# How to translate a letter from Spanish to English, typed or handwritten

To translate a letter from Spanish to English, photograph or scan every page, upload them to LoreAI as one file and download the English as an editable Word file. LoreAI reads typed and handwritten Spanish, including the place and date line, the signature block and any stamp. The same steps work for a letter in German or French.

## Which letters people translate

Most of them fall into three groups. Family letters, often handwritten, from a grandparent in Jalisco or an aunt in Galicia. Letters from a school or a doctor abroad about a child or a parent. And letters from an office, such as a town hall, a bank, a pension fund or a consulate, that ask for something or confirm a decision.

For all three you want the English as a document. You can read it, forward it to a lawyer or a sibling, and keep it next to the original. LoreAI returns it as Word, with the paragraphs in the order of the letter.

## How to translate a Spanish letter to English with LoreAI

1. **Photograph each page.** Lay the letter flat in daylight and shoot it straight on. Include the envelope if the sender's address or postmark matters to you.
2. **Put the pages into one file.** A multi-page PDF from your phone's scanner keeps the pages in order. JPG and PNG photos work too.
3. **Type your email at the top of this page.** The 6-digit code we send opens LoreAI. Your first document is free, up to 3 pages and 3 MB.
4. **Choose English and start.** LoreAI detects Spanish, German or French on its own.
5. **Download the Word file.** Greeting, paragraphs, closing and signature block come back in order, as text you can edit.

## How Spanish letter conventions come out in English

- **Place and date**: Guadalajara, a 3 de marzo de 2025 becomes Guadalajara, March 3, 2025
- **Greeting**: Estimado señor or Querida mamá become Dear Sir or Dear Mom
- **Usted**: The formal you becomes plain you, since English has one form
- **Titles**: Lic., Ing. and Dra. are kept and can be read as attorney or graduate, engineer and doctor
- **Closing**: Atentamente becomes Sincerely, and Un abrazo becomes Hugs or Love
- **Numbers**: Reference numbers, amounts and phone numbers are kept as written

Spanish writes numeric dates day first. If a letter says 03/04/2025, it means 3 April, so write the month in words when you pass the English version on.

## Handwritten and old family letters

LoreAI reads handwriting together with print, so a letter written in cursive on lined paper translates the same way as a typed one. Old letters with faded ink read best from a bright, even photo without shadows. For a box of family letters, upload them one letter per file so each comes back as its own Word document.

For more on old scripts and notes, see the [handwriting translator](https://www.loreai.org/handwriting-translator) and [cursive to text](https://www.loreai.org/cursive-to-text).

## Letters in German or French

A letter from a German office opens with Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, which becomes Dear Sir or Madam, and closes with Mit freundlichen Grüßen, Kind regards. The Aktenzeichen near the top is the file reference, and you quote it in any reply. German dates such as 03.04.2025 are day first too.

A French letter opens with Madame, Monsieur and often closes with a long formula starting Veuillez agréer, which English shortens to Yours faithfully. LoreAI translates each formula into its English equivalent, so the letter reads as an English letter.

## A letter for an immigration file

If the letter goes to USCIS, it needs a full English translation and the translator's certification that it is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate the language into English[1]. LoreAI is not a certified translation service. Its Word file is the translation a bilingual person reviews and certifies, and the [certificate of translation template](https://www.loreai.org/certificate-of-translation-template) has the wording.

## Questions people ask

### Can I translate a Spanish letter to English for free?

Yes. LoreAI translates your first document free, up to 3 pages, and returns an English Word file.

### Can LoreAI read a handwritten letter?

Yes. It reads handwritten Spanish, German and French together with any printed parts and translates both.

### Does the translation keep the letter's layout?

Yes. Greeting, paragraphs, closing and signature come back in the order of the original, as editable text.

### Is the translation enough for USCIS?

USCIS asks for a full English translation certified by the translator[1]. A bilingual person reviews LoreAI's file and signs the certification.

## Sources

1. [8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), Translations, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-103/subpart-A/section-103.2), accessed November 6, 2026

By Matt Mountain · Updated November 6, 2026