Translation and Interpretation Schools and Programs in Spain

Translation and Interpretation Studies in Spain

Translation and interpreting is a university subject in Spain, taught as a four-year bachelor's degree (grado) and as specialised master's degrees. Students work from their first language into and out of two or more foreign languages, and the degree covers specialised translation (legal, technical, literary, audiovisual), interpreting, terminology and translation technology. Spanish is always one of the working languages, so the subject is a natural option for students who already speak Spanish well.

How the degree is organised

Under Royal Decree 822/2021, official bachelor's degrees in Spain have 240 ECTS credits and master's degrees 60, 90 or 120, with 60 credits per academic year. The usual title is the Grado en Traducción e Interpretación (bachelor's degree in Translation and Interpreting); some universities use variants such as Modern Languages and Translation (Universidad de Alcalá) or name the language pair in the title, as the Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria does with English-German and English-French. A search of the ministry's Register of Universities, Centres and Degrees (RUCT) returns 44 bachelor's records containing "traducción", including some degrees being phased out.

Students choose a first foreign language (language B) on admission and add a second one (language C). The Universidad de Málaga's degree, for example, takes four years and uses Spanish, English, French, German, Italian, Arabic and Greek; the Universidad de Granada added Spanish Sign Language as a language C in 2026.

At master's level RUCT lists 70 records with "traducción" in the title, some discontinued. Examples include public service interpreting and translation at the Universidad de Alcalá, audiovisual translation and localisation (a joint degree of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and the Universidad Complutense de Madrid), translation studies at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra and research in translation and interpreting at the Universitat Jaume I. Universities and schools also run their own programmes (títulos propios), which are not official degrees. The Universitat Rovira i Virgili, for instance, offers an online master's in professional Spanish-English translation of 60 ECTS that includes a work placement.

Admission, language and costs

Students who completed secondary school outside Spain usually apply through UNEDasiss, the UNED service that assesses international students' academic records and runs the tests needed to enter a bachelor's degree. Documents have to be legalised and translated in good time, and the application for admission is then made to each university within its own deadlines.

Places are set per language. The Universidad de Alicante offers 180 places: 70 for English, 60 for French and 50 for German as language B, and teaches in Spanish and the chosen foreign language. A high level in both Spanish and the language B is expected; for its online master's, the Universitat Rovira i Virgili asks for C1 in both Spanish and English.

Public universities charge per credit. At the Universidad de Alicante a credit costs €12.79 on first enrolment, around €770 for a 60-credit year at the standard fee, with separate prices for non-resident students from outside the EU. Fees for own-title programmes vary: the Universitat Rovira i Virgili gives about €2,900 for its online master's, depending on where the student lives.

Where to study Translation and Interpreting in Spain

Madrid has the most schools in our directory, with the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, the Universidad Pontificia Comillas and, nearby, the Universidad de Alcalá, the Universidad Europea de Madrid and the Universidad Antonio de Nebrija. Salamanca combines the Universidad de Salamanca with Spanish language schools such as Mester Salamanca, and Barcelona has the Universitat Pompeu Fabra.

Other examples are the Universidad de Granada and the Universidad de Málaga in Andalusia, the Universidad de Murcia, the Universidad de Alicante and the Universitat Jaume I in the east, the Universidad de Valladolid, the Universidad de Vigo, the Universidad del País Vasco, and the Universidad de La Laguna and the Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands.

Recognition and sworn translation

An official Spanish degree is listed in RUCT and valid throughout the country. Translation is not a regulated profession for homologación purposes (the Universidad de Málaga lists it as "not regulated"), so holders of a foreign degree apply instead for a declaración de equivalencia, through the ministry's online portal only.

Official translations into and from Spanish are a separate matter. They must be done by a sworn translator or interpreter (traductor/a-intérprete jurado/a) appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and are accepted by courts and public administrations. The main route to the title is an exam the ministry calls periodically, and candidates must be citizens of an EU or EEA country.

Careers

Graduates work as freelance or in-house translators, interpreters, localisation and subtitling specialists, terminologists, revisers and post-editors of machine translation, or in language services of companies and public bodies. The Universidad de Granada lists external placements and career guidance as part of its degree.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a Translation and Interpreting degree take in Spain?

Four years. The official bachelor's degree has 240 ECTS credits; an official master's degree adds 60 to 120 credits.

Which languages can I study?

It depends on the university. Spanish is always a working language; the Universidad de Málaga, for example, uses English, French, German, Italian, Arabic and Greek, and the Universidad de Granada offers Spanish Sign Language as a language C.

Can I become a sworn translator in Spain with a degree?

Not automatically. The title of sworn translator is granted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, mainly through an exam, and requires EU or EEA citizenship.

How much does a degree cost at a public university?

Fees are set per credit. At the Universidad de Alicante a credit costs €12.79 on first enrolment, with separate prices for non-resident students from outside the EU.