Need your Spanish document translated for the U.S. — or a U.S. document accepted in Spain? Start with the direction: the translation, certification, and apostille rules are not the same.
Requirements reviewed by Mateo García
Senior Immigration Translation Specialist · Last verified June 2026
Reviewed June 2026 · Mateo García
Spain recognizes a traducción jurada — a sworn translation by a traductor-intérprete jurado appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC), who stamps and signs it. For a Spanish document used in the United States you instead need a certified English translation with a signed Certificate of Accuracy, which USCIS and universities accept. Spain has been in the Hague Apostille Convention since 1978, so a Spanish certificado is apostilled by the competent Spanish authority — not legalized at a consulate.
Confirm final requirements with the authority receiving the document.
Need a certified Spanish → English translation?
From $24.95/page · signed certification included
Quick reference
Confirm final requirements with the authority receiving the document.
| Translation standard | Sworn translation · traducción jurada |
|---|---|
| Who can translate | Sworn translator appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| Apostille | When the receiving authority requires authentication; separate from translation |
| Apostille authority | Depends on the document: notarial and judicial documents are apostilled by the College of Notaries (Colegio Notarial) or the regional High Court of Justice (Tribunal Superior de Justicia); central-government and education documents by the Ministry of Justice. |
| Accepted languages | Spanish |
| Responsible authority | Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation |
Official-use requirements
The local certification system, who may translate, and what gives the finished document legal effect.
Cross-border authentication
Spain is part of the Hague Apostille Convention (since 1978), so public documents are authenticated with a single apostille — no consular legalization.
From Spain
Depends on the document: notarial and judicial documents are apostilled by the College of Notaries (Colegio Notarial) or the regional High Court of Justice (Tribunal Superior de Justicia); central-government and education documents by the Ministry of Justice.Spain has been a party to the Convention since 1978.
Toward Spain
A U.S. document going to Spain is apostilled in the United States — the state Secretary of State, or the U.S. Department of State for federal documents — and then translated into Spanish by a traductor jurado.
When the receiving authority requires an apostille on the original, obtain it before translation so the apostille certificate can be translated too. See how apostilles work, or order a certified translation.
Submission checklist
A Spanish public document is apostilled by the competent Spanish authority before translation, so the apostille is covered too.
Include the registro civil data, the CSV electronic-verification code on digital certificates, and any seals, with a signed Certificate of Accuracy.
File the apostilled original or certified copy with the certified translation to USCIS, the university, or the credential evaluator.
Need the Spanish translation service rather than the rules?
Continue to the language hub or choose the exact document you have.
Two directions, two rulebooks
Choose the destination first. It determines the language, certification, and whether an apostille belongs in the packet.
Spanish birth certificates, diplomas, transcripts, and other non-English records need a complete certified English translation for USCIS, U.S. universities, and credential evaluators.
A U.S. document going to Spain is apostilled in the United States — the state Secretary of State, or the U.S. Department of State for federal documents — and then translated into Spanish by a traductor jurado.
Choose the document you have for its format-specific translation guidance. These links cover the records most often submitted from Spain to USCIS, universities, and credential evaluators.
esacta de nacimiento · registro civil de nacimiento
Spanish birth certificate translation is the highest-volume request for adjustment of status, family petitions, and naturalization support files.
Signed & stamped Certificate of Accuracy
Word-for-word · exact structure preserved
estitulo universitario
Spanish diploma translation is commonly required for admissions, licensing, and employment verification.
Signed & stamped Certificate of Accuracy
Word-for-word · exact structure preserved
escertificado de notas · historial academico
Transcript translation requires line-level accuracy for course titles, grading scale references, and institutional seals.
Signed & stamped Certificate of Accuracy
Word-for-word · exact structure preserved
acta de matrimonio
sentencia de divorcio
acta de defuncion
pasaporte · cedula
carta de antecedentes penales
Spanish records reviewed by Mateo García — Spanish & Italian legal-document translator
Avoid preventable delays
The mistakes we see most often on Spanish documents — and what a correct certified translation does instead.
Spanish civil-registry certificates are increasingly electronic, authenticated by a CSV (Código Seguro de Verificación) rather than a stamp; the CSV must be reproduced or the document reads as uncertified.
See how we handled itA certificación literal repeats the registry's inline field codes; collapsing them loses data USCIS expects to see line-for-line.
See how we handled itAn apostille authenticates a specific document; translating the apostille alone, detached from the certificate it certifies, leaves an incomplete submission.
See how we handled itAnonymized Spanish-to-English orders. Each case shows the exact translation problem and how we solved it for the receiving authority.
A Mexican acta de nacimiento (birth certificate) carried an abbreviated marginal annotation: 'PRESENTARON ACTA DE MAT'. It is registry shorthand for 'presentaron acta de matrimonio' — the parents presented their marriage certificate at registration. We translated the full annotation, expanded the abbreviation, and added a Translator's Note. The certified translation was delivered for the client's USCIS filing.
On a Mexican acta de nacimiento (birth certificate), a blue archival stamp partly covered the registrar's printed name and title. The certified translation reproduced the legible portion, marked the covered part as '[partially obscured by stamp]', and did not guess the hidden characters. A Translator's Note documented the obstruction. The translation was delivered for the client's USCIS filing.
A Peruvian Diploma de Título Profesional (Médico Cirujano) from Universidad Peruana Los Andes carried its legal weight on the reverse. The back held the university registration entry, the General Secretary's authentication, and a Regional Health Directorate registration stamp. We translated both sides into English and rendered every seal, stamp, and signature line, so nothing on the back was dropped. The certified Spanish-to-English translation was delivered for the client's USCIS filing.
Clear per-page pricing
A one-page certificado is priced as a single page; multi-page literal certificates and court rulings are priced by their page count. Standard translation delivery is 24 hours for most 1–3 page orders. Notarization, hard-copy mailing, and apostille service are priced separately because their timelines differ.
Certified translation from
One physical source page, any length.
Start my translation See all pricing and add-onsQuestions people ask before submitting
Spain requires a traducción jurada by a traductor-intérprete jurado appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC). The foreign document is apostilled first, then translated by the sworn translator.
how apostilles workNo. U.S. authorities do not use Spain's traductor jurado system. A Spanish certificado or título needs a certified English translation with a signed Certificate of Accuracy, which USCIS, WES, and ECE accept.
certified Spanish translationYes, since 1978. A Spanish public document used abroad is apostilled by the competent Spanish authority, not legalized at a consulate.
requirements for other countriesFor a U.S. submission, request the certificación literal — the full transcription. It carries every registry annotation; the extracto is a summary and can omit details USCIS or a university needs.
Spanish birth certificate translationSpanish grades run 0–10, with Matrícula de Honor as the top distinction. A certified transcript translation preserves the scale and the distinction so WES or ECE can map them, rather than converting to a U.S. GPA.
WES translationYes. The CSV (Código Seguro de Verificación) replaces the wet seal on electronic certificates; the certified translation reproduces the CSV and the registry data so the document stays verifiable.
birth certificate translationPricing is per page. A one-page certificado is a single page; multi-page literal certificates and court rulings are priced by page count. Notarization and apostille are optional add-ons.
see live pricingNo. USCIS and universities reject self-translation. An independent qualified translator must complete and certify the translation with a statement of accuracy.
what a certified translation isInformation verified against official sources. Last verified June 2026.
