Sworn translation in Spain: how to order and check it yourself

Sworn translation: a 15-step plan

1. Decide whether you need a sworn translation

   Spanish authorities work in Castilian: article 15 of Ley 39/2015 makes it the language of procedures in the state administration and allows a second official language for bodies located in an autonomous community. The Ministry of Inclusion information sheet on documents for extranjería (Hoja 61) accepts translations by a sworn translator appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and also translations by Spanish diplomatic missions and by the applicant’s country’s consulates in Spain under certain conditions.

   • I wrote down which authority and which procedure I’m submitting documents to
   • I checked the wording on translation in the authority’s requirements (traducción jurada, traducción oficial)
   • I set aside documents in Spanish and Catalan: they need no translation or follow a separate rule

   Where: the authority’s procedure page, Hoja 61Time: before collecting documentsCost: free

   When you need help: a document in Catalan is going to an authority outside Catalonia or to the UGE in Madrid. In that case it’s better to check in advance with the authority or a lawyer.

2. Apostille first, then translation

   The apostille confirms that the original is authentic; the translation confirms that the text is accurate. The translator translates the whole document, including stamps and the apostille itself, so the order is: correct the original, get the apostille, send it for translation. The translator cannot alter, sign or seal the original: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs page on legalisation says so explicitly.

   • I checked the original for mistakes in names and dates
   • I got the apostille or completed legalisation in the issuing country
   • I’m sending the document for translation with the apostille and all pages

   Where: the authority of the country that issued the documentTime: before you order the translationCost: fees of the issuing country

   When you need help: it’s unclear whether a particular document needs an apostille. See do you need an apostille.

3. Make a list of documents to translate

   The usual ones are birth and marriage certificates, the criminal record certificate, diplomas and their transcripts, income certificates and bank statements, and contracts. The full list depends on the procedure: put it together before your first e-mail to a translator so you get one estimate for the whole set.

   • I checked the list against the checklist for my procedure
   • I marked documents with a short validity period (for example, the criminal record certificate)
   • I checked whether any documents are already bilingual

   Where: the authority’s requirementsTime: before asking for an estimateCost: free

   When you need help: the set is large, and different grounds for a residence permit require different documents. See residence permit document checklist.

4. Find a translator in the Ministry list by language pair

   The Oficina de Interpretación de Lenguas publishes a list of sworn translators with the languages they are authorised for (article 14 of RD 724/2020). The search is on exteriores.gob.es: Buscador de traductores e intérpretes jurados. Choose the language of the original; the list only shows contact details for translators who have provided them.

   • I opened the Buscador on exteriores.gob.es and chose the language
   • I wrote down several translators with contact details
   • For Catalan, I opened the Generalitat register (llengua.gencat.cat)

   Where: exteriores.gob.es, Buscador STIJTime: the same dayCost: free

   When you need help: the language is rare and the list has almost no translators with contact details. You can work with a translator from another province: the translation is valid throughout Spain.

5. Check the translator’s number and details

   Every sworn translator is entered in a single register and has their own number (article 13 of RD 724/2020). By law, the seal shows their first name and surname, the language or languages and the number (article 18). If you order through an agency, ask who exactly will sign and seal the translation, and check that person in the list.

   • I found the translator’s name in the Ministry list
   • I made sure their authorised language matches the language of my document
   • I asked for the translator’s number before paying

   Where: Buscador STIJTime: before payingCost: free

6. Ask for an estimate

   Sworn translators set their fees freely (article 16 of RD 724/2020), and the Oficina de Interpretación de Lenguas does not act as an intermediary for orders. The price depends on the language, the volume, how legible the original is, urgency and delivery format. The official source gives no specific amounts, so compare estimates for the same set of documents.

   • I sent the same list of documents to two or three translators
   • I asked about the pricing unit and what’s included: copies, electronic version, delivery
   • I got the estimate and the deadline in writing

   Where: the translator’s e-mailTime: before orderingCost: as per the translator’s estimate

7. Decide what to hand over: a scan or the original

   The translation comes with a copy of the original, sealed and dated on every page (article 18 of RD 724/2020). The translator usually works from a scan and decides how to prepare the copy. Ask before ordering whether they need the original in hand.

   • I made a legible scan of all pages, reverse sides, stamps and the apostille
   • I asked whether the original is needed for comparison
   • I sent only the documents that need translating

   Where: as agreed with the translatorTime: when orderingCost: usually included in the estimate

8. Agree the timing

   There is no official deadline for a sworn translation: the translator gives one. Plan backwards from your submission date and keep an eye on documents with a limited validity, so they don’t expire while the apostille and translation are under way.

   • I know my cita date or submission deadline
   • I got a completion date from the translator
   • I left time to fix any mistakes

   Where: agreement with the translatorTime: set by the translatorCost: urgent work may cost more

9. Choose the format: paper or electronic signature

   Since 8 March 2025, Orden AUC/213/2025 has been in force: a translator can certify a translation with a qualified electronic signature that covers the original and the translation together, usually as a PDF (PAdES). The signature can be checked on valide.redsara.es. Paper translations with a handwritten signature and seal are still accepted.

   • Decided how I’ll file: online through the sede or in person on paper
   • For online filing, ordered an electronic translation as a PDF
   • For filing in person at extranjería or a consulate, checked whether they accept an electronic translation, or ordered a paper one

   Where: Orden AUC/213/2025, valide.redsara.esTiming: when orderingCost: as quoted

   When to get help: you are filing at a Spanish consulate abroad. Consulates have different requirements, so check the page of the specific consulate.

10. Check the finished translation

    The translator is responsible for the accuracy of the text, but you are better placed than the authority to catch a typo in a name or date. Compare the translation with the original and your passport before filing, while a correction takes a day rather than a requerimiento.

    • First names and surnames in Latin script match your international passport
    • Dates, document numbers and amounts match the original
    • Signature, numbered stamp, certification and a copy of the original on every page
    • The apostille, stamps and reverse sides are translated

    Where: at home, before filingTiming: as soon as you receive itCost: free

11. Translation done abroad

    Article 17 of RD 724/2020 recognises as official the translations made, or accepted as their own, by a Spanish embassy or consulate, and translations by a foreign country’s consulate in Spain. Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs allows a translation by a local translator in Russia or Ukraine to be legalised, but warns plainly that some Spanish authorities may not accept it.

    • Found out who made the translation: the Spanish consulate, my country’s consulate or a local translator
    • Checked the legalisation conditions for my case in Hoja 61
    • If in doubt, I order the translation from a sworn translator in Spain

    Where: consulate, foreign ministry of the country where it was translatedTiming: before filingCost: consulate and foreign ministry fees

    When to get help: you already have a translation from abroad and a Spanish authority won’t accept it. The solution depends on the procedure.

12. Russian and Ukrainian: names and transliteration

    The same surname may be spelt differently in Latin script in your international passport, old passport, diploma and bank letters. The translator renders the text of the original and does not pick the “right” version. Give the translator a copy of your passport page and ask them to use that spelling.

    • Gave the translator the passport page with the Latin spelling
    • Mentioned any change of surname or patronymic and attached the document confirming it
    • Checked that the NIE and TIE (if I have them) match the spelling in the translation

    Where: when ordering the translationTiming: before the translation startsCost: free

    When to get help: family members have different transliterations, or the surname has changed. This is best sorted out with a lawyer or gestor before filing.

13. How long a translation is valid

    Validity periods apply to the document, not to the translation. The Ministry of Science states plainly on its page about translations for homologation that translations have no expiry date. If the document itself is “too old” for the authority (a criminal record certificate, proof of income), the new document will need a new translation.

    • Checked the validity of each document in the procedure’s requirements
    • I keep the paper translations and PDFs for future procedures

    Where: the authority’s requirementsTiming: depends on the documentCost: free

    When to get help: see criminal record certificate for a residence permit.

14. File the translation together with the original

    A translation does not replace the document: the authority looks at the apostilled original and the translation together. When filing in person in Barcelona, bring originals and copies; when filing online, upload scans of the original and the translation, unless the procedure requires otherwise.

    • Put the original, apostille and translation together in one set
    • Made copies in case the original isn’t returned straight away
    • For online filing, kept the electronically signed PDF unchanged

    Where: extranjería, UGE, Registro Civil, consulateTiming: on the day of filingCost: the procedure’s fee

    When to get help: see where to file documents in Barcelona.

15. Final check before filing

    Most objections to translations are the same ones. Go through this list one last time before your cita or before sending.

    • The apostille was added before the translation and is itself translated
    • The translator is on the Foreign Ministry list for the right language
    • The translation is of the current version of the document
    • The electronic translation has not been printed or re-saved: the signature only exists in the original PDF

    Where: at homeTiming: a few days before filingCost: free

    When to get help: the authority has already sent a requerimiento objecting to the translation. See how to respond to a requerimiento.