Translating Spanish documents for use in your home country

Key rules

• Check first: Get written confirmation from the home authority before ordering any translation.
• Apostille order: For Hague Convention countries, the apostille normally goes on the original Spanish document before it is translated.
• Translation extras: Some authorities also want the translation notarised or apostilled; others require their own translators.
• Non-Hague countries: You may need consular legalisation instead of an apostille.

Ask your home authority first

Whether a translation made in Spain is accepted depends on the authority that will receive it. Check before you order anything.

Some countries accept translations by sworn translators appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, especially with an apostille or legalisation. Others require their own certified translators, a consular translation or a notarised translation. Some want a translator registered in the country where the document will be used.

Write to the receiving authority, or to its embassy or consulate, and ask:

• Does it accept translations made in Spain?
• Does the translation need its own apostille?
• What format and language does it require?

Keep the written reply. It protects you if an office questions your documents later.

Does the apostille come before the translation?

Usually yes. If your home country is in the Hague Convention, the apostille goes on the original Spanish public document first. Then the document is translated, and the translation is attached to it.

Who issues the apostille depends on the document:

• Civil registry certificates: the Ministry of Justice.
• Notarial documents: the notary colleges.
• Other documents: the regional courts or the Ministry of Education.

Some destinations also want the translation notarised or apostilled. Your home authority decides the order, so follow its reply if it differs from this.

If your home country is not in the Hague Convention

You may need consular legalisation instead of an apostille. Ask the embassy or consulate what it requires. Some documents are exempt under European Union rules, so if you are going to an EU country, ask whether your document needs any of this.

Where the translation is done

The translation is usually done in the destination country or by a translator the home authority approves. Do not pay for a sworn translation in Spain until the authority has confirmed it will accept one.

The documents list, checklist and FAQ below set out the papers to gather and the steps in order.

Documents you need

• The original Spanish public document, such as a civil registry certificate or a notarial document, with an apostille placed on it before translation.

• A translation of the document attached to it, made by a translator the home authority accepts. This may be a sworn translator appointed by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or one the home country requires, such as its own certified translator.

• An extra notarisation or apostille on the translation, only if the home authority asks for it.

• Consular legalisation of the document, only if your home country is not in the Hague Convention.

• The home authority's written requirements: whether it accepts translations made in Spain, and the format and language it needs.

Checklist

• Write to the receiving authority, or to its embassy or consulate, and ask whether it accepts translations made in Spain.

• Ask whether the translation needs its own apostille, notarisation or legalisation, and what format and language it requires.

• Check whether your home country is in the Hague Convention, and ask about consular legalisation if it is not.

• Get the apostille on the original Spanish document from the body that handles that document type.

• Order the translation from a translator the home authority accepts, and attach it to the apostilled document.

• Keep the authority's written reply with your file in case the office questions your documents.

Frequently asked questions

Who issues the apostille on a Spanish document?

The body that issues the apostille depends on the document type: the Ministry of Justice for civil registry certificates, the notary colleges for notarial documents, and the regional courts or the Ministry of Education for other documents. Find the body that matches your document before you book anything.

What if my home country is not in the Hague Convention?

If your home country is not in the Hague Convention, it may ask for consular legalisation instead of an apostille. Ask the embassy or consulate which steps it wants and in what order. EU rules exempt some documents from these steps.

Can I ask my home authority if it accepts translations made in Spain?

Yes, you can ask the receiving authority or its embassy or consulate, and writing is best. Ask whether it accepts translations made in Spain, whether the translation needs its own apostille, and what format and language it requires.