Sworn translation for your Spanish student visa

What the student visa is and why a sworn translation is required

A Spanish student visa, or stay for study purposes, is the permit to come to Spain for a degree, a master's, an exchange programme or a long course. You apply at the Spanish consulate in your country before travelling, and once you arrive there may be a further step or two at the immigration office.

The Spanish administration works in Spanish. So any document you submit in another language —English, French, whatever it is— normally has to come with a sworn translation into Spanish. It's the only one the authorities recognise as official: signed and stamped by a translator appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC), which is exactly what gives it full validity in Spain.

That piece is ours. The dates, fees and appointment you handle with the consulate; we make sure language isn't what holds up your file. This page isn't a legal guide to the procedure: for official requirements and deadlines, always check your consulate.

Which documents need a sworn translation

Every consulate keeps its own list, and you should confirm it on the official website. Even so, these are the documents we most often receive for a student visa:

• Admission or enrolment letter from the university or study centre, when it's issued in another language.
• Prior degrees and diplomas (secondary school, bachelor's…) and sometimes the academic transcripts with your grades.
• Criminal record certificate from the country where you've lived. Each origin has its own: the FBI check in the United States, the ACRO certificate in the United Kingdom, the bulletin no. 3 (B3) in France, or your country's equivalent. If the consulate wants it apostilled, apostille the original first and have it translated afterwards: the sworn translation covers the text of the apostille as well.
• Medical certificate, when requested, confirming you carry no diseases with public-health implications.
• Sometimes proof of funds, health insurance or a scholarship letter.

Two notes that save trouble. Some foreign public documents need a Hague Apostille or legalisation before translation; the consulate decides that, not us. And a sworn translation certifies the content of the document, not its authenticity: if you're asked for the legalised original, that's a separate step.

How we do it at Textualia

The whole process is online and built so you don't waste time:

1. You send us the documents scanned or photographed in good quality, with stamps and dates clearly legible.
2. You see a fixed quote instantly, worked out by word count, with no surprises.
3. A sworn translator appointed by the MAEC translates and certifies each document.
4. You receive the sworn translation as a digitally signed PDF, valid for online submission and accepted by most bodies.

Does the consulate or office require the translation on paper? We issue it on official Spanish stamped paper too, hand-signed and sealed, and send it by courier. You tell us which format you need and we prepare it.

We translate from English and French into Spanish, the two most common pairs for these procedures. If your document is in another language, write to us and we'll confirm whether we can help.

Why Textualia

A student visa usually has an enrolment date looming and little room for mistakes. We work with sworn translators recognised by the MAEC, take care with academic and official terminology, and deliver within clear timeframes, with a 24h or 12h rush option if your appointment is close.

We don't ask you to register before quoting a price, and we don't make you visit an office: you upload the documents, pay online and get the translation back. And if you're unsure what to translate or in which format, we advise you before we start, so you don't pay to translate more than you need.

One important point: a MAEC sworn translation is valid in Spain. For procedures before authorities in other countries, check their requirements, as they may call for a different kind of certification.

Gather your documents, check your consulate's list and request the sworn translation. The language part is on us.