Diploma Translation for Spain

The traductor jurado and the MAEC list requirement

A translation submitted for official purposes in Spain must be made by a sworn translator (traductor jurado) appointed by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC); a translation from outside the MAEC list is treated as invalid. The traductor jurado adds their own stamp, signature and official certification wording to the translation. A translation produced in Türkiye follows a different chain: a sworn translator signs it, a notary notarises it, and an apostille is attached. The safest step is to confirm with the authority that will receive the document whether your diploma has to be prepared by a MAEC-listed traductor jurado or through the Türkiye chain; and since the traductor jurado attaches a copy of the source document to the translation, it must also be plain which copy the translation was made from.

Homologación, equivalencia and the credencial

Spanish recognition of a diploma is established either through homologación, which is recognition for a particular profession or title, or through equivalencia, which is recognition of level, and it results in a credencial. That decision belongs to the Ministerio de Educación, or to another ministry depending on the profession; the translation feeds into the decision, it does not make it. The translator carries the name of the degree across exactly as it stands. Rendering “Lisans” directly as a Spanish title such as Grado equates one level with another, and that authority sits with the ministry. Institution and faculty names keep their original spelling.

Regulated professions and academic recognition are not the same thing

In Spain the homologación required to practise a profession and the equivalencia sought for academic purposes are separate processes, and they may call for different sets of documents; regulated professions such as medicine, engineering and teaching require homologación, whereas equivalencia is usually enough for academic progression on its own. A diploma translation is needed on either route, but knowing which route you are entering determines the other documents to be added, course descriptions among them. Settling whether your application is professional or academic before translation begins therefore cuts down on later requests for further documents and further translations. Where the document is going to more than one authority, separate traductor jurado copies may be needed.

The degree classification on the diploma, together with any grade information, is carried across as it stands; it is not converted into an equivalent on the Spanish marking scale, such as sobresaliente or matrícula de honor, because that assessment is made by the ministry and the university. Institutional stamps, coats of arms and wet-ink signatures are marked in square brackets by their presence rather than by their text; a stamp that cannot be read is shown with an [illegible] note, and no reading is invented. On e-diplomas bearing a QR code, the presence of the code and of the electronic verification wording is indicated with [QR code] and [e-signature verification] notes; no attempt is made to decode the contents of the code. Because the traductor jurado attaches a copy of the source document to the translation, it must also be clearly visible which copy, the original or a certified copy, the translation rests on; a translation of uncertain origin can be questioned by the authority even when it carries MAEC certification. If the diploma runs to several pages, the page order is preserved and the translation is presented in the same layout as the source document. And where the application runs through an electronic portal, the scanned translation must be legible and its stamps and signatures must be distinguishable; a blurred scan renders even a flawless translation impossible to assess and costs the application a round. Where the same diploma is going to more than one authority, the safest course is to confirm separately with each recipient which form of translation and certification it accepts.

Extranjería, the apostille and the order of certification

Where the diploma forms part of a residence file, the Extranjería offices come into the process, and the spelling of your name must match your passport on every copy of the document. Before you submit, mind the following points:

• Confirm whether the translation has been prepared by a MAEC-listed traductor jurado or through the Türkiye chain.
• Avoid levelling the name of the degree with a Spanish one; the credencial is the ministry’s business.
• Obtain the apostille before the translation.

Spain is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention; check the current position on the official HCCH list. You can see the level of certification other documents require on our document types page, review the cost on our pricing page, and upload your document for a quote. Translations are handled from our single office in Ankara Kızılay. It is worth confirming the current requirements with the institution you are applying to.