# How to translate a Spanish PDF to English

To translate a Spanish PDF to English, upload it, choose English and download the Word file. LoreAI reads scanned and photographed pages and keeps both surnames and every accent as written, so José Ramírez Ortega stays José Ramírez Ortega, though a name OCR misses in small print is missing from the Word file too. For USCIS, a translator also certifies the English version as complete and accurate[1].

## Spanish documents people translate most

Most Spanish PDFs needing translation into English come from Mexico, Central and South America or Spain. They are usually records for an office or employer to read.

- Civil records, such as an acta de nacimiento, an acta de matrimonio or a divorce ruling. A birth certificate has its own guides for [Spanish birth certificates](https://www.loreai.org/birth-certificate-translation/spanish-to-english) and for [Mexican birth certificates](https://www.loreai.org/birth-certificate-translation/mexico).
- School records, such as a certificado de estudios, a boleta de calificaciones or a título. Grade tables come back as Word tables.
- Work and money papers, such as a constancia laboral, a payroll receipt or a bank statement.
- Court and notary documents, such as a sentencia or an escritura, where every reference number counts.

## How are double surnames, accents and dates handled?

- **Two surnames**: Kept in full and in the order of the original, usually the father's surname first. LoreAI does not shorten names or add hyphens.
- **Accents and ñ**: Kept as written. Peña stays Peña and Ramírez stays Ramírez, because Spanish and English share the Latin script.
- **Written dates**: 14 de junio de 1994 becomes 14 June 1994. The month is translated and the digits stay.
- **Numeric dates**: 22/06/1994 stays 22/06/1994, day first, not the US month-first order. Check every date anyway, because a flipped date changes its meaning, and tell an American reader which format the document uses.
- **Amounts**: 1.250,00 stays 1.250,00, with the period and comma of the original.
- **Addresses**: Should stay as written. Check them, see below.

A US form often has a single field for the last name. Decide with the receiver whether both surnames go into it, and use the same spelling on every form you file.

## What our Spanish translation tests showed

LoreAI tests its translations with specimen documents that use invented names. Its Spanish tests found the following errors.

On October 31, 2026, on a low-resolution photo of the specimen Spanish-language driver's license, specimen-drivers-license-es.pdf, the address Av. Ejemplo 120, Col. Centro came back as 120 Example Ave., Downtown Neighborhood. An address should stay as written, so read every street and colonia name against the original. The example on the [driver's license page](https://www.loreai.org/drivers-license-translation) shows it.

On October 31, 2026, a scanned specimen Spanish birth certificate was run four times. Text recognition missed the registrar's name in the signature block before translation in every run. Check every name in the Word file against the scan, including the small print at the foot of the page.

## How to translate a PDF from Spanish to English

1. **Find the best copy.** Use the digital PDF from the registry or bank if you have it. Otherwise scan the paper, or take a straight photo of each page.
2. **Upload it to LoreAI.** Create an account first. The first document is free, up to 3 pages and 3 MB.
3. **Set the target to English.** LoreAI detects Spanish automatically. You only choose English.
4. **Wait for the Word file.** A one-page acta is usually done in under a minute.
5. **Proofread names, numbers and addresses.** Check both surnames, the CURP or ID number, every date and every address against the Spanish original.

## Is the English translation enough for USCIS?

Not by itself. USCIS asks for a full English translation of every Spanish document, certified by the translator as complete and accurate, along with the translator's statement that they are competent to translate from Spanish into English[1].

LoreAI is not a certified translation service and does not sign translations. A person fluent in both languages checks the Word draft and signs it. [USCIS translation requirements](https://www.loreai.org/uscis-translation) explains who can sign and what goes in the statement.

## Questions people ask

### Can I translate a photo of a Spanish document?

Yes. Upload the JPG or PNG and choose English. LoreAI reads the photo with OCR and returns the same kind of Word file as for a PDF.

### Will my second surname be dropped?

No. LoreAI keeps both surnames in the order of the original once OCR has read them. In a test on October 31, 2026, OCR missed a registrar's name in small print, so compare every name with the scan. Shortening a name for a US form is a choice you make, not something the translation does.

### Does it keep the Spanish date format?

Yes. A date like 22/06/1994 keeps its day-first order, and written-out dates get English month names. Check each date against the original before you file it.

### Can I use the translation for immigration?

As a draft. USCIS asks for a translation certified by a competent translator[1], so a person checks 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 2, 2026

By Matt Mountain · Updated November 2, 2026