Sworn Translation (Traducción Jurada) for Spain Visas

What Is a Sworn Translation (Traducción Jurada)

When Spain asks for a document in a visa or residency file, it asks for that document in Spanish. A regular translation, even a fluent and accurate one, does not satisfy this requirement. What Spain accepts is a traducción jurada, produced by a traductor jurado (sworn translator) who has been examined and appointed by the MAEC. The translator signs each page, applies an official stamp, and attaches a certification statement that the translation is complete and faithful to the original.

The purpose is legal certainty. A consulate officer in Miami or Los Angeles, or an immigration officer in Valencia, cannot verify the contents of an English document written under US state law. The sworn translation lets them treat the Spanish version as authoritative, because a MAEC-appointed professional has taken legal responsibility for its accuracy. As of 2026, this remains the standard for civil documents attached to Spanish long-stay visas and residence permits.

Which Documents Need Sworn Translation for Spain Visas

Any US public document that goes into your Spanish visa or residency file generally needs a sworn translation into Spanish. The exact list depends on the visa, but the following appear in most American applications:

• Birth certificate (certificado de nacimiento): required for family reunification, for dependents, and for many long-stay visas.
• Marriage certificate (certificado de matrimonio): required when a spouse is included as a dependent or when marital status affects the application.
• FBI background check (certificado de antecedentes penales): the federal criminal record check, required for almost every long-stay visa.
• University diploma and transcripts (título universitario): used to prove qualification for the Digital Nomad Visa and other work-linked routes.
• Bank and income documents: some consulates request sworn translations of financial evidence, though many accept these differently.
• Medical certificate (certificado médico): when the visa requires proof you carry no disease of public health concern.

Not every supporting page needs a sworn translation. Documents you generate yourself, such as a cover letter, usually do not, while official civil-registry and government-issued records almost always do. On the Digital Nomad Visa, for example, the FBI check and any qualification documents are the usual candidates. See our Digital Nomad Visa guide for the full document set.

MAEC-Certified Translators: What This Guarantees

A MAEC-certified translator is a professional formally appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to produce sworn translations in a specific language pair. Appointment follows an official examination or an equivalent qualifying route, and the translator is then listed on the ministry's public register. This registration is what gives the translation legal effect.

Working with a MAEC-appointed traductor jurado guarantees three things:

• Legal recognition: the translation is accepted by Spanish consulates, immigration offices, courts, universities, and civil registries without a separate certification step.
• Accountability: the translator signs and stamps each page and takes professional responsibility for accuracy, which is why a consulate can rely on it.
• Correct format: the certification statement, stamp, and signature follow the format Spanish authorities expect, so the file is not returned over presentation.

The MAEC keeps an official, searchable list of appointed sworn translators. Because appointments and the accepted format can change, verify a translator's current status against the official MAEC register before relying on any translation for a legal filing.

How Sworn Translation Interacts With Apostille (Order Matters)

Apostille and sworn translation are two separate steps, and the order between them is fixed. The apostille authenticates the origin of a US public document so it is recognized abroad under the Hague Convention. The sworn translation renders that document, including the apostille, into legally valid Spanish. Both are usually required, and the apostille comes first.

The reason is practical. A sworn translation must be a complete and faithful rendering of the document in front of the translator. If the apostille is not yet attached, the sworn translation cannot cover it, and you may be sent back to have the apostille translated separately or to redo the work. Apostille first, then hand the apostilled document to the sworn translator, and the Spanish version will include both the record and its authentication.

For the full state-by-state apostille process, see our apostille for Spain guide and the 50-state apostille directory.

Turnaround Time: 3 to 7 Business Days

Standard turnaround for a sworn translation is 3 to 7 business days per document, counted from when the sworn translator receives the apostilled original. Short civil documents such as a birth certificate sit at the faster end, while multi-page academic transcripts or unusual formats take longer.

Two things extend the timeline. The first is the apostille, which happens before translation and can add days or weeks depending on the US authority involved. The second is document quality: a faint scan or a nonstandard layout slows a translator down. Sending a clean, complete scan of the fully apostilled document is the single most reliable way to keep the translation on schedule. Rush handling is sometimes available and depends on the translator's current workload.

Pricing Model (Per Document and Per Page)

Sworn translations are usually priced per document or per page. Short standardized records, such as a birth or marriage certificate, are often quoted as a flat per-document fee. Longer records, such as academic transcripts or detailed background reports, are billed per page because the volume of text varies.

These figures are indicative and move with the translator, the language pair, and the urgency. Because pricing is not regulated to a fixed public tariff, confirm the exact quote before ordering. We provide a firm price per document once we see your specific set.

How Our Sworn Translation Service Works

We coordinate the whole chain so the order stays correct and nothing is translated twice. You deal with one point of contact instead of a separate apostille service and a separate translator.

1. Send us your documents: Share scans of the US documents you need translated, along with the visa you are applying for so we translate only what the consulate requires.
2. Confirm the apostille is in place: We verify each public document is already apostilled, because the sworn translation must cover the apostille text as well.
3. Assign a MAEC sworn translator: We route your documents to a traductor jurado on the MAEC list whose appointment covers the English to Spanish pair.
4. Review and deliver: You receive the signed and stamped sworn translation, usually within 3 to 7 business days, ready to attach to your visa file.

Common Mistakes That Cause Rejection

• Translating before the apostille: the sworn translation then fails to cover the apostille, and the work has to be redone.
• Using a non-MAEC translator: a regular certified translation from a US agency is not the same as a traducción jurada and is often rejected for official use.
• Letting the underlying document expire: an FBI check or civil-status document accepted only within a few months of issue makes even a valid translation stale.
• Translating the wrong documents: paying to sworn-translate records the consulate never asked for wastes time and money.
• Poor-quality scans: illegible source documents slow the translator and can introduce errors that trigger a request for correction.

Because immigration rules and the accepted document list can change, verify current requirements against your Spanish consulate and the official MAEC register before you file.

Frequently Asked Questions