Official translations

The entity requesting the sworn translation may require it to be authenticated too. There are two basic procedures to authenticate sworn translations. The first, and the most common one, consists in submitting the sworn translation (together with the original document, already authenticated at the relevant department) before the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, in Madrid, where they will authenticate the signature of the sworn translator on each of the translations. To do so, you will have to request an appointment at the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (www.maec.es). Sometimes, you may have to complement such procedure with the authentication of said diligence at the Consulate of the country where you have to submit the document. The second procedure is through a Notary Public. It consists in authenticating the sworn translator’s signature at a Notary Public’s office and to then authenticate the Notary Public’s signature at the relevant Official Association of Notaries Publics, where they will add the Apostille of the Hague, if the translation is to be submitted before a signatory country of the Hague Convention, or another diligence if the document is to be submitted before a non-signatory country of said Convention. If you cannot personally carry out this procedure, there are companies and processing agencies specialised in authenticating documents that can do this on your behalf by means of a notarial authorisation.