Inheritance and property in Spain: sworn translation for your notary

At the notary, this is often called a traducción jurada para notaría, or de testamento for a will.

We are not affiliated with any Spanish notary or Property Registry. We translate; we do not advise on the law or tax.

Which documents does a Spanish notary need for a herencia?

For a herencia (inheritance), a Spanish notary needs a translation of each foreign document used in the deed. Typical examples are a power of attorney, a death certificate, a will and family certificates. Notaries decide what translation they accept. A sworn translation has official status before Spanish authorities (RD 724/2020), so it is the safe route.

Tick-list for a traducción jurada para notaría:

• Power of attorney signed abroad: power of attorney sworn translation for a Spanish property
• The owner's death certificate: death certificate sworn translation for inheritance in Spain
• Family links: birth certificate sworn translation and marriage certificate translation for heirs
• An earlier marriage that ended: divorce decree sworn translation
• The will or grant of probate, with its apostille

Price and turnaround for an inheritance or property file

You pay one fixed total for the whole file, shown before you pay, with apostille pages included. Sworn translators set fees freely. 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. Your quote also shows the delivery date.

Compare the sworn translation prices for other documents, or get a fixed quote for your inheritance documents today.

Prices above are for common languages (English, French, Italian, Portuguese, German). Arabic, Russian, Ukrainian and Romanian start from €39 per certificate. Chinese, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali and other rare languages start from €49.

Turnaround in common languages: 1 page in 24–48 hours, 2–5 pages in 2–3 working days, 6–10 pages in 3–5 working days. Rare languages take 3–4 working days for 1–2 pages.

Need it sooner? 24-hour delivery adds 30% to the order price. Same-day delivery adds 60%, minimum €25 extra. It covers 1–2 page documents in common languages. Order and pay by 12:00 Spanish time (CET/CEST) on a working day, and we deliver by 20:00.

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.

What documents do heirs abroad need for a Spanish inheritance?

Heirs usually need the death certificate, the will if there is one, and documents proving their relationship. Spanish certificates of last wills (últimas voluntades) and life insurance are needed too. Foreign documents need an apostille or legalisation first, then a sworn translation into Spanish.

The two Ministry certificates can be requested from 15 working days after the death (Ministry of Justice). Your notary decides whether a foreign wills-register certificate is also needed.

Without a will, a notary declares the heirs from relationship documents and two witnesses (Ley del Notariado art. 56). So birth and marriage certificates carry the most weight.

Which law applies to a foreigner's estate in Spain?

In short, the law of the country where the person lived when they died applies. The exception is a will that chose the law of their nationality. This EU rule (Regulation 650/2012) applies even to British or American estates. If foreign law applies, the notary or Property Registry may ask for proof of it, for example a certificate from a consul. Your notary or lawyer tells you what is needed.

Do I need a European Certificate of Succession, and does it need translating?

The European Certificate of Succession (Certificado Sucesorio Europeo) proves heirs' rights across EU states under Regulation 650/2012. It needs no legalisation or apostille (art. 74). It is a standard EU form, so a full translation is often unnecessary. Registrars may still ask for its free-text parts to be translated.

Certified copies are valid for 6 months (art. 70.3), so time your translation and notary date together. Heirs from the UK, US and other non-EU countries cannot use this certificate. They file their own country's documents, apostilled and translated.

How long do heirs have to deal with a Spanish inheritance?

The inheritance tax self-assessment (usually Modelo 650) is due within 6 months, counted from the day after the death (RD 1629/1991, art. 67). Heirs may ask for a further 6 months, as long as they ask within the first 5. Apostilles and translations often take longest, so start them early.

Deadline close? Use our urgent sworn translation service.

Also on your list: NIE and tax

These steps sit outside the translation, but heirs and sellers often meet them:

• NIE. Heirs normally need a foreigner's tax number (NIE), applied for with form EX-15 (ONE). Foreign documents in that file need a sworn translation.
• Selling as a non-resident. The buyer keeps back 3% of the price for the tax office (AEAT). No translation is needed.
• Inheritance tax. Non-resident heirs can generally use the regional rules (Ley 11/2021, BOE). Ask a tax adviser.

Can I handle a Spanish property sale from abroad?

Yes. Owners abroad can sell through a power of attorney, signed at a Spanish consulate or before a local notary. A power signed before a local notary then needs an apostille and an official Spanish translation. The Spanish notary must accept it, so send the draft to the notary first.

A consular power is in Spanish, so needs no translation; a local power is translated with its apostille. A Spanish notary checks that a foreign power is equivalent and sufficient (Ley 24/2001 art. 98).

Buying a home in Spain with foreign documents

When buying, the documents to translate are usually few: NIE papers and, often, a power of attorney. The UK government advises having contracts and documents translated by an independent translator (gov.uk).

Do heirs need exequatur for a foreign decision?

Usually not, if the inheritance runs through a notary. Exequatur is the procedure in which a Spanish judge recognises a foreign decision so it has the same effects here (Ley 29/2015 arts. 42 and 44, BOE). Heirs need it only when a non-EU decision must take effect in Spain.

If you do, we translate the decision, proof it is final and any proof of service. Your lawyer files it; see our page on judgments and exequatur for lawyers.

Inheritance documents by country of origin

Each country prepares documents differently before translation. UK, Indian and Moroccan documents need an apostille, and American state documents a state apostille. EU death certificates need no apostille, and succession documents under Regulation 650/2012 need no legalisation.

See also English to Spanish sworn translation, or sworn translation into Spanish from other languages such as German or Dutch.

What official translation do Spanish notaries and registrars accept?

Spanish notaries and registrars decide what translation they accept. A notary who knows the language may translate, and the Property Registry accepts the translations listed in Reglamento Hipotecario art. 37. A sworn translation has official status before Spanish authorities under RD 724/2020, so it is the safe route.

Check translators in the official MAEC search (Buscador-STIJ). Digitally signed PDFs are valid: can a sworn translation be digital. Apostille first (apostille before or after translation), or see our apostille and sworn translation service.

Last checked: 1 October 2026.

What do we check before your property or inheritance documents are sealed?

Before the seal, we check that each document has its apostille or legalisation. We compare every name with the passports of the deceased, heirs or buyers. We confirm every page, stamp and marginal note is translated. You approve a draft before the MAEC-appointed sworn translator signs.

Heirs' questions before paying for translations

A rejected translation can push back the notary signing and eat into the 6-month tax deadline. What heirs ask first:

• Is the translator real? Every translator we work with is appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and works with their own official seal. Any notary can check that seal against the MAEC list; see how to verify a Spanish sworn translator.
• What if the notary rejects it? Free, prioritised re-issue if rejected on formal grounds, such as a missed marginal note. See our re-issue terms.
• Is my family's data safe? Your files are deleted within 7 days of delivery, as set out in our privacy policy.
• Is the 6-month tax deadline close? Our same-day sworn translation for urgent deadlines covers short certificates such as a death certificate.

For law firms: see sworn translation for law firms and gestorías and corporate documents sworn translation.

Which other Spanish procedures use these sworn translations?

• Registro Civil sworn translation
• Spanish nationality sworn translation
• Extranjería sworn translation
• All sworn translation services by procedure

Frequently asked questions

How do I send my property or inheritance documents for a quote?

Upload a scan of each page and each apostille, adding your notary date or deadline. Originals are never needed. You see a fixed total and delivery date before you pay. Families can send every heir's documents in one order.

We only translate. We never sell appointments.