Spain work visa sworn translation for workers and employers

Upload your scans to get a fixed quote for your work permit documents; HR teams can send several workers at once.

After you arrive, your TIE (foreigner's identity card) and later renewals go through Extranjería; see translations for Extranjería once you live in Spain.

We are not affiliated with any Spanish consulate, BLS International or the Ministry of Inclusion.

Which work visa documents need a sworn translation?

For a Spanish work visa (cuenta ajena), every foreign document needs an apostille or legalisation and a sworn translation, according to Hoja informativa 12. The worker usually translates three documents: a criminal record certificate, a medical certificate and the qualification the job legally requires. Your employer's Spanish documents need no translation.

Translation usually starts with the degree and ends with the certificates that expire. For everything else in a Spain work permit file, follow Hoja 12 and your consulate's checklist. This page belongs to our sworn translation services by procedure.

Cuenta ajena documents: what to translate

• Criminal record certificate: police certificate
• Medical certificate: medical certificate
• Degree or professional qualification: degree certificate
• The apostille or legalisation on each one: apostille translated with the document

Which route do work visa documents take from your country?

Pakistan: some BLS checklists still say legalisation, so follow your current checklist. Our Pakistan-to-Spain visa requirements guide covers the wider file.

Does my employer need my documents translated?

No, not the employer's own documents. Under Hoja 12, the employer in Spain applies for the work authorisation, and its Spanish paperwork needs no translation. Your foreign documents are different. Your criminal record, medical certificate and qualification need an apostille or legalisation and an official sworn translation before the consulate.

HR teams and relocation firms can order for several workers in one quote. See our sworn translation for relocation and HR teams. Gestorías and law firms filing for clients: sworn translation for law firms and gestorías.

Do I need my degree translated for a work permit?

Usually, yes, when the job legally requires a qualification. Hoja 12 asks for the qualification legally required for the profession, homologated where applicable. A foreign degree needs an apostille or legalisation, then a sworn translation into Spanish. Your quote confirms which pages of your degree need translating.

For a regulated profession, such as nursing, see degree homologation Spain translation. Your work permit file moves faster once your degree is already sworn-translated.

Which documents need translating for an EU Blue Card or highly qualified permit?

The highly qualified professional route is filed with the UGE (Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos). The EU Blue Card (tarjeta azul-UE) is also handled by the UGE; check its page for the current conditions. Your degree and criminal record certificates are the usual foreign documents. Each needs an apostille or legalisation and a sworn translation.

• Degree. Usually at least MECES level 2 (a Spanish framework level). Check the UGE page for the current qualification and experience rules.
• Criminal records. From each country you lived in during the last 5 years.
• Employer documents. Spanish company papers need no translation.

Check the UGE pages of the Ministry of Inclusion before filing, including the current salary threshold for highly qualified professionals.

Working remotely for a foreign company? See digital nomad visa Spain sworn translation.

How long do I have to apply for the work visa after the employer is notified?

One month. Once the employer is notified that the authorisation is granted, the worker has one month to apply in person at the Spanish consulate. Plan your translations so every certificate is apostilled, translated and still valid inside that one-month window.

Validity is set by each office, commonly 3 to 6 months. Mumbai's employee visa page gives the medical certificate 6 months.

Window closing? Put your appointment date on the form and we plan delivery from it.

Sources: Hoja informativa 12, initial residence and work for an employer (cuenta ajena), Ministerio de Inclusión · Employee visa, Consulate General of Spain in Mumbai · BLS Philippines work visa checklist. Last checked: 1 October 2026.

Which certified translation does a Spanish consulate accept for a work visa?

In Spain, when an office asks for an official or 'certified' translation, it means a sworn translation (traducción jurada) by a MAEC-appointed translator. Hoja 12 asks for a sworn translation of every foreign document. Spanish consulates and Extranjería accept it for work visa files.

A certified translation made outside Spain, for example by a UK or US translator, is not a sworn translation, and most Spanish offices won't accept it.

• Order matters. Apostille first, then translate both together: apostille before or after translation.
• Digital is valid. Since 8 March 2025, a sworn translation signed with a qualified electronic certificate is legally valid.
• Check the translator in the official MAEC search (Buscador-STIJ).

English documents go through our English to Spanish sworn translation service.

What do we check before your work visa documents are sealed?

Before the seal goes on, we check each document against your consulate's checklist. We confirm the apostille or legalisation is present, the name matches your passport, and every page and stamp is translated. You approve a draft of names, dates and places before the translator signs.

• Dates. We flag a certificate that may expire before your appointment.
• Names. Different spellings get a translator's note.

If a consulate rejects a translation on formal grounds, we redo it free and prioritised. See our re-issue policy.

Hiring from abroad: what workers and employers ask us first

A nurse in Manila or an engineer in Pune may be asked to pay before ever speaking to us. These checks settle it first.

• Is the translator real? Every translator we work with is a Traductor-Intérprete Jurado listed on the MAEC register. Check the seal on your translation against the official list with our guide to verifying a sworn translator.
• What if the consulate rejects it? Free, prioritised re-issue if rejected on formal grounds, such as a misspelt name.
• Is my data safe? Files are used only for the order and deleted within 7 days of delivery; see our privacy policy.
• One-month window closing? Our 24-hour and same-day sworn translation often fits short certificates in.

How much does a sworn translation for a Spain work visa cost?

You pay one fixed total for your work visa file, shown before you pay. Apostille pages are included, as we translate them with each document. Employers ordering for several workers receive one combined quote.

As an indicative market range, sworn translations in Spain cost about €30–120 a page: roughly €30–80 for the first page and €15–40 for later pages (Cronoshare, January 2026). This is a market range, not our price.

Prices are for common languages such as English, French or Portuguese. Arabic, Russian, Ukrainian or Romanian documents start from €39 per certificate. Chinese, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali and other rare languages start from €49. Employers sending 5 or more documents a month get 10% to 20% off. Every document and page rate: sworn translation prices.

Payment methods: Visa, Mastercard or American Express card, PayPal, bank transfer (SEPA or international), Apple Pay and Google Pay. Prices include VAT where it applies.

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.

Need it sooner? 24-hour delivery adds 30% to the order price. Same-day delivery adds 60%, with a €25 minimum. A tracked paper copy costs €9 within Spain, or from €29 abroad.

Which other services help with a Spanish work permit?

• Sworn translation for a Spain visa for other national visas
• Family reunification translations when your family joins you later
• Sworn vs certified translation explains the difference

Frequently asked questions

How do I send my work visa documents for a fixed quote?

Scan every page, including each apostille, and upload them with your consulate and appointment date. Originals are never needed. You receive a fixed total and delivery date before you pay. Employers can upload files for several workers in one order.

WhatsApp: +44 7482 545337. We only translate. We never sell appointments.