The same translation stays valid once you file in Spain, and you see the price before you pay. Already in Spain? Your next step is usually the TIE (foreigner's identity card) or a residence renewal at Extranjería; see sworn translation for Extranjería procedures.
We are not affiliated with any Spanish embassy, consulate or visa centre such as BLS. We only translate. We never sell appointments.
Which documents need a sworn translation for a Spain visa?
Spanish consulates usually ask for a sworn translation (traducción jurada) of every foreign public document not issued in Spanish. Typical examples are police certificates, medical certificates, birth and marriage certificates and degrees. The exact Spain visa translation requirements are set by your consulate's checklist, so check it before you order.
The table lists the foreign documents most often needed, not full visa requirements. This page is part of our sworn translation services by procedure.
| Visa | Foreign documents often translated | Translation usually required? | Our page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student visa | Police certificate, medical certificate, degree, transcript, bank statements | Yes for police and medical; check the checklist for financial documents | Spain student visa sworn translation |
| Student visa from India | Same, plus parental authorisation for minors | Mumbai: documents in regional languages must be translated; a minor's parental authorisation always | student visa translations for Indian applicants |
| Work visa | Police certificate, medical certificate, degree | Yes, for all foreign public documents (Hoja 12) | Spain work visa sworn translation |
| Digital nomad visa | Police certificate, degree, employment and financial records | Yes for public documents; check the checklist for the rest | digital nomad visa Spain sworn translation |
| Non-lucrative visa | Police certificate, medical certificate, bank statements | Yes for police and medical; check the checklist for financial documents | non lucrative visa Spain sworn translation |
| Family reunification | Birth certificate, marriage certificate, police certificate, medical certificate | Yes (Hoja 8 asks for a sworn translator) | family reunification Spain sworn translation |
Consulate document checklist: what to send us
Each document has its own page with local names, scan tips and rejection risks.
- Police certificate: police clearance certificate sworn translation
- Birth or marriage certificate: birth certificate sworn translation into Spanish or marriage certificate translation for a visa
- Degree and transcript: degree certificate sworn translation
- Bank statements: bank statement sworn translation
- Medical certificate: medical certificate translation for a Spain visa
- The apostille or legalisation on each document: apostille and sworn translation
Which documents are usually exempt from translation?
There is no single exemption list for Spain visas. Each Spanish consulate sets its own rules in its checklist, and BLS visa centres follow that checklist. Passports and some financial documents are often exempt. English documents are not automatically exempt. For example, Mumbai's checklists exempt passports and financial documents for some visa types (Mumbai student visa checklist). Mumbai's digital nomad checklist asks for all English documents to be translated by a traductor jurado.
So we always ask which consulate you are applying through.
- Passports are often exempt, but check your checklist.
- Financial documents are exempt at some consulates for some visa types only.
- English documents are not automatically exempt. Some checklists require them in Spanish.
- Documents already in Spanish do not need translating.
Your consulate publishes its checklist on its page at exteriores.gob.es; always follow the current version. If it is unclear, send it with your files and we tell you which pages need translating.
How long are visa documents valid?
Validity is set by each Spanish consulate, not by one national rule. A police certificate is commonly valid for 3 to 6 months from issue, and a medical certificate usually for 3 months. New Delhi uses 6 months for police certificates (New Delhi student visa). For family reunification, New Delhi accepts marriage and birth certificates for 3 months, and police and medical certificates for 6 months.
Translating a document does not reset its validity: the issue date on the original counts.
| Document | Typical validity | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Police certificate | Set by each office, commonly 3 to 6 months | New Delhi: 6 months |
| Birth and marriage certificates (family reunification) | Set by each office | New Delhi: 3 months |
| Police certificate covering 5 years and medical certificate (family reunification) | Set by each office | New Delhi: 6 months |
For family reunification, New Delhi also asks you to apply within 2 months of the resident in Spain being notified.
Your timeline: work back from your appointment
- Appointment date. Write it on our form. We plan delivery from it.
- Translation. Allow 24–48 hours for a one-page certificate or degree. A transcript of 2–5 pages takes 2–3 working days.
- Apostille or legalisation. Apostille or legalise first, then translate the document and the apostille together.
- Police certificate. Order it last, so it is still valid on the day of your appointment.
We confirm delivery times in your time zone. For very close appointments, see our urgent sworn translation service.
Can I use a translator from my own country?
Usually not. Spanish consulates expect a translator appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC). The main exception is New Delhi, which can seal an unofficial translation for visa files only. 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, and notarising it does not change that. Some consulates set different rules for the visa stage, so follow your checklist; a sworn translation is needed once you file in Spain.
Sworn translators are appointed by the MAEC through its Office of Language Interpretation (OIL), under Real Decreto 724/2020. Their translations are official and valid in Spain without further legalisation. Read more in sworn vs certified translation.
Verify a translator in the official MAEC search (Buscador-STIJ). Match the name, language pair and number on the seal.
Applying from India? The Spanish Embassy in New Delhi states that official sworn translations cannot be done in India. It offers a visa-only stamping option, explained on our Indian documents sworn translation for Spain page.
Last checked: 1 October 2026.
What we check before your visa file goes in
Before the seal is applied, we check:
- Apostille present. The apostille or legalisation is on the original and translated with it.
- Names match your passport. Every name and spelling is checked against your passport. Where a spelling differs, the translator adds a note.
- Every page stamped. Each page carries the translator's seal and signature, including stamps on the back.
- Dates and places. You approve a draft showing names, dates and places before sealing.
- Format. You receive a digitally signed PDF. If your visa centre insists on paper, we send it by courier.
A visa translation rejected on formal grounds is redone free and with priority under our re-issue terms.
Visa translation doubts, answered before you pay
Your visa appointment is booked and you cannot afford a refused file. Four quick answers:
- Is the translator real? Every translator we work with is appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC) and listed on its official register. Each page carries their seal and signature, so you can check them using our guide to checking a sworn translator's appointment.
- What if the consulate rejects it? Free, prioritised re-issue if rejected on formal grounds, such as a surname spelt differently from your passport or an untranslated apostille.
- Is my data safe? Your passport and certificates are used only for your order and deleted within 7 days of delivery, as our privacy policy explains.
- Visa appointment this week? Tell us the date; our same-day and 24-hour sworn translation can often fit short certificates in.
Send your consulate checklist and documents for a price
Free quote within 1 hour · files deleted 7 days after delivery
Package price for a Spain visa file
You pay one fixed total for your file, shown before payment with the delivery date. 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.
| Package | What it covers | Price | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single certificate | One police, birth or marriage certificate with apostille | From €29 | 24–48 hours |
| Student visa file | Police certificate, medical certificate, degree, one-page transcript | From €116 (€29 per certificate, transcript €29 per page) | 2–3 working days |
| Family reunification file | Birth, marriage and police certificates | From €87 (€29 per certificate) | 2–3 working days |
| Bank statement | Per page, if your checklist asks for it | From €24 per page | Same as file |
| Extra hard copy | Paper copy by courier within Spain | €9 per copy | 24–48 hours by courier |
See how much a sworn translation costs for each document type.
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 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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“I contacted them for documents needed for my long-term residence application. There were several things to organise, and I didn't want to leave the translation until the last minute. The replies were clear, and I appreciated knowing the process before confirming the order.”
“I needed my degree certificate and transcript translated into Spanish. Everything was explained properly, and I found the service easy to deal with. Would use them again if I need more documents translated.”
“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.”
“I needed my passport and birth certificate translated for my application. The process was simple, and my questions were answered clearly. Thank you for the help.”
Related procedures and guides
- Do I need a sworn translation in Spain?
- Apostille before sworn translation
- India to Spain student visa sworn translation
- Pakistani documents sworn translation for Spain
- After you arrive: family reunification for relatives joining you later and Spanish nationality translations
- Spanish embassy translation in India
Frequently asked questions
Does the Spanish consulate translate documents?
Generally, no. Consulates ask you to bring a sworn translation by a MAEC-appointed translator. New Delhi offers a narrow, visa-only seal on an unofficial translation; see Indian documents sworn translation for Spain.
Does BLS accept digitally signed translations?
Visa centres such as BLS set their own submission format, so check your checklist. We deliver a digitally signed PDF, and if your checklist asks for paper, we send it by courier.
Do I need to translate documents already in English?
It depends on your consulate. Some checklists exempt certain English documents, while Mumbai's digital nomad checklist asks for all English documents to be sworn-translated. Send us your checklist and we confirm which pages need translating before you pay. Our English to Spanish sworn translation page explains more.
Can you translate my documents before my appointment is booked?
Yes, but watch validity. Translating early is fine for degrees and transcripts. Police certificates are commonly valid for 3 to 6 months from issue, so order them last. Enter your appointment or deadline date on our form and we plan delivery around it.
Get your visa documents translated
Send a scan or photo of every page, including the apostille. Originals are never needed. You will see a fixed total price and delivery date before you pay.
Get your fixed visa translation price today
Free quote within 1 hour · fixed price before you pay · official in Spain
What happens next
- 1We read your consulate's checklist and confirm which pages need translating.
- 2You pay the fixed price and check the names and dates in a draft.
- 3The signed PDF arrives before your appointment, with paper by courier if your visa centre wants it.
We are not a gestoría or law firm, and we do not book consulate or BLS appointments.