Sworn translation of a lease agreement
A sworn translation of a lease agreement is the official translation of your rental contract — residential, seasonal or commercial —, signed and stamped by a sworn translator appointed by the MAEC. Consulates and immigration offices require it to prove accommodation for visas and residence permits, and banks, insurers and courts when the tenancy enters a file in another language. We translate contracts into 39 languages, with a fixed quote before we start, delivered on the agreed date.
Free, no-obligation quote · Last updated: August 2026
- Translators appointed by the MAEC
- Delivery in the agreed date
- Over 400 Google reviews
- Precise contractual terminology
The clauses where approximation is not an option
A rental contract is concentrated legal terminology: every term has effects. In the sworn translation we pay particular attention to:
- Rent and indexation: amounts, review indices and payment terms, carried across without ambiguity.
- Deposit and guarantees: the statutory deposit (fianza), additional security and bank guarantees — concepts whose legal regime changes from country to country.
- Term and extensions: duration, statutory extensions and notice periods, with their exact legal references.
- Termination and withdrawal: grounds for ending the contract and compensation — the part most often litigated.
Who needs the lease agreement translated?
Both parties to the contract — for different reasons:
The foreign tenant
For visas and residence permits — digital nomad, non-lucrative, student — which require proof of accommodation in Spain; to open a bank account, enrol children at school or prove an address to their own country. The contract travels translated into the consulate’s language.
The landlord with a tenant or property abroad
To declare rental income to another tax authority, claim unpaid rent before a foreign court or file the contract with their insurer. And if the lease is signed through a power of attorney granted abroad, that power is translated too.
The legal framework travels with the contract. Residential tenancies in Spain are governed by the Urban Tenancies Act (LAU), and its concepts — statutory deposit, compulsory extension, tenant’s withdrawal — do not always have an exact equivalent in other legal systems. The sworn translation carries them across with a translator’s note where needed, so the receiving authority understands exactly which regime applies. That nuance is what separates a correct translation from one that raises questions.
How we translate your rental contract
From the signed, digitised contract, with whatever annexes your procedure requires.
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Send your contract
As a PDF or high-quality photo — with the annexes if the procedure requires them — via the quotation form, by email or on WhatsApp, stating the language and destination country.
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Receive your fixed quote
A fixed price per document, with no obligation. A standard residential contract is quoted in minutes. The sworn translator starts once you confirm.
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Your translation, in la fecha acordada
You receive it as a digitally signed PDF — valid on any electronic filing platform — and, if you need it on paper, by courier or collected in Adeje, Seville or Málaga.
Why a sworn translation and not a standard one? Because consulates, immigration offices, banks and courts only accept translations bearing the signature, stamp and accreditation number of a sworn translator appointed by the MAEC. An ordinary translation, however accurate, has no official validity: the file is returned and the procedure starts over. Translations into English are signed by our in-house translator, appointed by the MAEC.
Frequently asked questions about translating a rental contract
How much does it cost to translate a lease agreement?
It depends on the length: a standard residential contract takes up few pages and is among the most affordable translations; commercial leases with annexes add up. The language and the complexity of the document also count, and you will always receive a fixed price per document before deciding, with no obligation.
Is it valid for the digital nomad visa or the non-lucrative residence permit?
Yes: proving accommodation in Spain is a standard requirement for those visas, and the lease agreement translated into the consulate’s language is the usual evidence — often together with the certificate of empadronamiento. Check with your consulate whether they also require a minimum remaining term on the contract.
Does the whole contract have to be translated, or just some clauses?
The whole of it: a sworn translation is by definition complete and faithful, with every clause, annexes included if they are submitted. An extract has no official validity. What you can do is submit only the main document without annexes, if the authority allows it — tell us the procedure and we adjust the order.
Do you also translate foreign contracts for use in Spain?
Yes, that is the reverse case: rental contracts signed in another country and filed with Spanish courts, insurers or immigration files. They are translated into Spanish with the same precise contractual terminology — rent, deposit, term, termination — as in the other direction.
Do I need an apostille on the lease agreement?
Normally not: it is a private document and most authorities accept the sworn translation on its own. Only if an authority requires proof of the authenticity of the signatures will they have to be authenticated before a notary and, where applicable, apostilled — apostille first, translation afterwards. Tell us the destination and we will confirm whether it applies to you.
In which format will I receive the translation?
As a digitally signed PDF from the sworn translator, with the same legal validity as paper, and optionally on paper by courier anywhere in Spain or collected at our offices in Adeje, Seville and Málaga.