Sworn translation for Spain's long-term residence permit

What the long-term residence permit is

Spain's long-term residence permit (residencia de larga duración) lets you live and work in the country indefinitely. As a rule, you apply for it after five continuous years of legal residence, though specific exceptions exist. For anyone who has already built a life here, it is the step that brings stability: no more renewals tied to a job or a course of study.

The immigration office (Extranjería) usually asks for documents proving your identity, your record and, in many cases, the absence of a criminal record. When those documents come from your home country in another language, they almost always have to be submitted translated into Spanish by a sworn translator, plus legalised or apostilled depending on the country. That part — the official translation — is what we handle.

Which documents usually need a sworn translation

The exact requirements depend on your situation and on the office handling your file, so always confirm the list with Extranjería. These are the documents that most often arrive in a foreign language and call for a sworn translation into Spanish:

• Criminal record certificate from your home country (or from any country where you have lived), normally apostilled. For example, the FBI Identity History Summary in the United States, the ACRO Police Certificate in the United Kingdom, or bulletin no. 3 (B3) of the French casier judiciaire.
• Birth, marriage or death certificates issued abroad, when used to prove family ties.
• Court or administrative decisions from your home country that are relevant to the file.
• Academic or professional documents issued abroad, if your application requires them.

One thing worth knowing: a MAEC sworn translation is fully valid in Spain. If you also need the document to take effect outside Spain, that depends on each foreign authority and should be checked separately.

How we do it at Textualia

The whole process runs online. You upload a scan or photo of the document, see the quote instantly and pay. A translator accredited by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, EU and Cooperation (MAEC) then produces the translation with their official seal and signature.

The standard delivery is an electronically signed PDF, accepted in online filing and easy to attach to your application. If your office or procedure requires the document on paper, we also issue it on official State stamped paper (papel timbrado) and send it by courier.

We translate from English into Spanish and from French into Spanish, the most common pairs in these files. The translation faithfully reproduces seals, apostilles and marginal notes, because Extranjería checks that the translated document matches the original exactly.

Why choose Textualia

We do one thing and do it well: official sworn translation, with no offices and no queues. You know the price before you order, with no surprises, and we work with sworn translators accredited by the MAEC, so the translation you receive meets the formal requirements set by the Spanish authorities.

Unsure which documents belong in your file, or which delivery format suits you? We will guide you on the translation side before you commit to anything. The legal requirements and processing times are set by Extranjería; we make sure the translation is flawless and on time.

When your documents are ready, request your sworn translation here and we will get started.