Sworn Translation for Your Spanish NIE Application

What the NIE is and why translation comes into it

The NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero, or Foreigner Identity Number) is the number the Spanish authorities assign to any non-Spanish person with interests or dealings in the country. It is not a residence permit; it is your tax and administrative ID. Without it you cannot buy property, sign an employment contract, open most bank accounts, register a company, accept an inheritance, or carry out almost any transaction with financial weight in Spain.

The friction shows up when you gather the supporting paperwork. Much of it comes from your home country and is written in English, and the immigration office, police station, or consulate where you file won't take foreign-language documents as they are. They want a sworn translation into Spanish, signed by a translator authorised by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC). That is the step we handle.

Which documents usually need a sworn translation

It depends on why you are applying, but these are the usual ones:

• Criminal record certificate from your home country. Depending on where you are from, that means the FBI Identity History Summary (USA), the ACRO Police Certificate (UK), the casier judiciaire B3 (France), or your national equivalent. Almost always apostilled.
• Birth certificate, especially when the NIE is part of a wider process such as residence, family reunification, or inheritance.
• Marriage certificate, when the application is tied to your family situation.
• Passport or ID document, when the office asks for a translation of details not in the Latin alphabet.
• The document that proves your reason for applying: a property purchase deed, an employment contract, an acceptance letter, or a power of attorney signed abroad.

Not every office asks for the same thing, and the requirements shift with your nationality and your reason for applying. Always confirm the exact list with the office where you will file; we translate whatever they ask for.

A word on validity: a MAEC sworn translation is fully valid in Spain. It does not certify anything before authorities in other countries. If you also need your records recognised abroad, that is handled by the issuing authority (the FBI, ACRO, the French registry) through an apostille or legalisation.

How Textualia handles it

The whole process is online and built so you don't lose a day. You upload a scan or photo of the document, the quote tool counts the words and gives you the price instantly, with no waiting for a manual estimate. You pay, and a MAEC-authorised sworn translator takes on your job.

By default we deliver a digitally signed PDF, accepted for most online and in-person submissions. If your particular office requires the translation on paper, we also issue it on official Spanish stamped paper (papel timbrado), with the translator's signature and seal, posted to your address. You choose, depending on what they ask for.

We work in the English→Spanish and French→Spanish pairs, which cover the bulk of NIE documents for British, American, Irish, French, and francophone applicants.

Why Textualia

Because translating for an official procedure is not the same as translating any old text. A misplaced date, a name spelled differently from your passport, or a stamp left unreproduced can get your application bounced and cost you the appointment. Our translators are authorised by the MAEC, know the format immigration offices expect, and watch those details.

You also know where you stand from the start: a fixed price the moment you upload the document, tax included, no surprises. One billable page per 250 words, a 35 € minimum per order, and a rush option if your appointment is bearing down on you.

Gather your documents, confirm with your office what needs translating, and request your sworn translation. It will be ready to file for the NIE without any last-minute scares.