Spanish interpreters and translators for patients, families, solicitors, courts, employers and visiting delegations anywhere in the UK. We arrange face-to-face, telephone and video interpreting, certified translation between Spanish and English for Spanish and Latin American documents, and bookings are taken 24/7.
- 8,000+ linguists
- 350+ languages
- Bookings 24/7, every day of the year
- Free quotes
Spanish interpreting services
Any trained Spanish interpreter can work with any Spanish speaker, but accents and habits differ enough to be worth matching when the stakes are high. Mexicans, Colombians and Caribbean speakers each sound different; Argentines and Uruguayans say vos tenés where others say tú tienes; most Latin Americans and many Andalusians pronounce z and soft c as s. People from Galicia, Catalonia or the Basque Country usually handle Spanish easily even if another language is spoken at home.
Most public service work is consecutive. Conferences and large meetings use simultaneous interpreting, with two interpreters in a booth taking turns every half hour or so.
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 Spanish 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 Spanish translation
Common Spanish documents include the DNI identity card and the NIE foreigner's number from Spain, the Libro de Familia, and from Latin America an acta de nacimiento, a Mexican CURP or a Colombian cédula de ciudadanía. Spain and most Latin American states belong to the Apostille Convention, so originals often arrive with an apostille attached. Each translator we use works into their native language, so these are translated into English by native English speakers.
Hispanic names carry two surnames, normally the father's first and the mother's second. UK systems often keep only one, or hyphenate the pair, so we follow the passport and flag any document where the order differs.
- 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 Spanish audio and video recordings, with an English translation if you need one.
English to Spanish translation
Before translating into Spanish, decide who will read it. For readers from Spain we write in peninsular Spanish, using vosotros and words like ordenador and móvil. For Latin Americans, or for a UK leaflet going to a mixed audience, a neutral Latin American Spanish with ustedes and widely understood vocabulary such as computadora and celular reaches the most people. If the readers are from one country, tell us, and we can go further.
Spanish court and police interpreters
Spanish is one of the better-served languages in UK legal work. For police interviews, magistrates' and Crown Court cases, tribunals and family hearings we look for Spanish interpreters with legal experience who hold the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (Law) or are registered with the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI). Where a Latin American defendant or witness is involved, we try to match their region as well, because slang and street terms in evidence are often very local.
How to book a Spanish 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 Spanish language
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
Spanish interpreters near you
We send Spanish 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.
Spanish interpreter and translator FAQs
How quickly can I book a Spanish 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 Spanish interpreters work nearby.
How much does a Spanish 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 Spanish 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 Spanish 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 Spanish interpreter with the right legal experience and qualifications.
How many people speak Spanish 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 Spanish at home but gave English as their main language are not in that figure. Scotland and Northern Ireland count languages in their own censuses.
