How to ship documents from Spain to the US (2026)

The Spain–US route in 2026: the second busiest at our office

Every month, dozens of shipments to the United States pass through our office. Most are documents: a mother sending her daughter's birth certificate so a Florida university will admit her, a lawyer sending a power of attorney to a colleague in New York, a client processing a green card who needs their criminal record certificate at USCIS before a deadline.

This guide is for all of those situations. We explain how to send documents to the United States from Spain in 2026: when you need an apostille, whether you need to translate into English, how US customs works for documents, what timelines are realistic, and where the difference lies between a €25 shipment that arrives fine and an €80 one that arrives better.

Do I need an apostille to send the document to the United States?

Yes, almost always. The United States has been a member of the Hague Convention since 1981, so any Spanish public document that will be used before a US authority (USCIS, a university, a court, the DMV, a bank, a civil registry) needs the Hague Apostille.

The quick rule:

• Needs an apostille: birth certificate, marriage certificate, divorce decree, criminal record, official academic degrees, powers of attorney, deeds, death certificates.
• Does not need an apostille: personal correspondence, photographs, private contracts between individuals without a notary.

If you don't know which group your document falls into, we'll confirm it for you free over WhatsApp before you go and apostille. And if you want the detail by authority in Spain, we have a step-by-step guide.

And the English translation? It depends on the state

This is the question that causes the most confusion. In the United States there is no single federal rule: each state and each agency decides which translation it accepts. There are three typical scenarios:

1. USCIS (federal immigration)

USCIS requires an English translation of any document that is not in English. The translation must be accompanied by a Certificate of Translation Accuracy signed by the translator, in which they declare they are competent in both languages and that the translation is accurate. It does not require a sworn translator — the signed certificate is enough.

2. State courts and civil registries

They usually ask for a certified translation or notarized translation. The safest Spanish equivalent is the sworn translation by a MAEC sworn translator-interpreter, which in most states is accepted without further formalities.

3. Universities and employers

Each institution has its own policy. Large universities usually accept Spanish MAEC sworn translations. Some also require the translation to be done by a service "endorsed" by the university itself.

Recommendation: ask the receiving body what type of translation it requires before ordering it. A sworn translation costs between €30 and €80 per page; getting the type wrong means redoing the whole thing. USCIS translation requirements can change, so it is worth checking them against the official website uscis.gov before ordering anything.

The 6 documents most often sent Spain → US

After operating this route for years, this is the real ranking:

1. Birth certificate

For K-1 and K-3 visas, green cards, sponsoring, university enrolment, the DMV in some states, enrolling children in school systems.

Apostille at: the TSJ of the autonomous community. Translation: yes, into English.

2. Criminal background check

USCIS requires it for almost all immigrant visas and for naturalisation. It is valid for 6 months at USCIS, so it pays to plan the dates carefully.

Apostille at: the Ministry of Justice. Translation: yes, into English.

3. University degree and academic transcript

For admission to US universities, professional recognition, the H-1B visa and a green card via employment.

Apostille at: the Ministry of Education or the Ministry of Justice, depending on the document. Translation: most universities require a sworn translation or an evaluation by bodies such as WES or ECE.

4. Marriage certificate

For spousal visas (CR-1, IR-1, K-3), green card adjustment of status, inheritances and insurance with US beneficiaries.

Apostille at: the TSJ. Translation: yes, into English.

5. Power of attorney

When a Spaniard has property, accounts or pending matters in the US and needs someone to act on their behalf.

Apostille at: the Notarial Association. Translation: yes, into English.

6. Divorce decree

To prove civil status before USCIS, for a new marriage in the US, or for the transfer of assets.

Apostille at: the TSJ. Translation: yes, into English.

US customs: what really happens with your shipment

CBP (Customs and Border Protection) controls everything that enters the United States. The good news: personal documents and non-commercial documents pay no duties or tax in the US. The only thing is that the shipment must be correctly declared on the AWB (Air Waybill).

Customs declaration for documents

For personal documents, the declaration used is:

• Content: "Personal documents – no commercial value"
• Customs value: USD 1–5 (symbolic value)
• Reason for export: "Personal" / "Documents"
• Sender ID: the sender's national ID / passport

If the shipment includes documents with a high declared value (property deeds, original academic degrees), it is not treated as "merchandise" because the document itself has no market value — what counts is the legal content, not the paper.

When US customs can hold a document shipment

Documents are only held at CBP for very specific reasons:

1. Inconsistent declaration between what the AWB says and what is in the envelope

2. Suspicion of different content (for example, an envelope too bulky or heavy to be "just papers")

3. Inaccurate or incomplete recipient information

4. Random inspection (~3–5% of shipments)

5. Shipments to flagged recipients on control lists (rare but it exists)

A routine inspection is usually resolved in 24–48 hours. If the envelope is going to USCIS, a federal P.O. Box or a university, it is almost never held. If it is going to a residential address with a high declared value, it pays to declare it sensibly.

Real timeline of a Spain → US shipment

Timelines we see in practice for urban shipments by express courier (not ordinary mail, which is a lottery):

As a general reference, documents Spain↔US usually arrive in 2–4 business days; we confirm the exact timeline when we quote your shipment, depending on destination and service.

The timeline is measured from pick-up at the office or home in Barcelona. If you apostille and arrange a sworn translation before the shipment, add another 5–10 business days to that earlier stage.

How much it costs to ship documents to the US from Spain

We don't publish a fixed "from €X" rate because the price depends on the weight, the exact destination and the urgency. What we do is give you a fixed price over WhatsApp in under 2 hours, with no surprises later.

The price differences between providers come from three variables:

1. Real speed (not the speed promised in a brochure)

2. Insurance coverage and the claims process if there is an incident

3. Tracking and support during transit (human vs robot)

For documents of irrecoverable value (original university degrees, final judgments), the €15 difference between a low-cost service and one with real insurance is worth exactly the cost of repeating the procedure if the envelope is lost.

Request a quote for your shipment to the United States and we'll confirm over WhatsApp the option that best fits your case.

The 5 most common mistakes in shipments to the United States

1. Sending the translation without a certificate of accuracy. USCIS rejects translations without the Certificate of Translation Accuracy. If you translate it yourself or with a translator who does not include the certificate, the document arrives and comes straight back.

2. Old documents for procedures with an expiry date. A criminal record more than 6 months old does not work for USCIS. A very old birth certificate can be questioned by some states. Request the up-to-date certificates before shipping.

3. Incomplete addresses. In the US, "Suite", "Apt", "Floor" are part of the address. Without them, the courier returns the shipment. For a P.O. Box, also include the full city and zip code.

4. Undervaluing to save on duties that don't exist. Since documents pay no duties, there is no point in undervaluing. Do it with a symbolic value (USD 1–5) and it stays correct with CBP. Heavily undervaluing raises questions, not savings.

5. Sending the original without a digital copy. Before you send anything, scan the original document and the apostille. If the envelope is lost, retrieving a PDF in 5 minutes is very different from having lost the only evidence.

Frequently asked questions about shipments to the United States

Can I send the document without an apostille and apostille it later in the US?

No. The apostille is issued by the country that produced the document. A Spanish birth certificate is apostilled in Spain. There is no way to apostille a Spanish document in the United States.

Does USCIS accept emails with the scanned document?

Only for some stages. For the initial submission of many procedures, USCIS accepts a digital upload. But for the final interview, they usually ask for the apostilled original. Check on the official website which stage requires the physical original.

What happens if I get the type of translation wrong?

The body rejects it and you have to start over. If it was for USCIS and you sent it without a Certificate of Accuracy, they return it with instructions. If it was for a court and you sent it without a sworn translation, they reject it. Ask before, not after.

How long does it take to apostille a document if I'm in a hurry?

It depends on the authority:

• Notarial Association: 24–48 h
• TSJ Catalonia: 1–3 business days
• Ministry of Justice: 1–5 business days
• Ministry of Education: 1–2 weeks (slower)

If you have a USCIS-type deadline, start with margin to spare. A week ahead for simple cases; two for university degrees.

Can I send more than one document in the same envelope?

Yes, and it's a good idea. You don't pay more for including five documents instead of one, as long as the weight stays within the rate range. If you do the whole procedure together (apostilles + translations + a single shipment), you save time and money.

And if the recipient is moving?

If the move is before the shipment, wait and send to the new address. If it's during, we can coordinate delivery with tracking and a notice to the recipient to confirm an active address. US → US re-routing is expensive and sometimes not possible for an international courier.

Does the service include insurance?

Yes: all our shipments carry included coverage, with no extra policy. For high-value documents (university degrees, deeds), we explain the extended coverage options available for your case when we quote.

How we handle the shipment at Acacia Cargo

We work the Spain-US route with an express door-to-door courier. The typical flow:

1. Request a quote on our quote page with the US destination, approximate weight and urgency.

2. Bring the envelope to the office at Carrer de Pelai 9, or we collect it in Barcelona and the surrounding area.

3. We check the paperwork: apostille in order, translation included, complete destination address.

4. Tracking from pick-up to delivery.

5. Delivery notice and the recipient's signature.

If you also need us to handle the apostille and the translation, we do it in a single chain. We assist you in Spanish, English and Filipino.

Office: Carrer de Pelai 9, 08001 Barcelona

WhatsApp: +34 626 78 54 28

Related services and guides:

• Document shipping to the US
• Request a quote for your document shipment
• Complete guide to the Hague Apostille in Spain
• Apostille for the Philippines: which documents need it
• Why a shipment is held at customs