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Sworn translation of foreign passport and ID documents for Spain

Sworn Spanish translation of passports and national identity documents issued abroad, valid before Spanish Immigration, Tax Agency, town halls, notaries and banks. MAEC-accredited.

Sworn translatorsAccredited by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  • Official sworn translation with full legal validity in Spain
  • Accepted by most public administrations and official bodies
  • Standard, urgent and express delivery options · Exact delivery date before paying
  • Confidential handling of your documents
  • Formal corrections included if the receiving authority requests them
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Confidential handling. Your documents are used only to prepare the sworn translation and are deleted after delivery.

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1 page = 250 words maximum

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In detail

From the foreign passport to a Spanish file ready to file

Why sworn translation of a passport matters more than it seems

At first glance a passport looks like a document needing no translation: name, nationality, date of birth are visible at a glance and many authorities accept it as-is. Still, there are three recurring situations where sworn translation moves from formality to essential:

  1. Notaries protocolising deeds where the grantor is foreign. The notary must give public faith to the identity and civil status of the appearing party. If passport data is in a language the notary doesn't master (German, Italian, Swedish, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Arabic, Chinese...) or there are notes on usage name, dual nationality, or marital regime, sworn translation is required to ensure the deed reflects identity correctly.
  2. Banks with high-net-worth foreign or recent-resident clients. The KYC file requires sworn translation of the passport when the bank uploads compliance-validated data to central systems.
  3. Procedures with name discrepancies. When the holder's name in the passport doesn't match letter-for-letter the one in the accompanying document (birth certificate, marriage certificate, academic degree) due to transliteration or usage name, sworn translation of the passport with translator's note closes the discrepancy.

What we translate exactly

Standard passport (biographic page)

  • Holder data: document type, issuing country code, passport number, surname(s), given name(s), nationality, date of birth, sex, place of birth.
  • Document data: date of issue, date of expiry, issuing authority, place of issue.
  • Holder's signature.
  • MRZ zone (machine readable zone) — transcribed as it appears for audit purposes.
  • Any special note: "see other observations", validity restrictions, special conditions (service, diplomatic, urgent or emergency passport).

Passport with relevant additional pages

When the procedure needs to evidence prior visas, residence countries or entry/exit stamps (e.g. to evidence continuity of residence for Spanish nationality), we translate the indicated pages with the note appearing on each stamp.

National identity cards

  • European ID card: front and reverse with holder data, issuing authority, national ID number where shown.
  • UK driving licence used as ID: front and reverse, photos and signature, driving categories if relevant.
  • US state ID or driver's licence: issuing state, number, restrictions.
  • Latin American CURP / cédula / DNI: with their specific format particularities.

Driving licences when translated for exchange

Nationals of countries with which Spain has an exchange agreement (UK post-Brexit pending the agreement, several Latin American countries, several European) who want to exchange their foreign licence for the Spanish one may need to submit a sworn translation of the full licence, with all its categories and notes.

Identity documents from non-Latin script countries

  • Arabic: modern standard Arabic and name transliterated to Latin alphabet under ISO 233. Transliteration of the holder's name is a technical decision by the translator; we explain the option in the translation.
  • Cyrillic: Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian. Transliteration under ISO 9 or the official system of the issuing country.
  • Chinese: traditional and simplified name, pinyin with tones when included.
  • Hebrew: transliteration of name and administrative notes.
  • Hindi, Thai, Korean, Japanese: with name transliterated to Latin alphabet.

Where Spain asks for it

  • Immigration Offices: NIE, TIE, renewals, modifications.
  • Town halls: padrón, residence certificates.
  • Banks: client onboarding, KYC files, FATCA / CRS declarations.
  • Notaries: identifying the foreign appearing party in purchase deeds, marital agreements, powers, wills, inheritance.
  • Tax Agency: self-employed registration, form 030, NIF for foreigners.
  • Social Security and mutual societies: worker registration.
  • Universities and training centres: international student enrolment.
  • Registries: civil (international marriages, birth filings), property (purchases).
  • Companies: registration as non-resident director, attorney-in-fact, shareholder.

Format and turnaround

  • PDF signed electronically with the sworn translator's qualified digital signature, valid for nearly every procedure — banks, town halls, Immigration, Tax Agency accept it without issue.
  • Physical copy with seal and handwritten signature when a notary or court expressly requires it.
  • Fast turnaround: 24-48 h standard for a passport; same day with expedited.

Related pages

Frequently asked questions

Answers to your questions

Which identity documents do you translate?

The most common: passports (all pages with holder data and, if required by the procedure, pages with stamps or visas), national identity cards (UK driving licence when used as ID, European ID card, US state IDs, Mexican CURP, Colombian cédula, Argentine DNI, etc.), foreign driving licences when used as proof of identity or when translation is needed to exchange for the Spanish licence, US green cards, biometric residence permits from the UK and other countries, nationality certificates issued by the country of origin.

Why does Spain require translating my passport if it's in the Latin alphabet?

Not because of the alphabet — because of the administrative wording (issuing authority, place of issue, validity conditions, special notes, visa stamps) written entirely in the issuing country's language. A Spanish authority must be able to read them in Spanish to verify the document is regular and the notes match the procedure's requirements. For non-Latin scripts (Arabic, Cyrillic, Chinese, Hebrew, Hindi, etc.) the transliteration of the holder's name is itself a technical decision only a sworn translator can settle.

Which procedures need it?

Almost any procedure where a foreign national must formally identify themselves: NIE (Foreigner Identity Number) and central foreigner registry filing, TIE (Foreigner Identity Card) and renewals, padrón (municipal residence registration), bank account opening at institutions with enhanced KYC, self-employed registration or company formation, granting of powers before a notary, property purchase deeds, execution of a will before a Spanish notary, consular procedures, degree homologation, university enrolment, Social Security registration and mutual societies.

Does the passport need an apostille?

Not in most cases. Passports and national ID cards are accepted in Spain on a visual check of the original document or its certified copy, without apostille. The apostille applies to documents issued by authorities (administrative certificates, court rulings, registry extracts), not to identity documents presented as their own evidence. For exceptional cases (some thorny notarial procedures in international inheritance) a foreign notarial certified copy with apostille may be requested — in those cases we translate the apostille too.

How fast can you deliver a passport translation?

One of the fastest in the catalogue. A standard passport (biographic page, one or two pages) ships in 24-48 hours standard. With expedited option, same day. If the procedure also requires translating pages with visas or stamps (e.g. to document residence history in other countries), the timeline extends slightly with the number of pages with notes.

Documents we translate

Common documents with official validity

Sworn translation of a birth certificate for Spain

For residency, dual nationality and consular filings.

Sworn translation of marriage certificate for Spain

For civil registry, marriage recognition and family procedures.

Sworn translation of medical certificate for Spanish visa

For non-lucrative, digital nomad, golden and student visas (IHR-2005).

Sworn translation of university degree for Spain

For homologation, equivalence and civil-service exams in Spain.

Sworn translation of academic transcript for Spain

Grades, ECTS credits and course syllabi for homologation.

Sworn translation of criminal record certificate for Spain

Foreign criminal records for NIE, residency and Spanish nationality.

Sworn translation of FBI background check for Spain

FBI Identity History Summary for Spanish visas and residency.

Sworn translation of UK ACRO certificate for Spain

UK ACRO Police Certificate for Spanish immigration and nationality.

Sworn translation of French B3 (casier judiciaire) for Spain

Bulletin n°3 of the casier judiciaire — no apostille (EU Reg 2016/1191).

Sworn translation of foreign court ruling for Spain

Foreign court rulings for recognition and exequatur in Spain.

Sworn translation of power of attorney for Spain

Foreign powers of attorney for use in Spain.

Sworn translation of foreign notarial deed for Spain

Foreign notarial deeds (sales, wills, corporate formation).

See the full document catalogue

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