Is the PDF sworn translation you deliver legally valid?

Yes. Spain's MAEC Resolution of 26 July 2020 recognises the sworn translator's qualified electronic signature as legally equivalent to a handwritten signature and physical seal. The translation is accepted by virtually all Spanish authorities — the Sub-delegation of the Government, Immigration Office, Civil Registry, Ministry of Justice, universities, town halls. If your specific procedure requires paper, we send it by registered mail.

Do I need to apostille my certificate before sending it to you?

Yes in virtually all cases. The Spanish administration requires a foreign criminal record certificate to be apostilled (Hague Convention) or consularly legalised before submission. The sworn translation is produced on the already-apostilled document, incorporating the apostille into the translation. If you send us a non-apostilled certificate, we'll flag it before starting so you can obtain the apostille first and avoid redoing the process.

How long does it take?

The standard turnaround for a criminal record certificate — typically one to two pages — appears in the quoter alongside the price, before payment. For urgent situations we offer faster delivery options with a specific tariff. Turnarounds are calculated using the Spanish working calendar and are guaranteed, not estimates.

My certificate already has a certified translation done in my country — does that work?

Generally no. The Spanish administration requires the translation to be signed by a translator accredited by Spain's MAEC. A UK certified translation, an Irish or Australian sworn translation, or any other officially-recognised translation in your country of origin is not automatically recognised as a sworn translation in Spain. Accreditation is national: only translators on the MAEC's official list have full effect before the Spanish administration.

Does one translation work for several procedures?

Yes — one sworn translation works for all procedures as long as the original certificate remains within its validity period (typically three months from issue). If you submit the same certificate to multiple bodies during that window, you do not need to translate it again. For long-running procedures where the original expires mid-process, you will need a fresh certificate and therefore a new sworn translation of the renewed document.

Sworn translation of criminal record certificate for Spain

When do you need a sworn translation of your criminal record?

If you have lived abroad and now need to deal with the Spanish administration, the criminal record certificate issued in your home country is not accepted in another language. A sworn translation — signed and sealed by a translator accredited by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation (MAEC) — gives the document the legal equivalence in Spanish needed for administrative procedures.

The most common situations we handle:

Spanish nationality by residency. The file submitted to Spain's Ministry of Justice requires a criminal record certificate from your country of origin — and, in many cases, from every country where you have resided during the past five years — translated into Spanish.
Residency authorisation (NIE / TIE) at the Spanish Sub-delegation of the Government and Immigration Offices, including initial applications and certain renewals.
Regulated professions in Spain. Healthcare, university teaching, legal practice, financial services, work with minors: professional registration or actual practice requires evidence of no criminal record.
Public-sector competitive exams (oposiciones) for civil service positions when the applicant has resided abroad.
International adoption procedures handled by the Spanish Civil Registry.
Real estate transactions and corporate matters where a clean record certificate is requested by Spanish notaries or corporate registries.

How the sworn translation process works

The certificates we most frequently translate from English-speaking jurisdictions are:

United Kingdom — ACRO Criminal Records Office Police Certificate, the standard certificate requested for Spanish residency and nationality files.
United States — FBI Identity History Summary Check (often called an FBI background check or FBI Apostille).
Canada — RCMP Criminal Record Check (Certified Criminal Record).
Ireland — Garda National Vetting Bureau certificate.
Australia — National Police Check issued by the ACIC or state police services.
New Zealand — Ministry of Justice Criminal Record Check.

Each has its own layout, terminology and formal elements: official stamps, electronic verification codes, court references, glossaries of local offence categories. Our sworn translation:

Reproduces the full content of the original, including stamps, signatures, codes and marginal notes.
Maintains a reasonable visual correspondence with the original layout so the Spanish administration can easily cross-reference each element.
Includes the official sworn translator's certification: signed declaration, stamp with MAEC accreditation number, and — in the electronic version — qualified digital signature compliant with the MAEC Resolution of 26 July 2020.
Reflects any relevant circumstance of the original: marginal notes, mentions of spent or quashed convictions, or expressions specific to the criminal law of the issuing country that need a translator's note to avoid ambiguity for Spanish authorities.

Apostille first: when and why

The vast majority of Spanish authorities require a foreign criminal record certificate to be apostilled or consularly legalised before the sworn translation. The Hague Convention Apostille — a stamp issued by the competent authority designated in each signatory country — authenticates the signature and seal of the issuing body.

For the most common English-speaking jurisdictions, the apostille is issued by:

United Kingdom — Legalisation Office of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (Milton Keynes). ACRO certificates can also be apostilled through the e-Apostille service.
United States — Apostille is issued by the Secretary of State of the relevant state for state documents, or by the U.S. Department of State for federal documents. FBI background checks fall under the federal apostille.
Canada — Since January 2024, Canada is party to the Hague Apostille Convention. Apostilles are issued by Global Affairs Canada and certain provincial authorities.
Ireland — Department of Foreign Affairs.
Australia — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
New Zealand — Department of Internal Affairs.

It is worth checking this requirement before starting the procedure. If the sworn translation is produced on a document that the Spanish administration returns because of a missing apostille, you will need to redo the entire workflow: apostille the original first, then translate, then submit the package together.

If you are unsure whether your specific certificate needs an apostille before translation, write to us first and we will confirm based on your country and the procedure at hand.

Validity of the document

Criminal record certificates generally have a maximum validity of three months from the date of issue for submission to the Spanish administration, though the specific deadline may vary depending on the procedure and the receiving authority. This means that if your certificate was issued more than three months ago, you should request a fresh one before starting the apostille and translation process.

The sworn translation itself does not expire: what expires is the original document. As long as the certificate remains valid, our translation retains its effect. If you need to submit it to multiple bodies during the validity window of the original, one translation is enough.

Delivery and format

By default we deliver the translation as a PDF signed electronically with the sworn translator's qualified digital signature. This format has full legal validity in Spain and is accepted by virtually all Spanish authorities. If your specific procedure requires a paper copy — some Spanish courts, certain notaries and a few legacy nationality procedures still ask for it — we send it by registered mail after the digital delivery.

The standard turnaround for a criminal record certificate — typically one to two pages — is calculated from the moment of payment and shown exactly in the quoter before you pay, factoring in the Spanish working calendar. For urgent situations we offer faster delivery options with a specific tariff.

A few practical points

Your name matters. The translation reproduces literally how your name appears on the original document. If there are discrepancies with your Spanish NIE or residence card — order of given names and surnames, particles, accents, diacritics — we include a translator's note to prevent the Spanish administration from rejecting the file over apparent inconsistencies between the certificate's identity and your Spanish records.
Documents with electronic verification. Modern certificates often carry a verification code that can be checked against the issuing body's website (the ACRO online checker, the FBI eApp portal, the RCMP verification page). We reproduce these codes in the translation so the Spanish authority can validate them in real time if it wishes.
More than one country. If you have lived in several countries during the period the Spanish administration requires you to evidence, you need a separate certificate from each, each apostilled in the country of issue, and each with its own sworn translation. We can handle the full set in a single order and deliver it as an ordered dossier.

Spanish bodies that accept our translation

Ministry of Justice (nationality by residency)
Sub-delegation of the Government and Immigration Offices (NIE, TIE, authorisations)
Civil Registry (international adoptions, registrations)
Public and private universities (staff competitive selection)
General State Administration (competitive exams)
Regional governments (healthcare, teaching, social services)
Notaries (deeds requiring a clean-record declaration)
General Commissariat for Immigration and Borders

Sworn translation of a criminal record certificate

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