French sworn translation in Barcelona — listed by the French Consulate

For a procedure inside Spain with a French-language document, a sworn translation by an MAEC-accredited translator is enough. That covers Civil Registry filings, university homologations, residence applications and any other Spanish administration procedure.

But for the reverse direction — a document filed with French authorities (Pôle emploi, Sécurité Sociale, Caisse des Allocations Familiales, Service Central d'État Civil in Nantes, French prefectures, town halls, notaries…) — the French administration does NOT accept just any Spanish sworn translation. It needs a translation signed by a translator listed with the French Consulate of competence, whose signature is notarised.

Textualia meets both requirements: MAEC-accredited AND listed in the official registry of the French Consulate in Barcelona. That dual setup is uncommon and explains why many law firms, gestorías and individuals with cross-border procedures between Spain and France come to us.

Typical cases where MAEC alone is not enough and the consular registration is required:

• Civil marriages before a French authority: French translation of the Spanish birth certificate, certificate of singleness and registration certificate, for filing with the Service Central d'État Civil in Nantes or the relevant French town hall.
• Registration of children at French consulates: French translation of the Spanish birth certificate.
• Pôle emploi and Sécurité Sociale: French translation of working life records, employer certificates and Spanish Social Security attestations.
• Caisse des Allocations Familiales (CAF): Spanish family documentation translated into French.
• French notaries: translation of Spanish deeds, powers of attorney and wills for operations in France.
• French courts: Spanish documentary evidence in court proceedings in France.
• French employment and social-security services to verify contributions, licences or professional degrees obtained in Spain.

Procedure	Validity	Required accreditation
French document → for Spain	Spanish administrations	MAEC (standard)
Spanish document → for France	French administrations	French Consulate + notarised signature

The first row covers the bulk of our daily work. The second row is what makes this page distinct: cross-border procedures where the receiving authority is in France. If you're in that case, a document signed by an MAEC-only translator will not be accepted and you'll have to redo it.