Order a sworn translation (traducción jurada) of a death certificate, prepared by a translator authorised by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ready for submission to Spanish authorities and institutions.
No quotes, no delays — just a fixed £49 per page.
A death certificate is the foundational document in Spanish inheritance and estate administration processes. When someone passes away and leaves assets in Spain — property, bank accounts, investments, or other holdings — Spanish authorities require formal confirmation of the death before any legal or financial changes can take place. That confirmation must be presented in Spanish, which means a death certificate issued in the UK needs to be translated by a sworn translator (traductor jurado) officially authorised by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores). A standard certified translation will not be accepted.
In Spain, the inheritance process (herencia) is handled through a notary (notario), who requires the death certificate as the starting point for the entire process. The Civil Registry (Registro Civil) may also require it where civil records need to be updated to reflect the death. In both cases, the sworn translation needs to be accurate, clearly presented, and formally certified — because the legal steps that follow depend on it.
At Spanish Sworn Translators UK, we prepare sworn translations of death certificates with particular care given to names, dates, and legal details — the elements that Spanish notaries and authorities check most closely, and where any inconsistency or ambiguity can cause delays in what is already a difficult process.
There’s nothing to quote and nothing to wait for. You know exactly what you’ll pay before you order, and that price doesn’t change. Most providers ask you to request a quote first — we don’t think that should be necessary for a straightforward service.
Most death certificates are completed within 2 to 3 working days of your order being placed. We’ll confirm a realistic timeframe when we receive your order and keep you updated throughout. We understand that inheritance and estate processes often involve time-sensitive legal deadlines — if yours does, let us know when you order and we will prioritise accordingly.
Submit a clear photo or scan of the document securely online. We’ll confirm receipt and get started straight away.
Your death certificate is translated by a sworn translator authorised by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If you need physical copies with wet-ink signature and stamp, or a UK Hague Apostille — which is commonly required for inheritance processes in Spain — we can arrange both, all handled in-house.
Your sworn translation is delivered by email as a signed, stamped PDF, ready for submission to Spanish authorities, notaries, or institutions. Physical copies are sent via tracked courier if required.
Every translation includes:
This service is for you if you need to submit a death certificate to Spanish authorities as part of an inheritance process (herencia), probate, estate administration, or any legal or administrative process in Spain where a death needs to be formally confirmed. It is also suitable where the Civil Registry (Registro Civil) requires the death to be formally registered in Spanish civil records.
We understand that dealing with paperwork at this time is often the last thing anyone wants to be doing. We aim to make this part of the process as straightforward and stress-free as possible — so you can focus on what matters.
If you have any questions before ordering, please get in touch at info@spanishsworntranslators.co.uk — we’re happy to help.
Death certificates are documents we handle with particular care — not just because accuracy matters in inheritance and legal proceedings, but because we understand the circumstances in which people are usually ordering them.
The Spanish inheritance process can feel complex and unfamiliar, especially when you are dealing with it from the UK. The death certificate is where it starts — the document that a Spanish notary or authority needs before anything else can move forward. Getting the translation right, and getting it done quickly, genuinely matters.
If you have any questions before or after ordering, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at info@spanishsworntranslators.co.uk. We’re here to help.
Ana Martínez, Lead Translator at Spanish Sworn Translators
Yes. If a death certificate is being submitted to Spanish authorities, a notary (notario), or any institution in Spain, it must be translated into Spanish by a sworn translator (traductor jurado) officially authorised by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores). A standard certified translation is not sufficient and will not be accepted for official use. This applies whether the certificate is being used for inheritance, estate administration, or any other legal or administrative process in Spain.
The most common situation is the Spanish inheritance process (herencia), where a death certificate is the foundational document required before any legal or financial steps can be taken. A Spanish notary (notario) will need to see it before the inheritance can be formally processed — whether that involves transferring property, accessing bank accounts, or distributing other assets held in Spain.
Death certificates are also commonly required to update civil records with the Civil Registry (Registro Civil), to access survivor benefits, to resolve legal matters involving the deceased, and to confirm a change in family or marital status for administrative purposes in Spain.
The notary (notario) uses the death certificate as the starting point for the inheritance process (herencia). It formally confirms the death and establishes the legal basis for everything that follows — identifying heirs, assessing the estate, and ultimately transferring assets to beneficiaries. Without a correctly translated and certified death certificate, the notary cannot proceed. The translation needs to be accurate and formally certified so the notary can rely on it without question.
Yes — and we back that with a money-back guarantee. Every translation is completed by a sworn translator officially authorised by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is the standard required for legal recognition across Spain. Our translations are accepted by Spanish notaries, the Civil Registry, and official bodies throughout Spain. If your translation is rejected on the basis of its sworn status or certification, we will refund you in full.
In many cases, yes — particularly for inheritance processes in Spain, where a UK Hague Apostille is commonly required to confirm that the death certificate is genuine and has been issued by a recognised UK authority. The apostille and sworn translation are typically both needed, and we can arrange both in-house so everything is handled together. If you are unsure whether an apostille is required for your specific situation, get in touch before you order and we will help you work out exactly what is needed.
No. Spanish authorities — including notaries and the Civil Registry — require documents to be submitted in Spanish for official use. A death certificate issued in English will not be formally accepted or acted upon without a sworn translation. Attempting to submit an untranslated document is likely to delay the process at a point where time often matters.
The entire document is translated in full — including the full name of the deceased, date and place of death, registration details, and all other information contained in the original certificate. Nothing is summarised or omitted. Particular care is taken to ensure that the name of the deceased is translated consistently and exactly as it appears in the original, since this needs to match the name on other documents in the inheritance file — any discrepancy can cause delays with the notary or Civil Registry.
Most death certificates are completed within 2 to 3 working days of your order being placed. We’ll confirm a realistic timeframe when we receive your order and keep you updated throughout. We understand that inheritance and estate processes often involve time-sensitive legal deadlines — if yours does, let us know when you order and we will prioritise accordingly.
Yes. We translate death certificates issued in other English-speaking countries — including Ireland, the United States, Canada, and Australia — provided the document is clear and legible. The sworn translation will be prepared to the standard required for official use in Spain. If your certificate is issued in a language other than English, get in touch before ordering and we will confirm whether we can assist.
The Spanish inheritance process typically requires several documents to be translated and submitted together. Alongside the death certificate, a notary will commonly require a will (testamento) if one exists, birth certificates establishing family relationships, marriage certificates where relevant, and property documentation for any assets held in Spain. If you need multiple documents translated as part of the same inheritance process, get in touch before ordering and we can advise on the best approach and manage everything together.
The first step is usually to obtain the death certificate and have it translated and apostilled for submission to a Spanish notary. From there, the notary will guide the inheritance process — identifying heirs, assessing the estate, and managing the transfer of assets. We can help with the translation and apostille side of things, making sure your documents are correctly prepared and ready for submission. If you are unsure where to start or which documents you need translated, get in touch at info@spanishsworntranslators.co.uk and we will help you work it out.
Inheritance and estate processes in Spain often require more than a death certificate. Here are some of the other civil documents we commonly translate alongside death certificates.
A birth certificate may be required in Spanish inheritance processes to establish family relationships and confirm the identity of heirs. Also needed for nationality applications and civil registration in Spain.
A marriage certificate may be required alongside a death certificate in Spanish inheritance processes where the marital status of the deceased needs to be formally established for the notary or Civil Registry.
Required where a previous marriage was dissolved and the divorce needs to be formally evidenced as part of an inheritance or civil registration process in Spain.
Required when a UK national intends to marry in Spain. The Civil Registry uses it to confirm there are no legal barriers to the marriage under UK law.
Required when submitting documents to Spanish authorities under a changed name. Particularly relevant in inheritance processes where name consistency across all documents in the file needs to be established.