Get foreign documents apostilled and translated
Make a foreign certificate valid for Spain: apostille it in the issuing country (or legalise it if that country is outside the Hague Convention), then have it translated by a sworn translator.
For: Anyone who must present foreign public documents, such as a birth or marriage certificate or a criminal record certificate, to a Spanish office.
Last checked
- Cost
- Legalisation by the Spanish foreign ministry legalisation service in Spain is free. Legalisation at a Spanish consulate abroad requires a fee; the amount is not stated on the page. Translator fees are set by each translator. Exteriores: legalizacion diplomatica y apostilla
What you need
Steps
Check whether the country that issued the document is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention.
Spain publishes a list of signatory countries.
If the country is a party, ask its competent authority to put the apostille stamp on the document.
Do this in the issuing country. The apostille replaces any further legalisation.
Migraciones: legalizacion y traduccion de documentos (ficha 61)
If the country is not a party, legalise the document by the diplomatic route instead: first the foreign ministry of the issuing country, then the Spanish consulate there.
The consulate step carries a fee.
Ministerio de Justicia: advertencia sobre legalizacion de documentos
Check whether an exemption applies before you do either: some EU documents need neither apostille nor legalisation.
Ministerio de Justicia: advertencia sobre legalizacion de documentos
Find a sworn translator in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs search tool. Filter by language, country or province.
Search by "traductor jurado", "traductor-intérprete jurado" or "todos" when you need a written translation.
Send the apostilled or legalised document to the translator and ask for a sworn translation into Spanish.
Ask for the translation, the translator certification and a stamped copy of the original to be bound together as one document.
Keep the original apostilled or legalised document. An office can ask to see it to check the translation.
Done when: You hold the apostilled or legalised original and a sworn Spanish translation bound with a copy of it.
Common mistakes
- Using an electronic signature: legalisation does not recognise electronic signatures, so documents must carry handwritten ones. Exteriores: legalizacion diplomatica y apostilla
What varies
Who issues the apostille depends on the issuing country; this recipe only states that the issuing state names the authority. A sworn translation may also be done by a Spanish consulate or by an EU-qualified sworn translator, as the nationality office states. Check what the receiving office accepts.
Who can do this for you
This page is general information, not legal advice.