Sworn translation (traducción jurada): when you need it and how it is certified

What a traducción jurada is and how it differs from a regular translation

A traducción jurada is a translation produced and certified by a sworn translator (traductor jurado) accredited by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. What sets it apart from a regular translation is its legal force: with their signature and stamp the sworn translator certifies that the translation is faithful and complete, and the document has official status - it is accepted by courts, ministries, Extranjería, universities and banks.

The key practical consequence: a sworn translation does not need to be notarised and needs no further legalisation. The translator's stamp is the certification in itself. This follows directly from the Spanish regulation of the profession (Real Decreto 724/2020).

A regular translation, however good, will not do for official procedures: it has no status. That is why translation agencies in Spain always bring in a sworn translator for anything going to a public body.

Who the traductor jurado is and where to verify them

A sworn translator is a specialist who has passed an exam or had their qualifications recognised and received the title from Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Union Europea y Cooperacion). The register is kept by the Office of Language Interpretation - Oficina de Interpretacion de Lenguas (OIL), whose work is governed by Real Decreto 724/2020.

Verifying a translator is simple:

• open the Traductores/as - Interpretes Jurados/as section on exteriores.gob.es;
• download the current list: it shows the name, language pair, number and contact details;
• compare the name and number with the stamp on the translation.

The title is granted for a specific language pair: a translator from Ukrainian into Spanish cannot certify a translation from Russian, and vice versa. There are fewer accredited specialists for Ukrainian and Russian than for English or French, so queues build up in filing season - allow extra time.

When a sworn translation is required

Practically whenever a foreign document is filed with a Spanish public body. Typical situations:

• Residency and Extranjería: criminal record certificates, birth and marriage certificates, diplomas for arraigo, family reunification, citizenship.
• Marriages and pareja de hecho: certificates and civil status documents.
• Study and homologation: school certificates, diplomas, grade transcripts.
• Courts and notaries: divorce judgments, powers of attorney, inheritance documents.
• Banks and mortgages: proof of income and documents from another country - at the bank's request.

The reverse is also true: if a Spanish document is needed for another country, a Spanish sworn translator can produce a certified translation into the foreign language - but whether the foreign authority will accept it has to be checked at the place of filing.

What the certification of a sworn translation looks like

The finished translation follows the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requirements and contains:

1. The certification formula in the prescribed wording at the end of the text: the translator certifies that the translation is faithful and complete and states the source language, place and date.
2. The stamp with the translator's name, language pair and register number.
3. The translator's signature on every copy.
4. A copy of the original with a date and stamp - attached to the translation so the authority can see which document it was made from.

Since 2020 the OIL has officially confirmed that a translation signed with the translator's qualified electronic signature also has official status. In practice most authorities accept such PDFs for online filing, but some procedures (for example, at certain notaries) may require a paper copy.

Order of steps, timing and prices

The correct sequence for preparing a document looks like this:

1. Obtain the document or a duplicate in the issuing country.
2. Affix the apostille - also in the issuing country.
3. Hand the document to the sworn translator - the translation will cover the apostille stamp as well.
4. File the set with the authority before the certificates go stale (many are valid for 90 days).

Prices are not regulated by the state - it is a free market. Benchmarks for 2026: a standard certificate - from a few dozen euros; multi-page documents are priced by volume. Turnaround is usually from 2-3 working days; urgent orders cost more.

Common mistakes

• The translation was done before the apostille - the stamp was left untranslated.
• The translation was notarised in the home country - for Spain that is not a traducción jurada.
• The name is transliterated differently from the passport or NIE - the authority sees two "different" people.
• The translator is not found in the register - such a translation has no force.

How Krepko arranges it with sworn translators

We work with trusted sworn translators of Ukrainian and Russian and assemble the set end to end: the apostille in the issuing country, a translation with names transliterated to match the passport, a check of the specific authority's requirements, and delivery of the finished documents into your hands or straight to filing. Legally significant steps are performed by licensed professionals - lawyers, gestores and sworn translators.

Details on the Documents and legalisation service page. Or leave a request - we will tell you which documents you need and in what form.

Sources

• Traductores/as - Interpretes Jurados/as - Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores
• Traducción e interpretacion jurada - Oficina de Interpretacion de Lenguas
• Real Decreto 724/2020 - BOE