Certified Spanish-to-French translation by a translator listed with a French Court of Appeal. Documents from Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Peru or any Spanish-speaking country. 20 countries covered.
Spanish — the second most widely spoken native language in the world after Mandarin — is the official language of 20 countries and a co-official language in several regions (Puerto Rico, Guam, certain US states). Our sworn Spanish-French translators handle official documents issued across all of these jurisdictions:
Beyond phonetic differences and a few lexical quirks, Spanish variants are mainly distinguished by their administrative and legal terminology:
Everyday vocabulary differences (computer = ordenador in Spain, computadora in Latin America) have no bearing on the translation of a civil status document, but can matter for contracts or technical documents.
We also translate: certificado de empadronamiento (Spanish certificate of residence), certificado de soltería (certificate of celibacy), sentencia de divorcio (divorce judgment), escritura pública (notarial deed), poder notarial (notarial power of attorney), testamento (will), contracts, company bylaws, financial statements.
Good news: every Spanish-speaking country is a signatory to the 1961 Hague Convention. A simple apostille is enough to authenticate a Spanish-language document before its translation into French.
Since EU Regulation 2016/1191 of 16 February 2019, civil status records issued in Spain benefit from an apostille exemption for use in France (and vice versa). In practice:
| Country | Apostille issuing authority |
|---|---|
| Spain | Ministerio de Justicia, Colegios Notariales (for notarial deeds), Tribunales Superiores de Justicia (for judicial decisions) |
| Mexico | Secretaría de Gobernación and Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores |
| Argentina | Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio Internacional y Culto |
| Colombia | Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (apostille online) |
| Chile | Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (e-Apostilla) |
| Peru | Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, online Mesa de Partes |
| Venezuela | Ministerio del Poder Popular para Relaciones Exteriores |
| Cuba | Signatory since 2023: apostille from the Ministerio de Justicia |
| Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador | Ministry of Foreign Affairs or equivalent |
Unlike the French system (a single surname, generally the father's), Spanish speakers traditionally carry two surnames:
Example: Juan García López (given name Juan, paternal surname García, maternal surname López). His daughter might be named María García Pérez (García from the father, Pérez from the mother).
In the French translation, we keep both names to preserve the official identity of the source document. When registering with French civil status (marriage, naturalisation), generally only the first name is treated as the name in everyday use, but both may appear on administrative documents joined by a hyphen (García-López). We add an explanatory note in the translation where necessary.
Spain reformed its university system as part of European harmonisation (the Bologna process):
In Latin America, systems vary but are generally based on the título universitario (bachelor's/licence, 4-6 years) + maestría (master's) + doctorado model. An Argentine or Mexican título is not strictly equivalent to a European master's: recognition in France always requires going through ENIC-NARIC.
The Spanish notario público is a public officer whose status is very close to that of the French notaire. Both professions belong to the Latin notarial system (a civil law tradition) and draw up authentic instruments enforceable against third parties. Translating a Spanish notarial deed keeps the term "notaire" without any conceptual difficulty.
In some Latin American countries, however (notably Mexico, Chile, Argentina), the role of the notario can vary significantly:
The translation always states the exact title (notario público, escribano público) to avoid any confusion.
The following countries are subject to the Études en France (CEF) procedure for enrolment in French higher education: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, the United States, Ecuador, India, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Senegal, Tunisia, Turkey, Vietnam… For these countries, a certified translation of your título universitario, transcripts (certificado analítico, historia académica) and birth certificate is mandatory.
To officially have your Spanish or Latin American qualification recognised in France (public sector recruitment, competitive exams, enrolment in certain master's programmes), request an ENIC-NARIC comparability statement. A certified translation of the diploma + transcript is required. See our degree equivalence translation page.
For a marriage with a French national, you will need to translate your acta de nacimiento, certificado de soltería (certificate of celibacy) and possibly the certificado de capacidad matrimonial. See our international marriage translation page.
Spanish is classed as a standard language (×1 multiplier). The prices shown cover the entire service (translation, certification, stamp, signature, binding, PDF and paper original).
| Document | Turnaround | Price (all-inclusive) | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partida / Acta de nacimiento | 48 working hours | from €59 | PDF + paper original |
| Acta de matrimonio | 48 working hours | €59 | PDF + paper original |
| Libro de Familia (6 pages) | 72 working hours | from €59 | Depending on pages filled in Popular |
| Título universitario + certificado analítico | 72 working hours | from €59 | Diploma + transcript |
| Certificado de antecedentes penales | 48 working hours | €59 | PDF + paper original |
| Family pack (4 documents) | 72 working hours | €129 | -17% on a complete file |
Not for the legal validity of the translation. Our sworn Spanish-French translators are trained in Spanish and Latin American variants (Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Venezuela, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, etc.).
The French translation produced is accepted whatever the origin of the source document. That said, our translators know the administrative terminology differences (Spanish DNI vs Mexican CURP vs Argentine DNI, for example) and render them precisely.
No for civil status records (birth, marriage, death, matrimonial capacity). Since EU Regulation 2016/1191 of 16 February 2019, these records are accepted in France without an apostille, whatever their date of issue.
For other documents (diplomas, criminal records, notarial deeds), the apostille remains required. It is obtained from the Spanish Ministerio de Justicia, the Colegios Notariales (notarial deeds), or the Tribunales Superiores de Justicia (judicial decisions).
Yes. Spain and every Spanish-speaking country in Latin America are signatories to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention:
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba (since 2023), Ecuador, El Salvador, Spain, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Venezuela. A simple apostille is therefore enough to authenticate official documents before their translation into French.
Spanish speakers carry two surnames (apellidos): the first inherited from the father, the second from the mother. For example, Juan García López consists of the given name Juan, the paternal surname García and the maternal surname López.
In the French translation, we keep both names to preserve the official identity. Where useful, we add an explanatory note for French authorities. When registering with French civil status (naturalisation, marriage), generally only the first name is treated as the name in everyday use.
Yes. We translate every Spanish-language qualification:
Spain: diplomatura, licenciatura (former system), grado, máster universitario, doctorado (new Bologna system), MIR (medical specialty), Especialidad Médica.
Latin America: título universitario, maestría, doctorado, specialisation certificates.
Official recognition in France requires an ENIC-NARIC certificate. See our degree equivalence translation page.
Yes, essentially. The Spanish notario público belongs to the Latin notarial system, just like the French notaire: a public officer who draws up authentic instruments, keeps them on record, and ensures their enforceability against third parties. Translating a Spanish notarial deed naturally keeps the term "notaire".
In Latin America, the role varies slightly: in Mexico, the notario is a lawyer holding a notarial licence; in Argentina, the term used is escribano público; in Chile, the notario is appointed by the Ministry of Justice. The translation always states the exact title to avoid any confusion.
Spanish is classed as a standard language (×1 multiplier). Rates:
· Birth certificate (partida de nacimiento): €39
· Marriage certificate: €49
· Spanish Libro de Familia: €59 to €89
· Diploma + transcript: €89
· 4-document family pack: €129
· Express 24h: +€20
All prices are all-inclusive, covering the signed PDF, paper original, stamps and binding to a copy of the source document.
For Latin American students (CEF countries: Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil…), the Études en France procedure requires certified translation of diplomas, transcripts and birth certificate.
For Spanish students, the procedure is simplified (direct access via Parcoursup for undergraduate study), but translation may be requested by certain universities for Master's or Doctorate enrolment. In every case, the translation is useful for a later ENIC-NARIC recognition.
Sworn translators listed with the French Courts of Appeal, experts in documents from Spain and Latin America. 48h, from €39, 100% online.