Sworn Spanish translation of a death certificate for Spain

Every entry, stamp and apostille is translated, then signed and sealed.

We work with MAEC-appointed sworn translators. We are not affiliated with any Spanish authority.

We know this often comes at a hard time. Everything works from a scan.

When does Spain ask for a death certificate?

Spain asks for a death certificate when a death affects a Spanish procedure. The usual cases are an inheritance in Spain, a widowed person remarrying, and registering a Spanish national's death abroad. A foreign certificate is apostilled or legalised, then sworn-translated.

Who usually needs one:

• Families living in Spain. A parent or spouse died abroad, and the estate or the home is here.
• Widowed people remarrying in Spain. The registry needs proof that the earlier marriage ended.
• Heirs abroad. Families in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands or the USA, often with a parent's home in Alicante, Málaga or the Balearics.
• Families of Spanish nationals. The death abroad must be entered in the Spanish Registro Civil.
• Inheritance lawyers and notaries' clients. The certificate must be ready before the deed is signed.

Do I need to translate a death certificate for inheritance in Spain?

Usually yes, if the certificate is not in Spanish. The Spanish notary handling the inheritance works from the death certificate. The Spanish wills register (Registro General de Actos de Última Voluntad) issues its certificate from 15 working days after the death. Heirs normally need a NIE to sign and register the inheritance deed.

Your notary decides whether a foreign wills-register certificate is also needed. A DGSJFP resolution of 26 October 2022 requires it only when the circumstances call for it (Confilegal report). For Spanish inheritance files, a sworn translation of the death certificate is the safe route. Heirs signing from abroad often need a power of attorney sworn translation too. See sworn translation for property and inheritance in Spain.

Death certificate sworn translation for marriage in Spain

A widowed partner proves that the earlier marriage ended with the spouse's death certificate. It sits in the marriage file with a literal birth certificate and a certificate of marital status. Registries usually want recent documents, so check yours. See Registro Civil sworn translation and marriage certificate sworn translation.

Registering the death abroad of a Spanish national

To register it, the family files the literal local death certificate, "traducido en su caso", legalised or apostilled. They add the deceased's birth certificate and DNI. If the birth was abroad, see birth certificate sworn translation. Other civil-status files, such as Spanish nationality sworn translation, have their own pages.

What does an official sworn translation of a death certificate look like?

An official sworn translation of a death certificate follows the original line by line. Names, dates, place and cause as written, registrar's details, stamps and the apostille all appear in Spanish. The MAEC-appointed sworn translator adds a certification formula, seal, signature and MAEC number on every page.

In Spain, when an office asks for an official or "certified" translation, it means a sworn translation (traducción jurada) by a MAEC-appointed translator. A certified translation made outside Spain, for example by a UK or US translator, is not a sworn translation. Most Spanish offices won't accept it.

How much does a death certificate sworn translation cost?

A death certificate sworn translation costs from €29. Most are one page plus the apostille, quoted as one fixed total before you pay. Standard delivery is 24–48 hours. 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.

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.

See how much a sworn translation costs for other documents, or get a fixed quote for the death certificate from a scan.

Notary appointment already booked?

Notary signing dates are often fixed weeks ahead. If yours is close, give us the date, and the quote shows a delivery date before it. Faster delivery: urgent sworn translation.

Which certificado de defunción version should I translate?

Translate the full, literal version where an office asks for it, not a short extract. The Registro Civil needs the literal local certificate to register a Spanish national's death. For an inheritance, your notary says which version and how recent. Get the apostille or legalisation first, then translate.

Your death certificate by country

For EU certificates, the multilingual standard form must travel with the certificate. Background: EU multilingual standard form. Why the order matters: apostille before sworn translation. Need help with the apostille? See apostille and sworn translation.

Who can translate a death certificate for Spain?

A sworn translator appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC) can translate a death certificate for any Spanish authority. For EU certificates, Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 also accepts a sworn translation by someone qualified in any Member State. Notaries and registrars decide what they accept for their own procedures.

Sworn translations by MAEC-appointed translators have official status before Spanish courts and authorities (Real Decreto 724/2020). Look up any translator in the official MAEC search (Buscador-STIJ), or follow how to verify a sworn translator. The EU rules are summarised in the Ministry of Justice Registro Civil leaflet.

A death certificate translation English to Spanish runs through our English to Spanish sworn translation service.

How long do heirs have to file Spanish inheritance tax?

Heirs have 6 months from the day after the death to file the Spanish inheritance tax self-assessment, under Real Decreto 1629/1991, article 67. An extension of another 6 months can be requested within the first 5 months (article 68). The death certificate translation is an early step.

For EU succession documents, Regulation (EU) 650/2012, article 74, removes legalisation. A DGSJFP resolution of 23 November 2023 (BOE 14 December 2023) confirms no apostille is needed for them (Gómez-Acebo & Pombo summary). Plan the translation early, because powers of attorney and family certificates often follow.

Last checked: 1 October 2026.

How do I get a death certificate translated for Spain?

To get a death certificate translated, send a clear scan of every page and the apostille. Add the purpose, the office or notary, and any deadline. We check the names against the deceased's passport or ID. You receive a fixed quote and a delivery date.

• Every page, front and back. Registrar's notes can be on the reverse.
• The apostille or legalisation. We translate it together with the certificate, as Spanish offices expect.
• ID of the deceased, if available. If spellings differ, the translator keeps the certificate's wording and adds a note.
• Related documents. See every document we translate. Heirs often add a divorce decree sworn translation or marriage certificate.

Why are death certificate translations returned, and how do we avoid it?

Death certificate translations are usually returned for a missing apostille, an extract instead of the literal certificate, or names that differ from other documents. A translation made before the apostille is another cause. We check each point before the MAEC-appointed sworn translator applies the seal.

• Apostille missing. We translate once it is on.
• Wrong version. We flag short extracts.
• Name mismatches. The translator notes spelling differences.

Death certificate translations for law firms and notaries' clients

Inheritance lawyers can send a whole succession file under one matter reference. See sworn translation for law firms in Spain. For succession disputes, see court documents sworn translation.

Ordering after a death: what can I check before paying?

You can check the key facts before you pay, even for a certificate from a US county registrar or an Indian municipality. The work is done by a sworn translator-interpreter appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Their seal and signature on each page can be checked on the official MAEC list. If a notary or registry rejects the translation on formal grounds, we redo it free and with priority.

• Is the translator real? Every translator we use is on the official MAEC register and signs digital work with a qualified electronic signature. Follow how to verify a sworn translator.
• What if the notary rejects it? Free, prioritised re-issue if rejected on formal grounds. Read our re-issue terms.
• Is my family's data safe? Files are deleted within 7 days of delivery. See our privacy policy.
• Signing or tax deadline close? Use our urgent sworn translation service.

Frequently asked questions

How do I order a sworn translation of a death certificate?

Upload a scan of the death certificate and its apostille, with the purpose and your notary or registry date. We check the version, apostille and names. Nothing is charged until you have seen the fixed price and delivery date.

We only translate. We never sell appointments.