from a foreign language into Spanish have official status when made by ¹:

• the Language Interpretation Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs itself;
• a person with the title of sworn translator (traductor jurado) granted by that Ministry;
• a diplomatic mission or consular office of Spain, when the translation refers to a document that is added to a file handled by that office, with a certificate to that effect.

The Consulate General of Spain in Bogotá adds two routes: translations made or checked at consulates, which must then be legalised at the Ministry's Legalisation Service, and sworn translations by persons authorised under the law of another European Union member state ³. If you choose a sworn translator appointed by the Spanish Ministry, the translation does not need to be legalised ³.

For the recognition of non-university studies, the Ministry of Education also accepts translations by the consular representation in Spain of your country and by an official translator abroad whose signature has been legalised ⁴. Each procedure may have its own list: check the one for the procedure you are doing.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs periodically publishes a list of all sworn translators and interpreters, with the languages they are authorised for, and has a search tool over that list ². The Ministry does not act as an intermediary or translate documents for individuals: you choose the professional ².

The title authorises you to practise regardless of where the translator lives ¹, so you can commission the translation before travelling from a Spanish sworn translator who lives in your country or works remotely.

A valid sworn translation carries:

• the translator's signature and stamp, which certify that the translation is faithful and accurate ¹;
• on the stamp, their first name and surnames, the language they are authorised for and their sworn translator number ¹;
• a copy of the original document, stamped and dated on every page ¹.

It can also be signed electronically, as long as it meets the requirements set by the Ministry ².

The foreign document has to reach Spain apostilled or legalised and, in addition, translated if it is not in Spanish ³. In practice, it is best to apostille first and translate afterwards, so that the sworn translation also includes the text of the apostille and the Spanish office can read both.

If you translate before apostilling, the apostille is left untranslated and you may have to pay for a second translation. Before commissioning the work, ask the office that will receive your documents whether it wants the apostille translated.

To apostille documents from Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Peru or Venezuela, see the apostille guide on this site.

There is no official rate: sworn translators set their fees freely ¹. Ask two or three professionals on the official list for a quote ² and compare price, turnaround and whether they deliver on paper or with an electronic signature. The price usually depends on the number of pages, the language and the urgency.