Apostille before or after translation: which comes first for Spain?

What we deliver: one sworn translation into Spanish (traducción jurada) of your document and its apostille, by a MAEC-appointed translator. A certificate usually takes 24–48 hours, from €29 per certificate. 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. Send a scan to get a fixed quote for your apostilled document.

In this guide

• Should I apostille before or after translation?
• Which countries use an apostille and which need legalisation?
• Living in Spain: how do I get a home-country document apostilled?
• Does the apostille itself need to be translated?
• Do translations need to be apostilled?
• Apostille or legalisation: what is the difference?
• What should I check before ordering?

Already have the apostille on your document? A MAEC-appointed sworn translator translates both together. A certificate usually takes 24–48 hours. See our apostille and sworn translation service.

Upload your apostilled document for a fixed quote

Should I apostille before or after translation?

Apostille first, then translation. The apostille is placed on the original public document in the country that issued it. A MAEC-appointed sworn translator then translates the document and the apostille together. A translation made before the apostille misses that stamp and usually has to be redone.

The order matters. The apostille confirms the signature on your original. If you translate first, the Spanish office receives an apostilled document with an untranslated apostille.

The same order applies to legalisation. Each stamp in the chain must exist before the translator starts. For Nigeria, that means MFA Abuja, then the Spanish Embassy in Abuja or the Consulate General in Lagos, depending on your state.

A typical chain for a birth certificate from India looks like this:

1. State attestation of the certificate.
2. MEA apostille on the original.
3. Scan of every page, including the apostille.
4. Sworn translation of the certificate and apostille as one document.

Which countries use an apostille and which need legalisation for Spain?

Most countries Spain receives documents from use the apostille under the Hague Convention. A few, such as Nigeria, Ghana, Nepal and Sri Lanka, still need two-step legalisation. In both cases, the stamp goes on the original before any sworn translation into Spanish.

Apostille or legalisation for Spain, by issuing country (HCCH table, 30 June 2026)

Status per the HCCH status table (source: hcch.net, 30 June 2026). Two details catch people out. A US state apostille on an FBI check is rejected, because the check is a federal document. A UK paper apostille from the FCDO costs £45 and usually takes up to 25 working days, plus postage (source: gov.uk, 12 October 2026). So start early.

Living in Spain: how do I get a home-country document apostilled?

Usually not from Spain itself. Under the Hague Apostille Convention, only an authority in the country that issued the document can apostille it. From Spain, you have three routes. Ask your country's consulate in Spain, use an official online service at home, or ask a relative or representative there.

Example: Rahim lives in Lavapiés, Madrid, and is preparing an arraigo file. He applies online for the MOFA e-Apostille on his Bangladeshi birth certificate. When it arrives, he sends us the scan. See Bangladeshi documents for Spain.

Once the apostille is on, you do not need to post anything to us. We translate from a clear scan, and you keep the original.

Does the apostille itself need to be translated?

Yes. Spanish offices treat the apostille as part of the document. So the sworn translator renders it, with every stamp and seal, in the same translation.

It does not need a separate order: the apostille is part of the same sworn translation, with one seal and one signature.

The translator reproduces names, dates and numbers on the apostille exactly as written. If an office later sends a correction notice (requerimiento), Ley 39/2015, art. 68, gives you 10 working days (días hábiles) to reply. See correction notice sworn translation.

Do translations need to be apostilled?

Not for use in Spain. So should you apostille the translation or the original? The original. A translation signed and sealed by a MAEC-appointed sworn translator is official and valid in Spain without further legalisation. Spanish offices accept it without an apostille. An apostille on the translation matters only if you use it abroad.

When a Spanish sworn translation must be used in another country, the usual path has two steps. First, MAEC legalises the translator's signature. Then the document receives a Spanish apostille. In Spain, apostilles are issued by the Ministerio de la Presidencia, Justicia y Relaciones con las Cortes. Notarial colleges and regional high courts also issue them, depending on the document.

Choose paper in that case. MAEC legalisation does not accept electronic signatures, so a digitally signed PDF cannot follow this route. Need a Spanish document recognised in Britain? Read does the UK accept a Spanish sworn translation.

In Spain, a "certified translation" means a sworn translation (traducción jurada), Spain's official form of certified translation. A certified translation made in your home country is a different document. Read sworn vs certified translation before you pay for one.

What is the difference between an apostille and legalisation?

An apostille is a single certificate added by the issuing country's authority, under the Hague Apostille Convention. Legalisation applies to countries outside the Convention. It needs two steps: the country's foreign ministry, then the Spanish embassy or consulate. Neither replaces the sworn translation into Spanish.

Under the Hague Convention, an apostille certifies the signature, the capacity of the person who signed, and the seal. It does not certify the content of the document. Legalisation adds a second stamp from the Spanish embassy or consulate.

Time and cost depend on the route; the UK paper and US federal figures are given above. The UK also offers an e-Apostille, at £35 and up to 2 working days (source: gov.uk, 12 October 2026). It is not available for GRO birth, death, marriage, civil partnership or adoption certificates, or for ACRO, DBS, Disclosure or fingerprint certificates.

What should I check before ordering a sworn translation of an apostilled document?

Check four things before you order. The apostille or both legalisation stamps must be on the original, and the certificate must still be recent. Your scan must show every page. Names must match your passport. Getting the apostille before translation saves a costly redo.

The list applies to every procedure, from a sworn translation for a Spain visa to an Extranjería sworn translation.

• Is the stamp on the original? Check for the apostille or both legalisation stamps.
• Is the certificate still recent? Validity is set by each office, commonly 3 to 6 months for police certificates.
• Does the scan show the apostille? Include every page, front and back.
• Do names match the passport? Different spellings need a translator's note.
• Is the document already in Spanish? Then it needs no translation.

Documents that most often need this order:

• Birth certificate sworn translation into Spanish — apostille on the civil certificate first.
• Marriage certificate sworn translation into Spanish — in India, a religious certificate alone may not be accepted.
• Police clearance certificate sworn translation — watch the validity window.
• Degree certificate sworn translation — some countries verify degrees before the apostille.

Most of these documents are issued in English; see English to Spanish sworn translation. You can check any translator yourself; read how to verify a sworn translator in Spain.

Ordering for clients? Lawyers and gestorías can use our sworn translation service for law firms and gestorías. For a single certificate, see our fixed prices.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get a sworn translation of my apostilled document?

Upload a scan of every page of the document and its apostille or legalisation stamps. We check the chain is complete. You then see a fixed total and delivery date before you pay. Standard certificates usually take 24–48 hours.

Questions people ask before sending us an apostilled document

• Is the translator real? Every translator we work with is MAEC-appointed and listed on the official register. Each page carries their seal and signature. Check them on the official MAEC list; see how to verify a sworn translator.
• What if the office rejects it? Free, prioritised re-issue if rejected on formal grounds. Read what happens if a translation is rejected.
• Is my data safe? Files are deleted within 7 days of delivery; see our privacy policy.
• Is your appointment close? Use our urgent sworn translation service.

About this guide: Written by our editorial team and checked against official sources. We work with MAEC-appointed sworn translators and are not affiliated with any authority. We only translate. We never sell appointments. Read our editorial policy and more guides on sworn translation in Spain.