By Dr Andrew Smith | Medical Director, Wilmer Health | Published: 13 April 2025 | Last Update: 26 April 2026
This guide is reviewed regularly to reflect current Spanish consulate requirements. Last updated April 2026 by Dr Andrew Smith, Medical Director, Wilmer Health. For specific advice about your individual application, contact us at hello@wilmerhealth.com.
If you’re applying for a Spanish long-stay visa from the UK — whether that’s a Non-Lucrative Visa, a Student Visa, a Digital Nomad Visa, or another long-stay route — your medical certificate needs a Spanish sworn translation before the consulate will accept it. This guide explains your options for getting that done, what a sworn translation actually is, how to find one, and why a bilingual certificate might save you the whole step entirely.
It’s one of those things that’s easy to overlook until you’re close to your BLS appointment — so it’s worth sorting early. Your certificate also needs an apostille before submission, and both need to be in place before you can submit your application. For the full picture on everything the certificate needs, read our complete guide — Spanish Visa Medical Certificate in the UK: Everything You Need to Know (2026).
Yes — always. Spanish consulate staff need to be able to read and verify your certificate themselves. They won’t accept a certificate issued in English only, and they won’t rely on an informal translation or one produced by an online tool.
The translation must be carried out by a sworn translator — a professional officially registered with the Spanish government. Anything less won’t be accepted, regardless of how accurate it is.
A sworn translator — known in Spanish as a traductor jurado — is a professional who is officially appointed by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to produce legally valid translations of official documents.
It’s worth knowing that sworn translators for Spanish documents are registered in Spain, not the UK. This means they don’t have to be based in the UK, but they must hold Spanish government registration for their translation to be accepted by Spanish consulates. A bilingual friend, a standard translation agency, or an AI tool won’t qualify — even if the translation itself is perfectly accurate.
A sworn translation includes:
Your options for finding a sworn translator include:
The official Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs list: The Spanish consulate in London publishes a list of sworn translators recognised for use with Spanish visa applications. This is the most reliable starting point — you can find it on the consulate’s website or ask them directly for the current list.
UK-based translation agencies: Some translation agencies in the UK work with registered Spanish sworn translators and can handle the process on your behalf. Always confirm the translator holds official Spanish government registration before proceeding.
Wilmer Health’s sworn translation service: If you already have your certificate and need a sworn translation, Wilmer Health offers a sworn translation service as part of our document package. Our translators are registered with the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our translations are accepted by all Spanish consulates in the UK.
No — even if you’re fluent in Spanish. Spanish consulates only accept translations produced by officially registered sworn translators. A self-translation, a translation by a bilingual friend, or one produced by Google Translate or any other online tool will not be accepted and will result in your application being rejected.
Many applicants spend time and money finding a sworn translator when there’s a simpler route available from the start: a bilingual medical certificate issued in both English and Spanish on the same document.
At Wilmer Health, every certificate we issue comes in bilingual format as standard — English and Spanish together. This means there’s no sworn translation to arrange, no extra cost, and no additional wait. You still need an apostille, but the translation step is already done.
Compared to arranging a sworn translation separately — which typically costs between £60 and £100 — a bilingual certificate saves you both money and time. For most applicants, it’s the most straightforward option available. Find out more about the benefits of a bilingual Spanish visa medical certificate.
If you do need to arrange a sworn translation separately, expect to pay between £60 and £100 in the UK, sometimes more depending on the translator and how quickly you need it. Turnaround times vary — always confirm before committing, especially if your BLS appointment is coming up.
By comparison, Wilmer Health’s bilingual certificate is included as standard in all our packages — so there’s no separate translation cost to budget for. For a full breakdown of what everything costs, read our guide on how much a Spanish visa medical certificate costs in the UK.
At Wilmer Health, we issue every certificate in bilingual format as standard — so the translation is already done before the certificate even reaches you. Our sworn translations are produced by translators officially registered with the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and our certificates are accepted by all Spanish consulates in the UK.
If you already have a certificate and need a sworn translation arranged separately, we can help with that too as part of our document services.
Everything is done online, and we’re on hand seven days a week. Got a question before you apply? Drop us a message at hello@wilmerhealth.com — we’re always happy to help.