Civil status documents

Certificate translation
sworn for use in Spain

Birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates, translated by a traductor jurado appointed by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs — stamped, signed and accepted at the counter.

  • Birth, marriage, divorce, death
  • Certificates of no impediment and civil status
  • Stamp, signature and certification on every page
  • A phone photo is enough to get a price
  • Digital, with a posted copy if you need one
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Send a photo of the certificate and we will reply with a fixed price.

Your documents

    Certificates we are asked for most

    All of these are short documents, and all of them are dense with names, dates, places and stamps — which is precisely why they have to be sworn rather than merely translated.

    What these sworn certificate translations are needed for

    A certificate almost never travels alone — it is always evidence for something else.

    • Spanish nationality

      Nationality files are built almost entirely from civil status certificates: your own birth certificate, sometimes your parents’ or grandparents’, marriage certificates and a criminal record certificate. They have to be consistent with each other, which is why we prefer to see the whole set.

    • Getting married in Spain

      A registry office here will want a birth certificate and evidence that you are free to marry, plus a divorce decree or death certificate if there was an earlier marriage. Each one sworn into Spanish.

    • Registering a birth or a child

      A child born abroad, or born here to foreign parents, generates its own small bundle for the Spanish civil registry and for the consulate of the other country.

    • Inheritance and probate

      Death certificates, wills, marriage certificates and proof of relationship, usually needed quickly and usually while the family is dealing with something else entirely. We try to make this part painless.

    • Pensions and benefits

      Cross-border pensions ask for proof that you are alive, married, widowed or resident — small certificates, issued repeatedly, each needing its own sworn translation.

    • Divorce and family proceedings

      A foreign divorce being recognised in Spain, or a Spanish one being recognised abroad. The decree and any accompanying orders are translated in full, including the parts nobody enjoys reading.

    Three things to check before ordering a sworn translation

    Certificates are the cheapest thing we translate and the easiest thing to waste money on, because the mistake is almost always made before the translation is ordered rather than during it.

    Does it need translating at all?

    Many European countries issue birth, marriage and death certificates on a standard international multilingual form, designed precisely so it can cross a border without a translator. Spanish offices generally accept those as they are. If what you have is one of those, send it to us anyway and we will tell you to keep your money.

    Is the apostille on it yet?

    If the certificate needs an apostille, it goes on the original first and the sworn translation then covers both. Translate first and you will be paying for the same document twice. The sworn translation itself never needs its own apostille.

    Is it recent enough?

    Many Spanish offices will only accept a certificate issued within a certain window, and the window is set by the office, not by us. It is worth confirming that before ordering a translation of a certificate from 2011 — the translation will be perfect and the certificate will still be refused.

    When it does need doing, it is a sworn translation by a MAEC-appointed translator, stamped and signed on every page with a certification of accuracy. If you are working through a longer list because you are moving to Spain, send the whole thing at once — a set costs less than the same certificates quoted one by one.

    Happy to be of service,

    Founder

    Hear it from our happy clients

    These are our real, unedited Google reviews.

    • Chiara Quagliaon GoogleApr 2025

      Great and fast service - thank you!

    • Ariadna Bonnet Plasenciaon GoogleMar 2025

      Maravilloso trato, necesitaba unos documentos urgentes y me lo solucionaron super rápido.

    • Sinead Welchon GoogleMar 2025

      Quick, reliable and fantastic customer service! I will definitely be using GB Translation again.

    • Elie RNon GoogleFeb 2025

      Legit, fast and hassle-free transaction. 😊

    • Mehrab Jamion GoogleFeb 2025

      Thank you very much for your best service and support.

    • Andrea V. B.on GoogleFeb 2025

      El trabajo de traducción se hizo como se esperaba, y con gran profesionalidad. Muy buena la comunicación desde el primer momento. ¡100% recomendados!

    Read all our Google reviews

    Four simple steps

    1. 1

      Send a photo

      A clear photo from your phone is enough — no scanner needed. Drag it onto the form or send it on WhatsApp.

    2. 2

      We check whether you need us

      If the certificate is already in an accepted multilingual format, or the apostille is missing, we will say so before quoting.

    3. 3

      Approve the fixed price

      One price, agreed before we start. Pay securely and we begin.

    4. 4

      Receive the sworn translation

      A digitally signed PDF with the stamp, signature and certification, plus a posted paper copy if the office wants one.

    Frequently asked questions

    Tap any question to see the answer!
    What makes a certificate translation "sworn" in Spain?
    It is produced by a traductor jurado appointed by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who stamps and signs every page and attaches a certification that the translation is complete and faithful. Spanish registries, courts and consulates accept that. They will not accept an uncertified translation, however accurate it is.
    Do I need the original certificate, or is a copy enough?
    A clear copy or photo is enough for us to produce the sworn translation. What matters is that every stamp, seal and handwritten entry is legible in the image — so photograph the whole page, including the edges, rather than cropping to the text.
    My certificate is handwritten and quite old. Can you still do it?
    Usually yes; old civil registry entries are routine work for us. Where a word genuinely cannot be deciphered it is marked as illegible in the translation rather than guessed at, and we will tell you, so you can request a modern extract from the registry if it matters.
    Does the translation expire?
    The sworn translation itself does not, but the certificate underneath it may: many Spanish offices only accept certificates issued within a recent window. If your certificate is old, check with the office that is asking before you pay for a translation of it.
    Can you translate a Spanish certificate for use abroad?
    Yes, and it is about half of what we do on these. A MAEC sworn translation is widely accepted outside Spain and is what Spanish consulates issue and expect. Some countries insist on one of their own certified translators instead — tell us the destination country and we will confirm before you commit.
    How much does one certificate cost?
    It depends on the document and the language pair, so we quote each one rather than publishing a price that would be wrong for most people. Certificates are short and priced accordingly, and several together cost less than the same ones ordered separately. Send a photo and you will have the price the same day.
    How quickly will I get it?
    You receive the quote within 24 hours. Once approved and paid, most standard certificates are delivered within 24 to 48 hours, plus postal time if you need paper. If you have a deadline, tell us the date and we will confirm before you commit.

    Send us a photo of the certificate

    You will have a fixed price the same day — and we will tell you if you do not need a translation at all.

    Get my quote