Questions are grouped by who is asking, starting with people already living in Spain. Each answer links to the page that covers its topic in full.
What is a sworn translation in Spain, and how long does it last?
A sworn translation (traducción jurada) is a translation into Spanish signed and sealed by a translator appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC). Under Real Decreto 724/2020 it is official in Spain without further legalisation. The translation itself has no expiry date.
What is a sworn translation, in one sentence?
It is Spain's official form of certified translation: a faithful, complete Spanish version of your document, certified by a MAEC-appointed sworn translator. Each translator has a personal number shown on the seal. You can read about the credentials of every MAEC sworn translator we work with.
Do sworn translations expire?
No, the translation has no expiry date of its own. The document behind it may: offices often want a police certificate issued within the last 3 to 6 months. Our guide on how long a sworn translation stays valid explains when you need a new one.
How many days does a sworn translation take?
A one-page certificate, including a degree or good standing certificate, takes 24–48 hours. Documents of 2–5 pages take 2–3 working days, and 6–10 pages take 3–5. Rare languages take 3–4 working days for 1–2 pages. For a tighter deadline, see our same-day and 24-hour sworn translation.
I live in Spain: what do residents ask before filing?
Most residents need a sworn translation for Extranjería (TIE, renewals, arraigo), Spanish nationality or the Registro Civil. Extranjería's information sheets ask for a translation "por un traductor jurado". Get any apostille on your home-country document first, then send us a scan of every page.
How do I get documents from home apostilled while living in Spain?
It depends on your country, so check its page before you start. Common routes are your country's consulate in Spain, official online ordering at home, or a relative or power of attorney there. Once the apostille is on, send us scans. Examples: Pakistani documents for Spain and UK documents for Spain.
Does every Spanish office insist on a sworn translation?
Not every office, but most do. Extranjería Hojas ask for a translation "por un traductor jurado", while consulates set their own visa checklists, so follow yours. Check your own case in do I need a sworn translation for Spain.
Which documents does a nationality or arraigo file need translated?
Usually the birth certificate and a criminal record certificate, plus a marriage certificate where relevant. Arraigo asks for a criminal record certificate from each country you lived in during the last 5 years. See the Spanish nationality translation checklist or arraigo document translations.
How quickly can you translate documents named in a requerimiento?
The same day, by 20:00, for 1–2 page certificates received and paid by 12:00 noon Spanish time (CET/CEST) on a working day. Ley 39/2015, art. 68 gives you 10 working days (días hábiles) to answer. If a document is especially hard to obtain, ask for up to 5 extra days before the 10 days end. See answering a correction notice.
My police certificate expired before my appointment. What now?
You need a new certificate, with a new apostille and translation. Validity is set by each office, commonly 3 to 6 months. Time each step with our police certificate translation page.
Will the translator change my name to match my passport?
No. A sworn translator reproduces exactly what the document says. We compare names against your passport and add a translator's note where spellings differ. For nikah namas with differing Urdu and English columns, see marriage certificate sworn translation into Spanish.
Will you book my cita for a residence card?
No. We do not book, reserve or sell appointments of any kind. We prepare the Extranjería translation you file once you hold your own appointment.
Moving to Spain: what do visa applicants abroad ask?
Visa applicants usually file through a Spanish consulate or BLS centre. Spain wants the apostille, or two-step legalisation, on the original document first. A MAEC-appointed sworn translator then translates the document and the apostille together. The translation itself needs no apostille for use in Spain.
Why does the apostille have to come before the Spanish translation?
The apostille is a stamp on your original, so it must exist before the translator starts. We translate the apostille together with the document, as Spanish offices expect. The reasoning is set out in apostille before or after translation.
Why isn't my home-country certified translation enough for Spain?
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. The difference is explained in sworn vs certified translation.
What if my country is not part of the Apostille Convention?
Then you need two-step legalisation: your foreign ministry first, then the Spanish embassy or consulate. Nigeria works this way; for other countries, check the HCCH status table. For Nepal, check the route with the Spanish Embassy in New Delhi. Nigerian documents go to MFA Abuja, then the Spanish Embassy in Abuja or the Consulate General in Lagos, depending on your state. See Nigerian documents for Spain.
Which ministry apostilles Pakistani certificates for Spain?
Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has issued apostilles since 9 March 2023. Degrees need HEC attestation first; IBCC handles school certificates. Some BLS checklists still say legalisation, so follow yours.
Can a British ACRO certificate get a digital apostille?
No. The FCDO offers no e-Apostille for ACRO police certificates or for GRO birth, marriage and death certificates. These need a paper apostille, at £45 and usually up to 25 working days, plus postage (source: gov.uk, 12 October 2026).
Since when has Bangladesh issued apostilles?
It has since 30 March 2025, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' online e-Apostille service. The Dhaka embassy checklist may still say legalisation, so follow it; see Bangladeshi documents for Spain.
Who issues apostilles on Moroccan documents?
Moroccan apostilles are issued by the courts (judicial documents) or the provincial or prefectural authorities (administrative documents). See Moroccan documents for Spain.
Can I print the PDF and hand it in at my consulate appointment?
Usually not. A printout does not carry a verifiable signature. Submit the PDF electronically where the office accepts it, or order a paper translation with a handwritten signature and seal. Ask your consulate before your Spain visa translation appointment.
What does an Indian certificate usually cost to translate for Spain?
In India, the market rate is about ₹3,000–4,500 for an apostilled certificate, or ₹6,000–7,000 with the apostille included. These ranges are based on quotes we collected in 2026, not our price. Ours are on Indian documents for Spain.
Law firms and gestorías: how do professional orders work?
Law firms, gestorías and HR teams order the same sworn translations for several clients at once. They get one contact, a fixed quote per file and drafts for client sign-off. Account terms such as invoicing are set per firm and confirmed before the first order.
Do law firms and gestorías get a separate service?
Yes. Firms get 10% off at 5–19 documents a month, 15% at 20–49 and 20% at 50+. Monthly invoicing starts after the first 3 paid orders, and we sign a data processing agreement. See sworn translation for law firms in Spain.
Can I get an invoice for my order?
Yes. Every order gets an invoice. Businesses can have their company name and NIF or VAT number on it. Prices include VAT where it applies. Payment and invoicing rules are in our terms of service.
How do ordering, delivery and prices work?
Every order gets a written quotation with the total and the delivery date, within 1 hour during office 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. Our certificates start from €29 in English, French, Italian, Portuguese and German. Arabic, Russian, Ukrainian and Romanian start from €39, and rarer languages from €49. The signed PDF arrives by email.
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.
Why do sworn translation quotes vary so much?
Sworn translators set their fees freely, and Real Decreto 724/2020 sets no official tariff. Page count, language pair, handwriting and urgency all change the total. Urgent delivery (+30% for 24 hours, +60% for same day, minimum €25) and paper copies (€9 in Spain) appear as separate lines. You can see our fixed prices per document.
Is a whole family's file cheaper as one order?
Not always per page, but you get one fixed total for the whole file. We use one translator per language pair and coordinate them into one delivery, so names are spelled the same way throughout. See family reunification Spain sworn translation.
Is a phone photo of my certificate good enough?
Yes, if every page is sharp and complete, including the apostille. Originals are never needed for the translation. Attach the photos when you request a fixed quote for your documents.
Do you translate handwritten documents and stamps?
Yes, if the scan is clear enough to read every word. The translator renders every stamp, seal and signature, and raises anything unclear at the draft stage. Older civil records are a typical case, such as a birth certificate sworn translation into Spanish.
Is the PDF you send me the original translation or a copy?
It is the signed translation itself. Since 8 March 2025, under Orden AUC/213/2025, an electronically signed sworn translation is valid as the electronic file. How to check it is explained in digital sworn translation in Spain.
Why would anyone still order a paper copy?
Paper is the safer choice when the translation will be used outside Spain. MAEC legalisation does not accept electronic signatures, so only paper can follow that route. One example is covered in does the UK accept a Spanish sworn translation.
How long do transcripts and syllabi take?
A transcript of 2–5 pages takes 2–3 working days. A syllabus over 10 pages gets a custom deadline with the quote. Syllabi are not a standard homologation requirement but may be requested. Details are on syllabus translation for Spain.
Can you translate Spanish documents into English?
No. We translate into Spanish only. We do not offer Spanish-to-English translation. We also do not provide sworn interpreters. For documents that do not need a sworn translation, such as internal or reference copies, we offer non-sworn translation into Spanish. For the most common pair, see English to Spanish sworn translation.
Get a fixed total and delivery date for your file
Free quote within 1 hour · files deleted 7 days after delivery
Can I trust you with my documents, and what if they're rejected?
Yes: every translator is MAEC-appointed and checkable, and a rejection on formal grounds is fixed free. Picture a TIE renewal where the officer queries a date on your translated birth certificate: the answers below show who fixes it and how. We are not affiliated with any authority, and we are not a gestoría or law firm.
How can I confirm my translator is a genuine sworn translator?
Look at the seal. Every page of your translation carries the sworn translator's official seal and signature. You can check the name and number on it in the official MAEC list. Every translator we work with is appointed by the MAEC and listed there. The steps are in verify a Spanish sworn translator.
Who pays if a translation is rejected for a formal error?
We do. Free, prioritised re-issue if rejected on formal grounds: the translation is redone at no cost, ahead of new orders. Read what happens if a translation is rejected.
Do you keep my documents after delivery?
Only for a limited time. Your files are used for your order alone and deleted within 7 days of delivery. Send only what the translation needs, including for bank statements and police certificates. Details are in our privacy policy.
What if my appointment is in two days?
Tell us the date when you upload, for example a Registro Civil cita on Thursday. One-page certificates take 24–48 hours, and same-day delivery is possible for short certificates paid by 12:00 noon. See the urgent translation tiers.
Can I correct something I spot in the draft?
Yes, that is what the draft is for. You check names, dates and places before the seal is applied. Each step is set out in how to get a sworn translation for Spain.
Are you a gestoría or a law firm?
No. We coordinate translations by MAEC-appointed sworn translators, and we do not give legal advice or file applications. Read who we are.
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.”
“Good service and clear communication. I needed my police clearance certificate translated for a residence application. They explained what they needed from me and answered my questions promptly.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“We needed a police certificate translated and had some doubts about the paperwork. The team replied patiently and explained the process. It was helpful to get a clear answer instead of trying to work everything out ourselves.”
Sources: Orden AUC/213/2025 (BOE) · Ley 39/2015 (BOE) · MAEC sworn translator search (Buscador-STIJ) · HCCH Apostille Convention status table · Cronoshare sworn translation prices. Last checked: 1 October 2026.
Still have a question about your sworn translation?
Send your question with a scan of every page, including any apostille, and your deadline. We reply with an answer, a fixed total and the delivery date. You pay nothing until you accept the quote. For a general question, use our contact page.
Send your question and documents for a fixed quote
Free quote within 1 hour · fixed price before you pay · official in Spain
What happens next
- 1Your question gets a straight answer, and your pages get a fixed quote with a delivery date.
- 2If you go ahead, you pay and review a draft before anything is sealed.
- 3The signed PDF comes by email; paper by courier is there if your office still wants it.
We only translate. We never sell appointments.