Studying in the UK from Spain: which documents need a sworn translation

To study in the UK you need a certified translation into English of every academic or identity document issued in Spanish: for an undergraduate degree, the Bachillerato diploma and the Bachillerato and EBAU grades; for a master's, the university degree certificate and the academic transcript; for an exchange or Erasmus stay, almost nothing, because Spanish universities issue those records in English; and for the Student visa, the financial evidence too if it is in Spanish. A Spanish sworn translation meets the British requirements for a certified translation and then some. A degree certificate costs €50 and is delivered in 24/48 hours; a transcript is quoted once I see it. I am Elena Peñaranda, sworn translator of English no. 7310 appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and every summer I translate the files of students heading to the UK. This is what I tell them before we start.

First, which case are you in?

The four routes into a British university ask for different documents, and translating too much is as common as translating too little. Find yourself in the table and go to the matching section.

Erasmus and exchanges: what almost never needs translating

Since Brexit the UK has not been part of Erasmus+, so exchanges with British universities run through bilateral agreements and each university's own mobility schemes; there is a political agreement for the UK to re-associate with the programme from 2027, but until a call actually exists, your international relations office has the last word. In all of these schemes the paperwork moves between universities: the learning agreement is signed in English and the transcript of records is issued by your Spanish university, almost always with an English version. If your faculty only issues it in Spanish, the host university will ask for a translation, and that is where I come in; but ask first, because many issue a bilingual version free of charge.

If the stay is under six months, you enter as a visitor: since April 2025 Spanish citizens need an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation), applied for online, which requires no translated documents. If it is longer than six months you need the Student visa described below, even for an exchange.

Undergraduate: Bachillerato diploma, grades and EBAU

The application goes through UCAS with the grades you declare yourself; the documents are requested afterwards by each university, usually when it makes you a conditional offer and again, in final form, at enrolment. For a Spanish student that normally means:

• The Título de Bachiller (or the receipt showing you have applied for it, if it has not been issued yet).
• The Bachillerato academic certificate, with the grades of both years.
• The EBAU results card or certificate (PAU or EvAU depending on the region), which turns the conditional offer into an unconditional one.
• An English certificate (IELTS, Cambridge or whichever that university accepts). It is already in English: no translation.

Every university publishes its translation requirements, and they all look alike: a complete translation by a professional translator, with their name, signature, date and contact details. A Spanish sworn translation carries all of that and, on top, my appointment, which anyone can verify on the Ministry's register. A money-saving tip: send only what the conditional offer asks for first, and leave the final EBAU results for July; they are translated in 24/48 hours and will not hold up your enrolment.

Master's and PhD: degree certificate and transcript

Here the two key documents are the university degree certificate and the academic transcript (the certificación académica personal listing every module, credit and grade). Three details change the quote:

• If you do not have the physical diploma yet, the provisional certificate (certificado supletorio) or the fee receipt will do: I translate it in the same way and the university accepts it as provisional.
• Many Spanish universities issue the transcript in English or a bilingual Diploma Supplement. If yours is in English you do not need to translate it; send it over and I will confirm before charging you anything.
• Reference letters are written by your lecturers directly in English on the university's platform; if one is in Spanish, it is translated as a separate document.

A one-page degree certificate has a fixed price, €50. The transcript depends on the number of pages and modules, so I give you a fixed quote within 2 hours once I see it, with no per-word rates.

The Student visa and the financial documents

If the course lasts more than six months you need a Student visa, applied for with the CAS (the confirmation number the university sends you once you have accepted the place). Besides your passport and the CAS, the Home Office wants proof that you can pay the fees and support yourself during the course, and that is where the Spanish-language documents appear:

• Bank statements for the last few months (the money must have been in the account for at least 28 days). If the bank cannot issue them in English, they are translated.
• If the money is in your parents' account: a letter of consent signed by them, your birth certificate to prove the relationship (€35) and, sometimes, their payslips or employer's certificate (€45).
• If you are under 18, your parents' consent letter and your birth certificate are compulsory.
• A Spanish passport is not translated: it is multilingual.

The Home Office requires every translation to include the translator's confirmation that it is accurate, the date, their full name and signature and their contact details. My sworn certification carries all of that, and I add my contact details on the certification itself so the caseworker does not have to look for them. If your file also includes documents for a family member or partner, see the guide on sworn translations for the UK Home Office.

Documents and prices at a glance

All prices are those of the price list: per document, including certification, signature and stamp, an electronically signed PDF and a stamped copy of the original. If you send the whole set (degree + transcript + birth certificate) you get a single fixed price and a single delivery date.

Do I need an apostille?

For British universities and for the Student visa, no: the translation is enough. The Hague apostille comes into play on the way back, when you finish and want to have your British degree recognised in Spain. If a specific university asks for something different, its requirements list wins: send it to me and we will go through it together.

How we do it, and how long it takes

1. You send me scans by WhatsApp, email or the document catalogue: a PDF or a sharp photo, with stamps and signatures legible.
2. Within 2 working hours I confirm what really needs translating, a fixed price and a delivery date in writing.
3. I translate, certify, sign and stamp each document, with modules, grades and names written identically across all of them.
4. You receive the electronically signed PDF in 24/48 hours for short documents; the transcript on the agreed date. Upload it as it is to the university or visa platform: if you print and rescan it, the electronic signature can no longer be verified. If paper is required, I courier it.

A realistic calendar: applications go in between January and April, when a provisional transcript is usually enough; final grades arrive in June and July; enrolment and the visa follow in August and September. Translation is never the bottleneck, but August is when the files pile up: if you can, get it translated in July.

Send me your documents on WhatsApp and within 2 hours I will tell you what needs translating and what it costs. You can also read the sworn English translator page or the guide to sworn translations for leaving Spain.