Translation Certification at the Spanish Consulate

Spain has joined the list of nations that are party to the Hague Convention of 1961 which cancelled the requirement for certification. Consequently, the recognition procedure is now simplified and entails an apostille being stamped on the original or a notarial copy of a Russian document. Furthermore, a translation of the document must be performed into Spanish. The translation can be performed in Russia by any translation agency or translator and certified at the Spanish consulate in Moscow or by a “traductor jurado” (“sworn translator”) in Spain.

Each of these options has its upsides and downsides. Preparation of your documents in Russia will allow you to depart to Spain with your documents package already completely prepared without having to look for a sworn translator of Russian and Spanish, especially in the case that you are taking your first trip to the country, don't know Spanish well enough yet, and are not accustomed to the environment there. Furthermore, the cost of translation in Russia is significantly lower than you’ll have to pay for analogous services in Spain. The downside is that the size of the consular fee at the Spanish Consulate is rather high (you’ll have to pay 3,000-4,000 RUB for one little certificate).

Translation certification at the Spanish Consulate

Since the Spanish Consulate doesn't have accredited translators, the translation can be done by any translator or translation agency in the Russian Federation. But the Consulate does impose certain requirements on translations, which include, in part:

• the translation must be stapled to the original document or a Xeroxed copy of it (not a notarial copy of the document);
• the translation must not be signed or bear the seal of the translator or translation company;
• the document must be translated fully, including the text of any seals, stamps, or notes appearing in the text;
• translation of 2-NDFL (personal income tax) certificates, police certificates, diplomas, and credentials in the vocabulary selection section must be completed in strict accordance with the Consulate’s requirements. No use of synonyms is permitted;
• such rigid requirements are not imposed on the translation of medical statements, workplace statements, and academic statements;
• translations are to be printed only on one side of the printer paper and must contain no more than thirty lines per page. The consular fee is calculated based on the number of lines in the translation.