Sample: a birth certificate translated
A sworn translation reproduces the whole certificate. Registration numbers, marginal notes, stamps, signatures and the apostille are all translated. Each page carries the translator's seal, signature and MAEC number. The result, sometimes called a traducción de partida de nacimiento, is official in Spain without further legalisation.
How much does a birth certificate sworn translation cost?
A birth certificate sworn translation costs from €29 with us, as one fixed total that includes the apostille. Standard delivery is 24–48 hours. Most birth certificates are one or two pages. Every translator we work with is appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC).
As an indicative market range, sworn translations in Spain cost about €30–120 a page. That is roughly €30–80 for the first page and €15–40 for later pages (Cronoshare, January 2026). This is a market range, not our price.
| Service | What it covers | Price | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Birth certificate plus apostille or legalisation | From €29 | 24–48 hours |
| Express | Same document | +30% for 24-hour delivery; +60% for same day (min. €25 extra) | Same day if paid by 12:00 Spanish time, or 24 hours |
| Family set (3+ certificates) | Birth certificates for several family members, e.g. for reunification | From €29 per certificate | 2–3 working days |
| Extra pages | Additional pages, annexes or stamps | Confirmed in your written quotation | Same as order |
These are starting prices. For your final price, send your details through the quote form. We email you a written quotation, and work starts only after you approve it. Prices shown are for English, French, Italian, Portuguese and German. Arabic, Russian, Ukrainian and Romanian start from €39 per certificate. Chinese, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali and other languages start from €49. A tracked paper copy by courier within Spain costs €9.
The apostille is always translated together with the certificate, at no extra step for you. For other documents, see our price list, or upload a scan to get a fixed quote for your birth certificate.
Urgent birth certificate translation into Spanish
A birth certificate is usually short, so it suits fast delivery. Enter your appointment or deadline date on the form. For cut-off times, see our urgent sworn translation service.
Which birth certificate should I translate for Spain?
Translate the full, long-form version of your birth certificate, which Spanish offices call the certificado literal de nacimiento. They want the complete registration details, including both parents' names. Short-form or extract versions often leave these out. Order the full version from the issuing office before you apostille it.
Your birth certificate by country
| Country | Version to order | Issued by | Route before translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | Municipal birth certificate | Municipal registrar | State attestation, then MEA apostille (laminated copies can be refused) |
| Pakistan | NADRA birth certificate or B-form (child registration certificate) | NADRA | MOFA apostille |
| Philippines | PSA birth certificate | Philippine Statistics Authority | DFA apostille |
| UK | Full birth certificate | General Register Office or local register office | FCDO paper apostille (no e-Apostille for birth certificates) |
| USA | Long-form birth certificate | State vital records office | State Secretary of State apostille |
| Ghana | Certified copy of the birth entry | Births and Deaths Registry | Legalisation: Ghana MFA, then Embassy of Spain in Accra (no apostille) |
Apostille status per country: HCCH Apostille status table. Each country page explains how to order and apostille a birth certificate there. See Indian documents sworn translation for Spain, Pakistani documents, Philippine documents, UK documents, USA documents and Ghanaian documents for Spain.
Already living in Spain? A relative or a person holding your power of attorney at home can often order and apostille the certificate for you. Check with the issuing office whether it accepts this. Once the apostille is on, send us the scan; you do not need to post the original.
What we need from your birth certificate
- A clear scan or phone photo of every page, front and back.
- The apostille or legalisation. Apostille or legalise first, then translate both together. Background: apostille before sworn translation.
- A copy of the passport photo page of the person named. We check every name against it.
- Your procedure and deadline, so we can flag validity problems.
Originals are never needed.
Where does Spain ask for a birth certificate?
Inside Spain, a foreign birth certificate is needed whenever a procedure depends on your identity, parents or family link. The main uses are Spanish nationality, the Registro Civil, marriage in Spain, arraigo familiar and residence cards for family members. Visa files at Spanish consulates abroad use it too. Each needs the certificate apostilled or legalised, then sworn-translated.
Birth certificate sworn translation for Spanish nationality
Nationality by residence asks for a birth certificate "debidamente legalizado y traducido" (RD 1004/2015). It proves identity and parentage. The Ministry of Justice FAQ says the birth certificate is the only document that may be older than 6 months. A sworn translation is the safe choice. See Spanish nationality sworn translation.
Birth certificate sworn translation for the Registro Civil
The Registro Civil uses foreign birth certificates to register births, marriages and nationality. Ley 20/2011 (art. 95) requires a translation of documents not in Spanish. Registering a birth abroad applies only to Spanish nationals, such as a child of a Spanish parent. See Registro Civil sworn translation.
Birth certificate sworn translation for marriage in Spain
To marry in Spain, each foreign partner usually needs a literal birth certificate. Regional guidance asks for one issued within the last 6 months, so check your Registro Civil. After the wedding, see marriage certificate sworn translation into Spanish. An earlier marriage adds a divorce decree sworn translation.
Birth certificate sworn translation for arraigo familiar
Arraigo familiar (Hoja 31) covers parents of a minor who is an EU, EEA or Swiss national. The birth certificate shows the relationship and the child's nationality, so it is often the key document. See Extranjería sworn translation and arraigo sworn translation.
Birth certificate sworn translation for family members and reunification
Children's birth certificates prove the family link to the resident in Spain. They are used for family reunification and the EU family card. For the visa stage, the Spanish Embassy in New Delhi accepts them for 3 months. See family reunification Spain sworn translation and Spanish consulate visa sworn translation.
Birth certificates in inheritance and property files
Heirs sometimes prove their link to the deceased with a birth certificate. Notaries decide what they need. See property and inheritance sworn translation and death certificate sworn translation.
How recent must my birth certificate be?
There is no single national rule: each office sets its own limit. For nationality, the Ministry of Justice lets the birth certificate be older than 6 months. To marry, Registro Civil guidance usually asks for one issued within 6 months. For family reunification visas, the Spanish Embassy in New Delhi accepts 3 months. Always check your own office's checklist.
| Use | Age usually accepted | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish nationality | May be older than 6 months | Ministry of Justice nationality FAQ |
| Marriage at the Registro Civil | Usually within the last 6 months; check your registry | Junta de Andalucía requirements |
| Family reunification visa (New Delhi) | 3 months | Spanish Embassy New Delhi |
| Arraigo, TIE and other offices | Set by each office | Your office's Hoja or checklist |
A fresh translation does not make an old certificate acceptable; offices look at the date the certificate was issued. Last checked: 1 October 2026.
What if the birth certificate has a spelling error?
A sworn translator must reproduce the certificate exactly, including any spelling error. The translator cannot correct it. Where the spelling differs from your passport, the translator adds a translator's note. If the error changes the meaning, such as a wrong date, ask the issuing office to correct it first.
Common name cases:
- Single-name passports. Many Indian passports show only a given name, or Singh or Kaur. The birth certificate may show a full name. We check names against the passport and add a note. More: single-name passport in Spain.
- Transliterated names. Names written differently across documents in Urdu, Hindi or other scripts.
Why birth certificate translations get rejected and how we prevent it
- Short-form or extract version. Parents' details are missing. We spot this from your scan and tell you before translating.
- Apostille added after translation. The apostille stays untranslated. We only start once the apostille is on the certificate.
- Certificate too old for the office. We compare the issue date with your procedure, such as the Registro Civil, and warn you.
- Parents' or child's names differ from passports. The translator keeps the certificate wording and adds a translator's note.
- Marginal notes or back page left out. Every annotation, including later amendments, is translated and sealed.
- Not a sworn translation. A certified translation made outside Spain, for example by a UK or US translator, is not a sworn translation, and most Spanish offices won't accept it. Ours are signed by a MAEC-appointed sworn translator you can verify in the official MAEC search (Buscador-STIJ).
Birth certificate orders: trust, data and deadlines
Your birth certificate may be the only document in a nationality file allowed to be years old, so it often has no replacement at hand. Here is how we protect it.
- Is the translator real? Each translator we work with is a MAEC-appointed Traductor-Intérprete Jurado on the official register. Every page carries their seal and signature, which you can check. Our guide shows how to verify a Spanish sworn translator.
- What if the Registro Civil rejects it? Free, prioritised re-issue if rejected on formal grounds. Read what happens if a translation is rejected.
- Is my data safe? Your certificate and passport are used only for your order and deleted within 7 days of delivery, as our privacy policy explains.
- Cita or deadline this week? A birth certificate is short, so it suits same-day or 24-hour delivery. See the urgent option above.
Ordering for several clients? Browse every document we translate or ask about volume terms.
Send your family's birth certificates for one fixed quote
Free quote within 1 hour · files deleted 7 days after delivery
What clients say
4.9/5.0 from 18,000+ reviews
“I needed my birth certificate translated for my Spanish nationality paperwork and wasn't really sure where to start. I sent an enquiry first, and the team explained the process without making it complicated. The communication was good, and I felt more confident about getting the documents ready.”
“Muy buen servicio. I needed an English-to-Spanish sworn translation for official paperwork and had a few doubts before ordering. They answered my questions clearly, and the whole process was easier than I expected.”
“Hola, thank you for the translation. I needed a French document translated into Spanish for an administrative procedure. Everything was explained clearly, and communication was easy from the start.”
“We had to translate our marriage certificate for a family reunification procedure. I was worried about getting the paperwork wrong, so I had quite a few questions. The team was patient and explained the translation process clearly. That was genuinely helpful during an already stressful time.”
“My nationality application involved documents from my home country, and I wasn't sure how to arrange the translations. I reached out with my questions and received a clear explanation of the process. It saved me from spending more time guessing what to do next.”
“We needed corporate documents translated into Spanish for a business procedure. The terminology and consistency mattered to us, so we wanted a service that understood the formal nature of the documents. Communication was professional, and the process was well organised.”
“Hi, thanks for helping with my birth certificate translation. I was a little lost with all the documents for my nationality application, but your team explained things clearly. Really appreciate it!”
“Muchas gracias por la ayuda 😊 I needed my marriage certificate translated for a family application here in Spain. Communication was good and the steps were easy to understand.”
Frequently asked questions
Can a notary translate my birth certificate?
Not for a Spanish sworn translation. A notary in your country can certify a copy, but a notarised translation is not a sworn translation. In Spain, sworn translations are made by translators appointed by the MAEC. See sworn vs certified translation for the difference.
Do you translate long-form and short-form certificates?
Yes, we translate both. Spanish offices usually need the full, long-form certificate with both parents' names, so we will tell you if a short-form version may cause problems. Ordering the long-form version before the apostille saves a second apostille and a second translation later.
Can you translate a bilingual birth certificate?
Yes. We translate the English text and the apostille. Some parts may be in Hindi, Punjabi or another language with no sworn translator on the official register. If a section is only in that language, the translator marks it as untranslated; ask the registrar for an English version of that part. See English to Spanish sworn translation and, for other scripts, sworn translation from less common languages.
Get your birth certificate translated
Send a scan or photo of every page, including the apostille. You see a fixed price and delivery date before you pay.
Upload your birth certificate for a sworn translation in 24–48 hours
Free quote within 1 hour · fixed price before you pay · official in Spain
What happens next
- 1We check it is the long-form version, with the apostille, then send a fixed quote.
- 2You pay and approve the spelling of every name, including both parents', in a draft.
- 3The signed PDF arrives within 24–48 hours, with paper by courier if your Registro Civil insists.
We only translate. We never sell appointments.