Sworn translation for Spanish immigration: when and by whom

Any foreign document not in Spanish must be submitted with a sworn translation (traducción jurada): an official translation signed and stamped by a sworn translator-interpreter appointed by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. An "ordinary" translation, however perfect, is not valid.

The reason is simple: the language of proceedings before the central Administration is Spanish (article 15 of Law 39/2015), and the Immigration Office needs a text someone officially answers for.

Which documents usually need it

In immigration and nationality, typically:

• Criminal record certificate from the country of origin.
• Birth and marriage certificates, and registered partnership documents.
• Divorce, custody or adoption judgments.
• Academic qualifications and transcripts, when the procedure requires them.
• Medical certificates, bank statements or contracts issued in another language.

The passport does not need translating: it is submitted as it is.

Which translation is valid

Three routes, from most to least common:

1. A sworn translator-interpreter appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The standard option. The Ministry publishes the official list by language; each translator has an appointment number, and their signature and stamp make the translation valid throughout Spain with no further step.
2. A translation made or endorsed by a consular office. Spain's in the country of origin or that country's in Spain, depending on the case.
3. A translation by an official translator abroad. It may be valid, but usually needs legalisation or an apostille in turn, which lengthens the process. If you still have time, a sworn translator in Spain is usually the better choice.

For some languages there are very few sworn translators: look early.

Order matters: stamp first, translation second

The classic mistake is translating too soon. The right sequence:

1. You obtain the original document in your country.
2. You have it apostilled or legalised in the issuing country.
3. You have it translated, including the apostille or legalisation stamps.

If you translate first and apostille later, the translation will not cover the apostille and will have to be redone or extended. Details of step 2 are in criminal records, apostille and legalisation.

What a sworn translation must contain

• The full translation of the document: text, stamps, signatures, marginal notes and apostille. Nothing is summarised or left out.
• The translator's certification: a formula declaring the translation faithful and complete.
• Their name, language, appointment number, signature and stamp.
• A copy of the original attached, stamped or dated by the translator, showing which document was translated.

Many translators deliver the translation electronically signed, as well as or instead of on paper. Before ordering, say which procedure it is for and whether you will file on paper or online.

Names: the detail that triggers most requests

When the document comes from another script — Arabic, Cyrillic, Chinese — the translator must transcribe your name and your relatives' names into the Latin alphabet. That transcription must match your passport exactly.

Before ordering:

• Send the translator a copy of your passport and of those of any relatives named.
• Say how your name appears on your card or earlier decisions.
• Check the draft: one different letter in a surname or a date with day and month swapped is enough for a request for documents.

If the original itself has an error compared with the passport, the translation cannot fix it: it must be corrected at source, or you provide a certificate of concordance from your consulate.

How long it takes and what it costs

Timing depends on language and length: a few days for an ordinary certificate in a common language, longer for long judgments or rare languages. Each translator sets their own fees; ask for a fixed quote per document.

The translation itself does not expire, but it accompanies a document that does. If the criminal record certificate loses validity, the translation is no use.

Common mistakes

• Using a translator who is not sworn, or machine translation.
• Translating before the apostille.
• Not translating the apostille or stamps.
• A name transcription different from the passport.
• Submitting only the translation, without the apostilled original.
• Ordering too early so the original expires.

Frequently asked questions

My document is in English. Must it still be translated?

Yes. However widely known the language, the Administration requires Spanish.

Can I translate it myself if I am fluent in both languages?

No. Only a translation signed by a sworn translator-interpreter, or a consular one, is valid.

Is a sworn translation made in my country valid?

It depends. If made by an official translator there, it will normally need legalisation or an apostille to take effect in Spain. Check before paying for it.

Must every page be translated?

Every page that is part of the document, including reverse sides with stamps and the apostille.

The certificate is already in Spanish. Do I need anything?

No. Documents issued in Spanish are not translated; they only need the apostille or legalisation.

Your next step

The free test tells you which documents in your file need translation depending on your country. If you are unsure about a specific document, send a photo to Resi and it will tell you what is missing.