Sworn translation between the United States and Spain

I provide both, with the same criteria and the same digital process. If you are submitting the same document in both countries, I prepare both versions at once.

• Digital nomad visa: FBI or state criminal record, employment contract or employer letter, company certificate, degree, proof of income and SSA certificate of coverage. It has its own guide with the full list.
• Non-lucrative and student visas: criminal record, medical certificate, proof of financial means, admission letter and health insurance.
• Getting married in Spain: birth certificate, single status or no-impediment certificate and, where applicable, divorce decree.
• Spanish citizenship (by residence or by descent): US birth and marriage certificates and FBI criminal record.
• Buying a property: powers of attorney granted in the US, bank statements and contracts for the notary.
• University and recognition of qualifications: degrees, transcripts and high school diplomas.

The United States and Spain are both party to the Hague Convention, so US public documents are legalised with an apostille, not at the consulate. Who issues it depends on the document:

• State documents (birth, marriage and death certificates, state criminal records, notarised degrees, notarised powers of attorney): the apostille is issued by the Secretary of State of the state that issued the document or where the notary acted.
• Federal documents (FBI criminal record, SSA certificate of coverage, federal court documents): the apostille is issued by the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications, in Washington.

The order matters: apostille first, translation second, because the apostille is translated too. If you send me a document without an apostille, I will tell you before I start.

If you will be working remotely from Spain for your US employer, the consulate usually asks for a certificate of coverage issued by the Social Security Administration (SSA) under the US-Spain social security agreement. It proves that you remain covered in the US and do not need to register with Spanish social security. It is a federal document (apostille from the U.S. Department of State) and it is translated in full, stamps included.

If you are self-employed or your employer does not apply for it, the alternative is a commitment to register with Spanish social security; confirm this with the consulate or an immigration lawyer before you assemble the file.

Office hours 9:00 to 20:00, mainland Spain time (CET/CEST): that is 6 hours ahead of the East Coast and 9 hours ahead of the West Coast. In practice, an order you send me in the evening in the US is under way first thing in the morning in Spain, and standard documents reach you within 24/48 hours, often before your working day starts.

The quote is fixed and in euros; you pay with your US card through Stripe and your bank converts the amount to dollars. Delivery is a digitally signed PDF, valid for online submission. Paper copies can be couriered outside Spain; the courier cost is stated in the quote.