Sworn translation for Australians in Spain
Australia issues its documents in English, so the translation is the easy part. What causes trouble is a formatting detail: ordering the police check digitally when what you need is the paper copy.
Australia is party to the Hague Convention, so its public documents travel to Spain with an apostille and need no consular legalisation. The apostille is issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), through the passport office in each state and territory.
So far, a comfortable route. The problem usually sits elsewhere.
The police check: order it on paper
The certificate used for procedures abroad is the National Police Check from the Australian Federal Police (AFP). And here is the trap that costs the most time: the AFP issues it digitally by default, but an apostille is stamped onto a physical document.
DFAT may accept the digital certificate when it comes with the AFP source email and the document remains accessible and downloadable in the portal, but the route that never fails is to order the paper copy from the start. If all you hold is the digital version and it is refused, you have to apply again and wait all over.
Our advice is simple: when you request the National Police Check, tick the hard copy. Waiting for it costs the same as repeating the whole thing.
The other Australian documents
- Birth, marriage and death certificates, issued by the Births, Deaths and Marriages registry of each state or territory. These go to DFAT for the apostille.
- Degrees and academic transcripts, for recognition or equivalence before the Spanish Ministry of Education.
- Employer letters, payslips and bank statements, to evidence financial means and employment for a visa.
- Deeds, powers of attorney and wills, for property purchases and estates.
- Company documents, to open a branch or bid for a contract.
All are issued in English, which is our pair: English into Spanish, signed by a MAEC-accredited translator.
The driving licence
We are not going to let an assumption stand. Exchanging a foreign licence in Spain is only possible where a bilateral agreement exists, and the list is published by the Spanish traffic authority. Check it before counting on an exchange: without an agreement there is no exchange and you must obtain the Spanish licence by examination.
We translate the licence for the uses where it serves — car hire, insurance, evidencing your driving history when taking out a policy — but we will not sell translations for a procedure that cannot then be carried out.
Order matters; distance does not
DFAT apostille first, in Australia. Then the sworn translation, covering the document and the apostille as one block: translate earlier and the apostille is left out, which means a second translation.
Time zones are no obstacle, because there is no appointment to coordinate:
- Upload the document, already apostilled, as a PDF or a clear photo.
- See the firm price and the delivery date before paying.
- Receive the sworn translation as a PDF with a qualified electronic signature, valid for electronic filing with the Spanish authorities.
- If your procedure demands paper, we post the official stamped-paper copy to your address in Spain.
One point about scope: a sworn translation signed by a MAEC-accredited translator has full validity in Spain. To file Spanish documents in Australia the route runs the other way, and the receiving Australian authority sets it.
Frequently asked questions
Answers to your questions
Is the AFP digital certificate enough, or do I need the paper one?
Paper is the safe route. DFAT may accept the digital National Police Check when it comes with the AFP source email and the document is still accessible and downloadable in the portal, but the apostille is stamped onto a physical copy. Ordering the hard copy from the start saves you a possible repeat of the whole process.
Who issues the apostille in Australia?
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), through the passport office in each state and territory. It is the only Australian authority that can: neither the state registry nor a notary can replace it, although some documents do have to pass through a notary first.
Where do I request my Australian birth certificate?
From the Births, Deaths and Marriages registry of the state or territory where the birth was registered, not federally. Once you have the certificate it goes to DFAT for the apostille, and then you send it to us for the sworn translation, apostille included.
Can I exchange my Australian driving licence in Spain?
That depends on whether a bilateral agreement exists, and the official list is published by the Spanish traffic authority. Check it before counting on it: without an agreement there is no exchange and you would have to obtain the Spanish licence by examination. We translate the licence for other uses, but not for an exchange that cannot happen.
Do I translate before or after the apostille?
After, always. The apostille becomes part of the document and part of what must be translated. Translate first and apostille afterwards and the apostille is left untranslated, which means commissioning a second translation to complete it.
- Official sworn translation, in both directions, with full legal validity for procedures before official bodies in Spain
- 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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