Sri Lankan documents sworn translation for Spain, route checked first

Your route in three steps: 1. District Registrar certified copy and official English translation → 2. MFA e-DAS attestation, then Spanish legalisation → 3. Sworn translation into Spanish

We are not affiliated with the Sri Lankan foreign ministry, BLS or the Spanish Embassy in New Delhi.

How are Sri Lankan documents legalised for Spain?

Sri Lanka has not joined the Apostille Convention, so its documents are legalised, not apostilled. Sri Lanka's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) attests them first through its e-DAS platform. A Spanish legalisation step follows. Spain has no embassy in Colombo; the Embassy of Spain in New Delhi covers Sri Lanka.

The one fact that matters: Spain's official register lists no Sinhala or Tamil sworn translator (August 2026). We translate from the official English translation issued by Sri Lanka's Registrar General's Department, and we tell you what to check with your office before you pay.

Sri Lanka is absent from the HCCH status table. Spain also has an honorary consulate in Colombo. Older embassy guides sent documents there after the MFA. Ask the Embassy in New Delhi whether the Colombo honorary consulate still legalises documents before you send anything. Last checked: 1 October 2026.

Fees: RGD translation service and MFA consular guidelines, checked 1 October 2026.

Every stamp goes on before the Spanish translation is made. Why the apostille comes before the translation explains the order; legalisation works the same way.

Already in Spain? Getting Sri Lankan documents ready from here

You can usually prepare Sri Lankan documents without travelling home. The police clearance is applied for online, and MFA attestation runs on e-DAS. A relative in Sri Lanka can normally collect certified copies and the RGD English translation. Check each step with the official source first, because rules on representatives vary.

Sri Lankan residents in Spain usually need these documents for arraigo, TIE renewals, family members or a marriage at the Registro Civil. See arraigo sworn translation and Registro Civil sworn translation. We do not give immigration advice. Once your lawyer or gestoría confirms the list, get a fixed quote for your Sri Lankan certificates.

Will Spain accept a Spanish translation of my Sinhala certificate?

Spanish offices accept a sworn translation by a MAEC-appointed translator, under Hoja informativa 61 for Extranjería. With no Sinhala or Tamil sworn translator, the translation is made from the RGD's official English version. The receiving office decides whether that is enough, so ask it first. You pay nothing until you accept our quote.

How to check, in practice:

1. Ask the office (Extranjería, Registro Civil or consulate) whether it accepts a sworn Spanish translation of the legalised RGD English translation.
2. Tell us which office it is when you upload. We note it in the quote.
3. Hoja informativa 61 also lists a translation made by your country's embassy or consulate in Spain, legalised afterwards. Ask whether that route is available to you.

For other languages without a Spanish sworn translator, see sworn translation into Spanish from other languages.

Where do I get a police clearance in Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka Police Headquarters, Colombo 01, issues the Police Clearance Certificate, and you apply online. For MFA attestation through e-DAS, it must be in the Police Headquarters format. Then the Spanish legalisation step follows, and only then the sworn translation. Validity is set by each office, commonly 3 to 6 months.

The MFA consular guidelines set the format rule. Spanish files often ask for records from every recent country of residence. If you also lived in India, see Indian documents for Spain.

Which Sri Lankan documents need translating for Spain?

Spanish files from Sri Lanka usually include a police clearance certificate and a birth certificate. Married applicants add a marriage certificate; students and workers add degrees. Each one needs MFA attestation and the Spanish step first. A MAEC-appointed sworn translator then works from the English version.

English versions are translated through our English to Spanish sworn translation service.

Sinhala birth certificate: Spanish translation step by step

Ask the District Registrar for a certified true copy. The RGD translates it from Sinhala or Tamil into English; it accepts the original or a copy certified by a Divisional Secretariat. The MFA attests it, Spain legalises it, and we translate the English version and every stamp into Spanish.

What slows down Sri Lankan files for Spain?

Certified copies and stamps cause most delays:

• Pre-2008 certificates. The MFA accepts them only if re-certified on or after 1 January 2008.
• Translation ordered too soon. Wait until the Spanish stamp is on.
• Old consulate advice. Ask the Embassy of Spain in New Delhi for the current route.
• Name order. We check names against your passport and add a translator's note where spellings differ.
• Correction notices. An Extranjería requerimiento leaves 10 working days (días hábiles) under Ley 39/2015, art. 68. See requerimiento Extranjería translation.

How much does a sworn translation of Sri Lankan documents cost?

We quote one total in euros, after checking your route. It reflects the document, its length and the stamps on it. The same quote confirms the delivery date. Nothing is payable until you accept, so the route check costs you nothing. Prices are in euros; your card or bank converts from Sri Lankan rupees at its own rate.

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.

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.

Payment methods: cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), PayPal, bank transfer (SEPA and international), Apple Pay and Google Pay. Prices include VAT where it applies. Compare other documents in our price list.

What should Sri Lankan clients check before paying?

Check four things: the translator's MAEC appointment, the re-issue terms, how long your scans are kept and how fast you need delivery. Your Sri Lankan certificate has already passed the RGD, the MFA and a Spanish stamp. A rejected translation would cost you weeks, so check these first.

• Is the translator real? Every translator we work with holds a MAEC appointment and every authorisation Spain requires for sworn translation. Check the seal on your translation in the official MAEC search (Buscador-STIJ), step by step in how to verify a Spanish sworn translator.
• What if the office rejects it? Free, prioritised re-issue if rejected on formal grounds. Read what happens if a translation is rejected.
• Is my data safe? Files are deleted within 7 days of delivery; see our privacy policy.
• Police certificate close to expiry, or a BLS Colombo date booked? Our urgent sworn translation page explains the options.

Which Spanish procedure are you applying for from Sri Lanka?

• Visas through BLS (use only the official BLS Spain centre for Sri Lanka listed on india.blsspainvisa.com): sworn translation for a Spain visa.
• Students: an adult staying over 6 months needs a criminal record certificate. See Spain student visa sworn translation.
• Spouses and children joining a resident: they have 2 months from notification to apply for the visa. See family reunification sworn translation.
• Residence files once in Spain: Extranjería sworn translation.

Also covered by New Delhi: Nepali documents for Spain. Stamps first, translation second: see legalisation and sworn translation: how the two steps fit. Or browse documents from every country we cover.

Frequently asked questions

How do I send my Sri Lankan documents for a sworn translation quote?

Upload the certified copy, the RGD English translation, the MFA attestation and any Spanish stamp, page by page. Tell us the procedure, the office and your deadline. We check the route and names, then send the total. You decide before paying.

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