Sworn Translation & Interpreter Services for Foreigners in Spain

A sworn translation, traduccion jurada, is an official translation carried out and signed by a traductor-interprete jurado, a sworn translator-interpreter individually accredited by Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC). Every page carries the translator’s stamp, signature and a certification statement, which gives the document the same legal validity as the original for use before Spanish notaries, courts, extranjeria and other official bodies. A normal translation, even a very good one, and a machine translation from any tool, do not carry this legal status and are routinely rejected outright.

No. Spanish authorities, extranjeria, notaries, consulates and most government offices only accept sworn translations carried out by a MAEC-accredited traductor-interprete jurado. A self-translation, a bilingual friend’s translation, or a machine translation from Google Translate or any similar tool has no legal standing here, however accurate the wording is, and submitting one typically means the document is rejected and the whole step has to be redone with a real sworn translation, costing you both time and money.

Yes, in most cases. The apostille is a certification page attached to your original document, and a sworn translation of that document needs to cover the apostille’s own text as well, not just the underlying certificate, since Spanish institutions expect the full document, apostille included, translated and certified together. This is one of the details a non-specialist translator can easily miss, which is why we always work from the fully apostilled original, never a version without it.

Before. Apostille your original document first, in its country of origin, and only then have it sworn-translated in full, apostille page included. Translating first and apostilling afterward is one of the most common and costly mistakes we see, since the translation then has to be redone to cover the apostille text, doubling the cost and the wait. We sequence this correctly for every client from the first conversation, before any translation work begins.

As guidance, sworn translation of common languages, English, French, German, typically runs 25 to 35 EUR per page, where a page is roughly 250 to 300 words, with a minimum charge per document usually around 40 to 60 EUR. Less common language pairs generally run higher, from around 35 to 45 EUR per page or more, partly reflecting how few accredited translators work in that pair. We confirm the final price against your actual document before you commit to anything.

Standard turnaround is typically 3 to 7 business days, depending on document length and technical complexity, with longer, denser documents such as full contracts or academic transcripts running toward the higher end. A rush service, usually 24 to 48 hours, is available with a surcharge on the standard price when the translator’s schedule allows it and your deadline requires it. We quote both options upfront so you can decide which one you actually need before committing.

The most common documents are birth and marriage certificates, criminal record certificates, academic degrees and transcripts, bank statements, medical certificates, powers of attorney granted abroad, and contracts or corporate documents. Which of these actually applies depends on your specific procedure; a non-lucrative visa file needs different documents translated than an NIE application or a degree homologation file, so we confirm the exact list for your case rather than handing you a generic checklist.

If you do not have a strong working understanding of Spanish, yes, in practice. The notary’s role includes confirming that you genuinely understand what you are signing, and for a significant transaction, a property purchase or a power of attorney, that usually means either the notary or the parties involved will expect a sworn interpreter present rather than relying on an ad hoc translation from whoever happens to be in the room. We book an interpreter to match your appointment slot as part of arranging the appointment itself.

In practice this is not reliable. Extranjeria and police officials are checking that you genuinely understand the procedure and what you are agreeing to or declaring, and an unaccredited friend, however fluent, does not carry the same standing as a professional interpreter and can be turned away at the official’s discretion, especially for anything with legal consequences. Booking a professional interpreter in advance avoids that risk entirely and means the appointment does not stall while an official decides whether your companion is acceptable.

It depends entirely on where it was done and by whom. A translation certified by a sworn or certified translator in another country does not automatically carry the same standing as one from a Spanish MAEC-accredited traductor-interprete jurado, and Spanish institutions frequently require the Spain-accredited version specifically, regardless of how the original translation was certified elsewhere. To avoid paying for a translation twice, we recommend confirming with us which certification your specific Spanish procedure actually requires before you commission any translation abroad.

Interpreter fees are quoted per appointment rather than published as a flat rate, since they depend on the language pair, the length and location of the appointment, and how much advance notice we have to arrange it. We confirm the exact cost before booking so there is never a surprise on the day, and we always book the interpreter to match your actual appointment time rather than arranging one at the last minute.

Yes, in almost every case. A foreign degree or academic transcript being submitted for homologation, official recognition of the qualification in Spain, generally needs a sworn Spanish translation of both the degree itself and the accompanying transcript of grades, in addition to being properly apostilled or legalised first. See our Degree Homologation Spain guide for how the translation step fits into the full homologation process and timeline.