Does a sworn translation expire in Spain? Translation vs document date

When you do need a new one, we arrange a sworn translation into Spanish (traducción jurada) by a MAEC-appointed translator. Extranjería, the Registro Civil and the Ministry of Justice accept it. A certificate 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. Upload a photo for a fixed quote.

In this guide

• Does a sworn translation expire?
• Why do offices ask for recent documents?
• How old can each document be for a Spanish office?
• When do I need a new translation?
• Can I use one sworn translation for two different procedures?
• Is a copy, scan or printout of a sworn translation still valid?
• How do I time my certificates so nothing runs out?
• What should I check before reusing an old translation?

Police certificate about to run out? A fresh certificate needs a fresh sworn translation. A standard certificate takes 24–48 hours, certified by a MAEC-appointed sworn translator. See our police clearance certificate sworn translation.

Upload your new police certificate for a fixed quote

Does a sworn translation expire? (¿Caduca una traducción jurada?)

No. A sworn translation has no expiry date of its own. Spain's Ministry of Science states, for homologation: "Las traducciones no tienen fecha de caducidad". No general rule sets one. What can expire is the original document, because many offices accept documents only for a limited time.

A caveat: an individual consulate or registry may still ask for a recently dated translation. Always check your own checklist. So, how long is a sworn translation valid (¿cuánto tiempo es válida una traducción jurada?)? As long as the document it translates is accepted.

First, the term. A sworn translation (traducción jurada) is Spain's official form of certified translation, signed by a translator appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC). So "do certified translations expire?" gets the same answer: no.

Think of it as two clocks:

• The translation clock never stops. The translator certified that the Spanish text is faithful to one document.
• The document clock is set by each office. A police certificate may count as valid for 3 or 6 months.

Example: you translated your birth certificate in 2023 for a visa. In 2026 you apply for nationality. The translation itself is still fine. The question is whether the Ministry of Justice accepts that birth certificate. For nationality, it does: the birth certificate is the one document that may be older than 6 months.

Why do offices ask for recent documents?

Offices ask for recent documents because facts change. A police certificate shows your record only on the day it was issued. Marital status can change too. So each office sets how old a document may be. The rule is about the document, never about its translation.

The Ministry of Justice explains this for nationality files. All documents must be "en vigor" (in force) on the day you apply. A document that states no validity counts as valid for 6 months from issue. The birth certificate is the only exception.

Other offices set their own windows. Police certificate validity is set by each office, commonly 3 to 6 months. Spain's missions in India commonly ask for police certificates issued within the last 6 months. Check your mission's checklist, such as the New Delhi study visa checklist. The Spanish Embassy in New Delhi accepts marriage and birth certificates for family reunification for 3 months.

Common mistake: assuming the translation date restarts the clock. It does not. Offices count from the date the document was issued, not the date it was translated.

How old can each document be for a Spanish office?

It depends on the document and the office. Police certificates are commonly accepted for 3 to 6 months. Medical certificates usually for 3 months. Birth certificates may be older for nationality but often must be recent elsewhere. Degrees are not usually time-limited, and their translations do not expire.

Typical validity by document, and whether your old translation still works (validez de la traducción jurada)

These are typical windows, not one national rule. Always check the checklist for your procedure.

For the documents themselves, see birth certificate sworn translation into Spanish and degree certificate sworn translation. For homologation files, see degree homologation sworn translation.

When do I need a new translation?

You need a new sworn translation when the document itself changes. That means a new certificate, a newly added apostille, or corrected names or dates. The old translation describes the old document. You may also need one when an office wants paper and you only hold a PDF.

Why? A sworn translation certifies one specific document. Under Orden AEC/2125/2014, a copy of the original is attached, "sellado y fechado en todas sus páginas" (stamped and dated on every page). So the translation is tied to the document as it was on that day.

Order a new translation in these cases:

1. You got a fresh certificate. For example, a new police certificate because the old one ran out.
2. An apostille was added after translating. The translation shows a copy of the document without it, so it no longer matches. Order the apostille first; see apostille before or after translation.
3. Details on the document changed. A corrected spelling or a new marital status means a new certificate.
4. The office needs a different format. For example, paper with a handwritten signature instead of a PDF.

Example: Ravi's Indian police clearance certificate is 7 months old. His Extranjería office wants it within 6 months. He requests a new one from the Regional Passport Office, gets the MEA apostille and orders a new translation. See Indian documents sworn translation for Spain.

Can I use one sworn translation for two different procedures?

Yes, usually, if the original document is still within each office's window. The translation does not expire. The practical limit is the paper: an office may keep the original sworn translation you hand in. So you may need a second paper copy or the signed PDF.

In Spanish: "¿puedo usar la misma traducción jurada para dos trámites?" It depends on two things:

• Is the document still in date for the second office? A degree translation can usually go to homologation and a work visa. A police certificate from last year usually cannot.
• Did the first office keep your paper translation? Rules on copies vary by office. Ask before you hand in your only original.

Tip: when you order, ask for extra paper copies if you expect two procedures. Extra paper copies are priced in your quote.

Example: Emma lives in Alicante. She used her sworn-translated UK birth certificate for her residence card. A year later she reuses it for a Registro Civil file, after checking the office's date rule. See Extranjería sworn translation and UK documents sworn translation for Spain.

Is a copy, scan or printout of a sworn translation still valid?

It depends on the format. A paper sworn translation is the signed and sealed original; copy rules vary by office. An electronically signed translation is valid as the PDF file itself. A printout does not carry a verifiable signature, so file the PDF where the office accepts electronic documents.

Since 8 March 2025, sworn translators may sign with a qualified electronic certificate (Orden AUC/213/2025). Anyone can check that signature with VALIDe, the official checking tool. The detail is in can a sworn translation be digital.

Common mistake: printing a signed PDF and handing it in as if it were paper. Order a paper translation with a handwritten signature and seal if your office wants paper.

How do I time my certificates so nothing runs out?

Work back from your filing date. Request short-life certificates, like police and medical certificates, last. Get the apostille, then order the sworn translation straight away. A standard certificate translation takes 24–48 hours. That leaves most of the validity window for your appointment or online filing.

Follow these steps:

1. List each document and its window. Use your official checklist, not a forum post.
2. Order long-life documents first. Birth certificates and degrees can be prepared early.
3. Request police certificates last. For arraigo, you need one from each country you lived in during the last 5 years.
4. Apostille or legalise before translating. A UK paper apostille from the FCDO (£45) usually takes up to 25 working days, plus postage.
5. Translate straight after the apostille. Send a scan the same day it arrives.
6. File before the earliest window closes. Note the date in your calendar.

If Extranjería later sends a correction notice, you have 10 working days (días hábiles) to reply under Ley 39/2015, art. 68. For tight deadlines, see urgent sworn translation. For files with apostilles still to arrange, see apostille and sworn translation. For arraigo files, see arraigo sworn translation.

Need a new certificate translated fast? Upload a scan as soon as the apostille is on. You get a fixed price and delivery date before you pay.

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What should I check before reusing an old translation?

Check four things before you file an old translation again. Is the document still within the new office's window? Has anything on it changed, including a new apostille? Do you still hold the paper original or the signed PDF? And does the new office accept that format?

Your tick-list:

• The original document is still within the new office's window.
• Nothing on the document has changed since it was translated.
• The apostille on your document also appears in the translation.
• You still hold the paper original, or the signed PDF file.
• The new office accepts the format you have.
• The translator appears in the official MAEC sworn translator search.

Not sure which office needs what? Read do I need a sworn translation for Spain. For nationality files, see Spanish nationality sworn translation. Most of these documents are issued in English; see English to Spanish sworn translation. You can also browse more guides on sworn translation in Spain. Gestorías and lawyers reusing client files can use our sworn translation service for law firms and gestorías.

What if I order a new translation and something goes wrong?

You are covered on the four points residents ask about most. Each one is checkable before you pay.

• 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. You can verify a Spanish sworn translator on the official MAEC list.
• What if the office rejects it? Free, prioritised re-issue if rejected on formal grounds. See what happens if a translation is rejected.
• Is my data safe? Files are deleted within 7 days of delivery. Read our privacy policy.
• Is your cita or filing deadline close? Our urgent sworn translation handles tight dates.

Frequently asked questions

How do I order a new sworn translation of my certificate?

Photograph your new certificate and its apostille, then tell us where and when you will file. Then get a fixed quote for your new certificate. The quote arrives with one fixed total and a delivery date; you pay only after that. Most standard certificates are translated within 24–48 hours.

About this guide: Written by our editorial team and checked against official sources. We coordinate translations by MAEC-appointed sworn translators and are not affiliated with any authority. We only translate. We never sell appointments. See our editorial policy and our re-issue policy.