Sworn Translations of Academic Certificates

Academic documents are those that certify a person's education, qualifications, and academic record. When they must be submitted to a foreign institution (or when a foreign qualification or academic record needs to be recognized in Spain), the law requires a certified translation of academic documents signed and stamped by a sworn translator accredited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation (MAEC).

This collection brings together the four most frequently requested academic documents in Spain:

Certified Translation of an Academic Degree

The certified translation of a university degree is the most common request in this category. Universities, professional associations, and the Ministry of Universities require that any university degree, master's degree, doctorate, or diploma issued abroad be accompanied by a certified translation into Spanish in order to begin the process of recognizing foreign qualifications.

The same applies in reverse: if you hold a Spanish qualification and need to prove it before an institution in another country, you will need a certified translation of your university degree into the relevant language.

The certified translation of academic qualifications must accurately reproduce all the information contained in the document: the holder's name, the title of the qualification, the issuing institution, the date of issue, and the signatures of the academic authorities.

Mc LEHM express delivers certified translations of academic degrees within 24 hours, starting from €17.95.

Certified Translation of an Academic Transcript or Grade Certificate

The academic transcript (also called a grade certificate or transcript of records) is the document that lists the courses completed, the grades obtained, and the number of credits for each subject.

To clarify what an academic transcript or grade certificate is, it is the complete academic record of a qualification, which universities, international employers, and qualification recognition authorities use to assess the applicant's educational level.

A certified translation of an academic transcript is mandatory for:

• University admission processes abroad
• Study validation and credit transfer procedures
• Competitive examinations that require proof of foreign qualifications
• International scholarship applications

At Mc LEHM express, certified translations of academic documents also include academic certificates showing average grades, Diploma Supplements, and partial academic transcripts issued during ongoing studies.

Certified Translation of a Curriculum or Study Programme

The study programme details the structure of an academic course, including subjects, credits, teaching hours, compulsory or optional modules, and the programme's timeline.

Its certified translation is particularly required for:

• Qualification recognition procedures before the Ministry of Universities
• Partial validation of studies
• Professional recognition procedures in European Union countries

Without a certified translation of the study programme, the receiving authority cannot determine whether the programme completed abroad is equivalent to the Spanish one, which prevents the recognition process from moving forward.

Certified Translation of a Certificate of Professional Registration

A certificate of professional registration confirms that a professional is registered with the official professional body that regulates the practice of their profession, such as doctors, lawyers, architects, engineers, or pharmacists.

Its certified translation is necessary when a professional wishes to practise in another country that requires verification that they are legally authorised to practise in their country of origin. It is also required when a foreign professional wishes to register with a professional association in Spain by presenting proof of registration with their home professional body.

How much does a sworn translation of academic documents cost?

The price for a sworn translation of academic documents at Mc LEHM express starts from €17.95 for academic degrees and from €19.95 for transcripts, syllabi, and professional registration certificates.

The price difference reflects that the latter documents usually have greater length and more data to translate accurately. The service is entirely online: the client uploads the document, chooses the language, and receives the sworn translation in PDF with digital signature and sea ldirectly in their email. There is no need to send the original paper document or visit an office.

If you need to know the price of a sworn translation of an academic record specifically before confirming the order, simply upload the number of pages, select the language type, and you will see the final price on the screen.

The cost of a sworn translation of a university degree may vary if the document has additional pages or includes elements such as stamps, apostilles, or annexes that also need to be translated.

A common question is how much a sworn translation of a degree costs: the answer depends on the number of pages and the language, but for the standard single-page format, the rate is fixed from €17.95.

In which languages are sworn translations of academic documents performed?

Mc LEHM express performs sworn translations of academic documents between Spanish and the most requested languages for these types of procedures: English, French, German, Italian, Arabic, Russian and others. The most common combination is the sworn translation of a university degree into English, followed by the sworn translation of an academic record into English, especially for applications to master's or doctoral programs at English-speaking universities.

Requests for sworn translation of degrees from English into Spanishare also common for foreign students who wish to validate their degree in Spain.

The team of sworn translatorsat Mc LEHM express specializes in academic terminology in all these combinations, which ensures that the names of qualifications, subjects, and institutions are translated with the precision required by validation bodies.

If you need to translate into a language not listed on our page,you can request it through this link for convenience.

What is the validity of a sworn translation of an academic document?

A sworn translation of academic documentshas full legal validity before any body that requests it: universities, ministries, professional associations, international employers, and public administrations.

The validity does not intrinsically expire, but some bodies require that the original translated document must have been issued within a certain period before submission.

The sworn translation delivered by Mc LEHM express includes the sworn translator's declaration, their digital signature, their registration number in the official list of sworn translators of the MAEC, and their seal, which makes the document an instrument with full legal force.

How long does a sworn translation of a university degree take?

The standard turnaround time is 24 hours from receipt of the document. For longer documents, such as academic records with many subjects or complete syllabi, the turnaround time may be 24 to 48 hours.

If you need an urgent sworn translation of your degree or academic record, please indicate this at the time of your order so that the team can prioritize it.

What exactly is the purpose of a sworn translation of a university degree?

A sworn translation of a university degreehas three main uses.

1. It is for the validation of foreign degrees in Spain: the Ministry of Universities requires the original degree to be accompanied by its sworn translation into Spanish to initiate the recognition process.
2. It is for the recognition of a Spanish degree abroad: if you want to work or continue studying outside of Spain, the receiving institution will request a sworn translation of the degree into the local language or English as a lingua franca.
3. It is for access to foreign professional associations: doctors, lawyers, architects, and engineers who wish to practice in another EU country need to accredit their qualifications through an official sworn translation.

What is the difference between an academic transcript and a certificate of grades?

Although they are often used as synonyms, there is a common distinction in use: an academic transcript is the complete document that a student can request from the university's registrar and that records their entire educational history.

A certificate of grades or academic certificatemay refer to a more specific extract, such as one for a particular course or qualification.

In English, both are commonly referred to as an academic transcript or record of studies. To know what an academic transcript is and whether the one you have is the correct document for the procedure you need, it is best to consult with the receiving body before requesting the sworn translation.

Can I submit a machine or non-sworn translation of my degree?

No. No university, ministry, professional association, or public administration accepts a translation of academic documents performed with automatic tools or by unauthorized translators.

A sworn translation of university degrees is the only legally recognized mechanism in Spain to accredit the content of a degree issued in another language.

Submitting a non-sworn translation may result in the rejection of the validation file and missing the application deadline.

Do I need an apostille in addition to a sworn translation to validate my degree?

It depends on the country of origin of the degree. If the issuing country is a signatory to the 1961 Hague Convention, the degree must bear the Hague apostille before being translated.

The apostille certifies the authenticity of the signature of the official who issued the degree; the sworn translation translates its content.

For the validation of foreign degrees in Spain, the Ministry of Universities usually requires the original degree to bear an apostille and be accompanied by its sworn translation into Spanish. If the country of origin is not a signatory to the Convention, the legalization process is different.

Real use cases per document

• For the university degree: validation before the Ministry of Universities, recognition of professional qualifications in the EU, admission to master's or doctoral programs in foreign universities, registration with professional bodies in another country, selection processes in multinational companies that require verification of qualifications.
• For the academic transcript or certificate of grades: admission to international programs that evaluate the average grade, scholarships such as Erasmus+, Fulbright, or calls from international organizations; validation of partial studies completed abroad; accreditation of prior training in public examinations and competitions.
• For the curriculum: degree validation before the Ministry of Universities when the body needs to compare the program studied with the equivalent Spanish curriculum, credit recognition in universities that require seeing the complete program structure; professional recognition processes in EU countries for regulated professions.
• For the certificate of professional registration: practice of regulated professions in another EU country, accreditation of professional qualification to international employers, registration in foreign professional associations by Spanish graduates, verification of the professional registration status of foreign professionals who wish to practice in Spain.