Sworn translation for Spain's research visa and researcher residence permit

What this procedure is

If you are joining a university, an R&D centre or a research body in Spain, you will most likely apply for a research residence permit under Law 14/2013. The whole file hinges on the hosting agreement —or employment contract— you sign with the research institution: it sets out your project, how long the activity will last and the commitment to host you.

Alongside that agreement, the authorities ask you to prove your qualifications and your criminal record history. This is exactly where most files get stuck. The documents you bring from abroad are in another language, and to count in Spain they have to be submitted with a sworn translation. It is not a small step you can skip: it is the reason many applications are delayed or sent back for correction.

What follows is general guidance only. The exact requirements and timelines depend on your situation and on the office handling your file, so always confirm the official checklist with the relevant immigration unit or consulate.

Which documents usually need a sworn translation

Not everything gets translated. Foreign documents that are not in Spanish do. These are the most common in a researcher's file:

• Criminal record certificate from the country or countries where you have lived in the last two years. From the US that is usually the FBI Identity History Summary; from the UK, the ACRO Police Certificate; from France, the extrait de casier judiciaire (Bulletin no. 3). Apostille it before you translate it.
• University degrees and academic transcripts (bachelor's, master's, PhD) proving your qualifications for the research post.
• Hosting agreement or employment contract when drafted in a language other than Spanish.
• Marriage or birth certificates if you are bringing your family at the same time.

One detail that saves trouble: apostille the original first, then translate. The sworn translator also translates the apostille stamp, so the translation shows the document was properly legalised. Do it the other way round —translate first, apostille later— and you usually end up redoing the work.

How Textualia handles it

The whole process runs online and is built to save you time. You upload your scanned documents from your phone or computer, see the quote straight away and pay by card. A sworn translator accredited by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC) signs and seals the translation.

By default we deliver a digitally signed PDF, accepted for most online and in-person filings. Does your particular office insist on paper? We also issue the translation on official State stamped paper and post it to your address in Spain or Europe.

We translate from English and French into Spanish, the two source languages we see most often in files arriving from the US, the UK, Ireland, France and French-speaking countries.

Why Textualia

Our sworn translation is produced by a MAEC-accredited translator and is valid in Spain, which is where you file your application. If you ever need to present documents to authorities in another country, those authorities apply their own rules; we tell you plainly what our certification covers, and what it does not.

We work to tight deadlines because immigration appointments do not wait: 24-hour and 12-hour rush options are there when the calendar is against you. And because we count by words, you know the exact price before you order.

If your documents are already apostilled, upload the files and request a quote. Within minutes we will tell you what it costs and when you will have it.