Castilian interpreters and translators for NHS trusts, solicitors, police forces, schools and Spanish-owned businesses anywhere in the UK, with face-to-face, telephone and video interpreting, certified translation between Castilian and English, and bookings taken 24 hours a day.
- 8,000+ linguists
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Castilian interpreting services
Castilian and Spanish are two names for one language, and clients who choose the first usually come from Spain or want to be clear that they mean the Peninsular variety. Spain itself is not uniform. In much of Andalusia and in the Canary Islands, s and z sound alike and a final s is often softened or dropped, so a speaker from Cádiz or Tenerife can sound closer to Havana than to Valladolid. Many people from Catalonia, Galicia or the Basque Country speak another language at home but are fully fluent in Castilian, and for them a Castilian interpreter is the normal choice.
Most bookings are consecutive: a sentence or two, then the interpretation. For a conference or a works council, simultaneous interpreting from a booth is possible with enough notice.
Face-to-face interpreting
The interpreter comes to you: a hospital ward, a courtroom, a council office, a home visit or a business meeting. It is the best choice when people need to read expressions as well as words, or when the conversation is long or sensitive.
Telephone interpreting
The quickest option to set up. It works well for short calls, triage, appointment reminders and quick checks with a client.
Video interpreting
A Castilian interpreter joins by video for remote hearings, consultations and meetings, which helps when there is no interpreter near you.
We also provide medical interpreting and conference interpreting.
Certified Castilian translation
Paperwork from Spain tends to follow set forms: a birth or marriage certificate from the Registro Civil, the Libro de Familia, a certificate of registration at an address (empadronamiento), a criminal record certificate, university degree titles and notarial deeds. A Spanish public document may carry an apostille, which confirms the signature on it but is not a translation, so a UK body will still want a certified English version. Our translators work into their native language, so Castilian to English goes to a native English speaker.
We copy names exactly as the passport shows them, both surnames, tilde and accents included: Muñoz is not Munoz, and a UK form that drops the second surname is flagged rather than followed.
- Certified translation of birth, marriage and death certificates, passports, driving licences, degree certificates and bank statements, for the Home Office, courts, universities and employers.
- Legal translation: witness statements, court bundles, contracts and immigration papers.
- Document translation of medical reports, letters, leaflets and patient information.
- Urgent translation when a deadline is close.
- Transcription of Castilian audio and video recordings, with an English translation if you need one.
English to Castilian translation
If your readers are from Spain, write for them in Peninsular Spanish: vosotros where you address a group, Spain's own vocabulary, and the formal usted in any official letter. If the readership mixes Spaniards and Latin Americans, a neutral Spanish that avoids vosotros and strongly local words reads naturally to both. Tell us who the leaflet, contract or website is for and we choose the variety to suit.
Castilian court and police interpreters
Castilian is heard in UK courts in criminal trials, family proceedings, employment tribunals and extradition hearings, which in England and Wales take place at Westminster Magistrates' Court. Spanish procedure has figures with no exact British twin, such as the investigating judge (juez de instrucción), and the interpreter keeps the Spanish term with a plain explanation rather than forcing a false match. We look for Castilian interpreters who have legal experience and, where they hold them, the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (Law) or registration with the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI).
How to book a Castilian interpreter
- Tell us about the assignment: the date, time and address, or that you need telephone or video; how long it should last; and what it is for, such as a hospital appointment, a hearing or a business meeting.
- Tell us about the speaker: their country or region and, if you know it, their dialect. Mention any preference for a male or female interpreter.
- Get your quote. We email you a quote, with no obligation to book.
Call 0800 2425 125, email info@uklinguisticservices.co.uk or request a quote online.
About the Castilian language
Castilian (castellano) is another name for Spanish, used especially in Spain and much of Latin America. Some clients say Castilian when they mean the Spanish of Spain rather than Latin American Spanish, so tell us which your readers expect. See also our Spanish interpreter and translator page.
Spanish is a Romance language, spoken mainly in Spain, Mexico, Central and South America, and Equatorial Guinea. It is the official language of Spain, 18 countries of Latin America and Equatorial Guinea, and one of the six official languages of the United Nations.
Spanish is written in the Latin alphabet.
At the 2021 Census, 215,062 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Spanish as their main language, one of the ten most common main languages in England and Wales. The local authorities with the most were the London borough of Southwark (12,998 people), the London borough of Lambeth (12,319) and the London borough of Haringey (8,011). Source: Office for National Statistics.
Before you book: Spanish speakers in the UK come from Spain and from all over Latin America. For a translation aimed at a particular audience, tell us the country, as vocabulary and forms of address differ.
| Name in Spanish | español |
|---|---|
| Language family | Romance language |
| Where it is spoken | Spain, Mexico, Central and South America, and Equatorial Guinea |
| Writing system | Latin alphabet |
| Language code | es |
| Main language in England and Wales (Census 2021) | 215,062 people |
Related languages
Castilian interpreters near you
We send Castilian interpreters to appointments across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and telephone and video interpreting work wherever you are. Choose a town for its local page.
Castilian interpreter and translator FAQs
How quickly can I book a Castilian interpreter?
We take bookings 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Telephone and video interpreting are usually the quickest to arrange. For a face-to-face appointment, give us as much notice as you can: same-day cover is often possible, but it depends on where you are and how many Castilian interpreters work nearby.
How much does a Castilian interpreter cost?
The price depends on the type of interpreting (face-to-face, telephone or video), how long the appointment lasts, where it is and how much notice you give. We quote before anything is booked, and quotes are free: call 0800 2425 125 or use our online quote form.
Can you certify Castilian translations for a UK visa or immigration application?
Yes. We translate and certify documents such as birth and marriage certificates, passports and police certificates for visa, settlement and citizenship applications. UK Visas and Immigration asks for each translation to confirm that it is accurate and to show the date and the translator's full name, signature and contact details, so tell us when you order that the document is for an immigration application.
Do you provide Castilian interpreters for courts, tribunals and police interviews?
Yes. Tell us the setting when you book, for example a Crown Court trial, an immigration tribunal hearing or a police interview under caution, so we can match a Castilian interpreter with the right legal experience and qualifications.
How many people speak Castilian in the UK?
At the 2021 Census, 215,062 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Spanish as their main language, one of the ten most common main languages in England and Wales. The local authorities with the most were the London borough of Southwark (12,998 people), the London borough of Lambeth (12,319) and the London borough of Haringey (8,011). The census asked for each person's main language, so people who speak Castilian at home but gave English as their main language are not in that figure. Scotland and Northern Ireland count languages in their own censuses.
