8 min readReal Story: Two Spanish Police Clearance Certificates, Notarized and Held for Pickup in Midtown

In March, a customer called us about two Spanish-language police clearance certificates that needed English translations. One ran a single page. The other, which carried an apostille, ran two. He wanted both certified and notarized, and collecting the printed copies at our office was part of the plan from the start. The translations came back on a Saturday, two days ahead of the promised date. A short mix-up followed over whether both files had arrived, the team re-sent them, and the notarized set was ready at our Midtown office within hours of his approval.

The Situation

The order began with a phone call on a Thursday afternoon in early March. The intake record showed Spanish into English, the purpose logged simply as general. Our consultant replied by email two minutes later asking for a clear photo or scan, attaching a sample certificate of translation with notary lines so the customer could see what the finished package would contain. Explore our police clearance translation services for details.

Three minutes later, two PDFs arrived: police clearance certificates issued in Spain. Our intake team logged the first at one page and about 238 words, the second at two pages and about 451 words, both good scans. The longer file was the one bearing an apostille. Both went into the queue for police clearance certificate translation from Spanish into English.

The quote set out four turnaround options, from a seven to eight hour rush window up to a standard two business days, with notarization as an add-on. He chose the standard route and paid that afternoon.

How We Handled It

The schedule, written down in advance

The payment confirmation named every step. The certified translations would be emailed for review and approval by 5:00 PM EST the following Monday. Approval would release them for notarization, and the printed copies would be ready for a scheduled visit to our West 35th Street office. The email asked him to name a time.

Delivered early, and a pair that was not missing

Production finished ahead of schedule. Both translations were emailed on Saturday afternoon, two days before the promised Monday deadline, with a note asking the customer to review and confirm. Minutes later he replied that there were two documents to translate and he could see only one pair attached. He repeated that he would collect in person, so nothing needed mailing.

Our team checked the record: both translations had been produced and both had been sent. Rather than debate what his inbox had displayed, the Sunday reply attached both files again: “The 2 documents that were provided to us were translated and delivered to you.” He opened them on Monday morning and answered, “Yes, both documents look good.”

Notarization and a pickup time he chose

His approval arrived at 7:40 on Monday morning. The ticket moved to notarization within the hour, and by 11:37 our team wrote that the documents with notarized certificates would be ready for pickup by 2:30 PM that day.

Just after noon he answered, “Ok thank you. I will actually come on Wednesday morning to pick up the documents.” Our team confirmed Wednesday and widened the window to any time between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM. The notarized set was finished that afternoon and held.

The Result

Two certified English translations, each with a signed certificate of translation, each notarized, printed and waiting in Midtown for a time the customer picked himself. Review came before notarization, so the notarized certificates were issued on the versions he had approved.

What a Police Clearance Certificate Is

A police clearance certificate is an official statement from a national or regional police authority about a person’s recorded criminal history in that country. Countries use different names for it, and the format varies: some are a single page with a seal, others run to several pages with reference numbers and a signature block.

Offices that request these certificates usually ask for the document in full, in English, not a summary. A complete translation covers the printed form, the body text, the issuing authority, reference numbers, dates and the wording inside stamps and seals. Our legal translation team handles these alongside contracts and other court papers.

Certified, Notarized and Apostilled: Three Different Steps

These three words get used interchangeably. They are not the same thing.

• A certified translation is our own human translator’s work plus a signed certificate stating that the translation is complete and accurate.
• Notarization means a notary witnesses the translator’s signature on that certificate, confirming who signed, not what the translation says.
• An apostille is a separate government step that authenticates a public document for use abroad. It is issued by an authority, not by a translation company.

In this story the apostille was already on the source document, which is the usual order: a document is apostilled where it was issued, then the whole set is translated. If you are unsure which step you need, ask the receiving office and tell us what it says. We add notarized translation in New York whenever it is requested.

What to Check Before You Approve a Draft

Approval is the moment that matters, because notarization follows it. Before you reply, check:

• Every name, letter by letter, against your passport and other documents
• Dates, reference numbers and registry numbers, digit by digit
• The issuing authority’s name and the office that produced it
• That stamps, seals and signature blocks were translated rather than skipped
• That every page you sent has come back translated, apostille included

If something looks wrong, say so before you approve. Revisions are free for 30 days after delivery, but settling a question before notarization saves a round trip.

Sending Spanish Documents for Translation

Spanish-language civil and police records reach us from Spain and across Latin America, and the same advice applies to all of them:

• Scan in color at high resolution so seals and small print stay legible
• Include every page, front and back, apostille pages included
• Tell us the passport spelling of every name that appears
• Say up front whether you need notarization, a hard copy, or both

Our Spanish translation services in New York use human translators.

Collecting a Notarized Translation in Midtown Manhattan

Plenty of customers prefer to collect documents rather than wait on the mail, which is what this customer arranged. Our office is at 224 W 35th St #1200-8, New York, NY 10001, on the 12th floor between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. The 1, 2, 3 and A, C, E trains stop at 34th Street–Penn Station, the B, D, F, M, N, Q, R and W trains stop at 34th Street–Herald Square, and Port Authority is a short walk west.

Tell us when you plan to arrive so the set is ready, and call 1-800-230-7918 if plans change, as they did here. For more on apostilled paperwork, read about a Mexican diploma with an apostille translated in New York, or see our Midtown Manhattan translation services.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you translate a police clearance certificate from Spanish into English?

Yes. Our human translators handle police clearance and background certificates from Spain and across Latin America, and each translation includes a signed certificate of translation. The whole document is translated, including the issuing authority, reference numbers, dates and the text inside stamps and seals.

Does the apostille page need to be translated too?

Usually yes. An apostille is part of the document set, and offices asking for a complete translation generally expect it included. In this story the apostille was already attached to the source document, and the two-page file was translated as a whole. If unsure, ask the receiving office.

How long does a certified translation with notarization take?

For short certificates our standard turnaround is two business days, and faster windows can be arranged: this order was quoted with options from seven to eight hours upward. Notarization follows your approval, so allow time for it. Here the translations arrived two days early and the notarized set was ready the afternoon approval came in.

What if I think part of my delivery is missing?

Tell us, and we will check and resend. Attachments are sometimes stripped or collapsed in transit even when everything was sent correctly. That is what happened here: the customer reported seeing only one pair of files, our team confirmed both had been sent, and both were attached again to the next reply.

Can I collect the printed documents instead of having them mailed?

Yes. Notarized hard copies can be collected at our Midtown office once you have approved the draft, and you choose the time. Let us know roughly when you plan to arrive so the set is printed and waiting. If your plans change, tell us and we will hold the documents.

Do you notarize the translation itself?

No, and no translation company can. A notary witnesses the translator’s signature on the certificate of translation; the notary is not attesting to the accuracy of the translated text. That matters when an office asks for a notarized translation, because what it receives is a certified translation whose certificate was signed before a notary.

Need a Certificate Translated and Notarized in New York?

Send a clear scan of every page, apostille included, and say whether you will collect the hard copies or have them mailed. Get a free quote or call 1-800-230-7918. Vanan Services has served customers since 2009 and is rated 4.9 stars from 970+ Google reviews.

This story is based on a real Vanan Services order. Names, dates and other identifying details have been removed to protect our customer’s privacy.