Sworn translation for Britons in Spain

Before 2021, a Briton moving to Spain came and went like any other EU citizen. Brexit changed that overnight. The United Kingdom is now a third country, which means almost any British document you put in front of a Spanish authority has to arrive with two things attached: an apostille from the country of origin and a sworn translation into Spanish.

This is where most people get stuck. The UK takes care of the apostille. We take care of the sworn translation. On this page we explain just enough of the process for you to know what to request and in what order, and we hand you a sworn translation that is fully valid in Spain.

What you need: apostille first, translation after

For British public documents the rule is simple: apostille in the UK first, then translate. The apostille is the Hague Convention stamp confirming the document is genuine. It is issued by the FCDO Legalisation Office (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office), online or by post. We do not apostille anything; that part is handled by the FCDO or a UK service provider.

Order matters. The apostille is attached to the document, and only once it is in place do we translate everything at once, document and apostille as a single block. The Spanish authority then receives a complete, consistent file, with no back and forth.

A word on validity. A sworn translation signed by a translator accredited by Spain's MAEC (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) is fully valid in Spain. We cannot guarantee its acceptance by authorities in other countries; for procedures outside Spain, always check with the competent authority.

Which documents we translate for the British community

These are the ones British residents and newcomers ask us for most:

• ACRO criminal record certificates (ACRO Police Certificate), apostilled, for a residency application or the digital nomad visa.
• Birth and marriage certificates from the General Register Office, for the civil registry, family reunification or the padrón.
• UK driving licences and related paperwork, for the exchange at the Spanish traffic authority.
• Pension documentation (state pension, private schemes), to prove financial means before the Immigration Office.
• Deeds, powers of attorney and Land Registry certificates, for buying property in Spain.
• Medical reports and healthcare paperwork, for access to the health system or S1 procedures.
• Wills, grants of probate and death certificates, for estates with assets on both sides of the Channel.

Don't see your document on the list? Just ask. If it is an official British document in English, the odds are we translate it.

How we do it: all online, no travel

You never have to set foot in an office. The process runs entirely online:

1. Upload the document once it is apostilled. A PDF or a clear photo will do.
2. See the final price instantly, with no surprises and no bespoke quotes that take days.
3. Pay online and we get started.
4. Receive the sworn translation as an electronically signed PDF, carrying the signature and stamp of a MAEC-accredited translator. For most procedures it works as it stands.
5. If the authority asks for paper, we courier the copy on official Spanish stamped paper to your home in Spain.

We translate from English into Spanish, exactly the pair the British community needs. And if the clock is ticking, rush turnaround is available.

Why Textualia

Because we know British files from the inside. We know what an ACRO is and how it fits into a residency application, what the civil registry expects from a GRO marriage certificate, and which details on a driving licence the traffic authority looks at. We don't translate word for word: we translate the whole document with the receiving office in mind.

We work only with MAEC-accredited translators, deliver fast and give it to you straight, including when something is not ours to handle but belongs to the apostille or the competent authority. Upload your document and we will sort out the sworn translation today.