RJ / DOCUMENT
Birth certificate
Sworn Translation of a Birth Certificate
Check the issuing country, receiving authority and accepted language before paying for a translation or Apostille.
Last verified
Sources
04 official
Type
DOCUMENT
Quick answer
A foreign birth certificate does not automatically need both an Apostille and a sworn translation. For public birth documents covered by Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 and presented between EU Member States, the receiving authority cannot require an Apostille. A multilingual standard form can also remove the need for translation when the receiving authority finds its information sufficient. Outside that scope, check authentication and translation requirements separately with the receiving authority.
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In this guide
When a sworn translation may be needed
Depends on your caseIn Spain, certificado de nacimiento and partida de nacimiento refer to the birth certificate. A different language alone does not establish that a sworn translation is required. First ask the receiving authority which version and language it accepts.
For a Spanish certificate used abroad, the destination authority decides what translation it accepts. Do not assume the Spanish certification system applies everywhere.
Choose your route in five steps
- Identify the country that issued the document and the country and authority receiving it.
- For a public birth document moving between EU Member States, check whether Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 covers it before arranging an Apostille.
- Ask the issuing authority for a multilingual standard form to accompany the certificate and check whether the receiving authority finds it sufficient.
- Outside that scope, check whether the Hague Convention applies between the countries or whether another legalisation route or exemption applies.
- Confirm the accepted language and translation format. Order only the preparation and translation the receiving authority requires.
Birth certificates within the EU
Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 covers certain public documents issued in one EU Member State and presented to an authority in another. Birth is one of the covered matters. Documents within that scope are exempt from legalisation and Apostille.
A multilingual standard form accompanies the original certificate; it does not replace it. Translation is not required when the receiving authority considers the information in the form sufficient. If a certified translation is required within the Regulation’s scope, one made by a person qualified under the law of any EU Member State must be accepted.
The form is issued by the competent authority. Do not fill in an online specimen yourself and treat it as an official form. The Regulation does not determine recognition of the document’s legal effects.
Does it also need an Apostille?
Depends on your caseA certificate from a non-EU country is not exempt under this Regulation simply because it will be used in Spain. Check whether an Apostille is applicable or whether legalisation or another exemption applies. The document’s origin and destination both matter.
Apostille before or after translation?
If both authentication and translation are required, it is usually practical to prepare the complete authenticated document first, then ask the translator to include the Apostille or other endorsements. Follow any specific instructions from the receiving authority.
Who can translate under the Spanish system
For a sworn translation issued under the Spanish system, check the professional’s appointment and language in the official MAEC list. This does not mean every foreign authority requires that system, or that the EU acceptance rule described above disappears.
If the certificate is already in an accepted language
Depends on your caseIf the receiving authority accepts the certificate’s language, translation may be unnecessary. Authentication is a separate question. Within the EU, an appropriate multilingual standard form may also avoid translation.
Official sources
This guide is based on the following official sources, verified on the dates shown.
MAEC — Oficina de Interpretación de Lenguas
Sworn translation — MAEC (opens in a new tab)checked on 10 September 2026
Ministerio de Justicia
Apostille — Ministry of Justice (opens in a new tab)checked on 10 September 2026
European e-Justice Portal
Public documents — EU multilingual forms (opens in a new tab)checked on 10 September 2026
Unión Europea — BOE
Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 — Articles 2, 4 and 6 (opens in a new tab)checked on 10 September 2026
Frequently asked questions
Does an EU birth certificate need an Apostille in Spain?
Not when it is a public birth document covered by Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 and presented from one Member State to another. Confirm that your document is within its scope.
Does the multilingual form replace the certificate?
No. It accompanies the original as a translation aid. It can avoid translation when the receiving authority considers its information sufficient.
Can I translate the certificate myself?
A personal translation is not a certified translation. First check whether a translation is required at all; if certification is required, follow the receiving authority’s accepted route.
Related guides
- Sworn translationSworn Translation in Spain: What It Is and When You Need OneWhat makes a translation "jurada" in Spain, who is authorized to produce one, and how to check before you pay for it.
- Apostille & legalizationThe Hague Apostille in SpainHow the single-step authentication that lets a Spanish public document be recognized in another Hague Convention country works — and vice versa.
- Price & turnaroundPrice of a Sworn Translation in SpainWhat really determines the cost of a sworn translation — and why there's no official rate to compare it against.