When we have to submit official documents in a foreign country because we are required to do so by the local authorities, we will have to use professional translators who, in addition to translating the text from one language to another, will give legal value to the translated documents. In this article, we will answer all the most frequently asked questions about sworn translations (also known as official translations), the method whereby legal value is given to the translation of a document.
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A sworn translation is a translation which has been signed and stamped by an official sworn translator accredited by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is an officially valid translation, the ultimate purpose of which is to be submitted to official bodies for the completion of legal formalities. In Spain, sworn translations are carried out between Spanish and 39 languages for which there are sworn translators authorised by the Spanish authorities.
Sworn translators are translation professionals who have the authority to confer legal validity on a translated document. They can translate a document from scratch or review an already translated document in order to add their seal and signature.
The task of a sworn translator is therefore twofold: on the one hand, he or she translates the written document and, on the other hand, guarantees the integrity of its content.
For a translation to be sworn, it is not enough for just any translator to do it; it must be signed and stamped by a sworn translator as only a sworn translator is authorised to guarantee the integrity and legal validity of the translation.
However, as mentioned above, an unsworn translation can become a sworn translation if it is revised, signed and stamped by an official translator. Sworn translators usually translate directly from the original. If they are presented with a translated document, they will have to proofread it thoroughly before signing it and it may take them as long to proofread it as it would to translate it from the original.
To use foreign documents for legal procedures, employment, universities, tax, traffic, immigration or other official procedures. Sworn translations are used as documentary evidence in legal proceedings or legal procedures of almost any kind. Through the stamp and signature of the sworn translator, these translations acquire official value. We can therefore say that the sworn translator acquires a power analogous to that of a notary (in this particular aspect).
All sworn translations, in order to be considered as such, must include the signature and stamp of the sworn translator who has been in charge of their translation or revision: this is the essential requirement for these translations to have legal value before any authority.
No. The translator prints a scanned copy of your documents to sign and sends it alongside the translation, but does not add their signature to the original documents. Original documents should not normally be altered nor sent by post or courier since they could get lost.
Sworn translators acquire their status through validation by a body that authorises them to practise their profession. In Spain there are two fundamental requirements:
In Spain, the MAEC (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation) is the body in charge of accrediting sworn translators between the Spanish language and 39 foreign languages. Furthermore, the Oficina de Interpretación de Lenguas is a department of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is responsable for foreign language translation.
Sworn translations have full legal value when presented to Spanish courts and official bodies in Spain.
On the contrary, if a translation has not been translated and verified by an official translator, its legitimacy could be questioned, and it loses its value or its authority when it is submitted as documentary evidence.
Sworn translations may be required in many areas of everyday life, and they are usually required by public administrations as well as by courts, companies, universities, etc.. In reality, official translations can be required in range of everyday situations.
In general, this list extends to any document that can be used in legal proceedings or official procedures.
In Spain only sworn translations made in Spain and accredited by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs are generally accepted.
No. It only makes sense to provide sworn translations of documents that require official validity due to the requirements of a national or foreign public body. If we are given an employment contract abroad, for example, it can be translated by a professional legal translator so that we understand it and are reassured before signing it. When translations are for personal use and to facilitate understanding only, a sworn translation is not necessary. On the other hand, if we need to present it to an institution and give the translation legal validity (for example, to be recognised as being entitled to a benefit or pension for our work), we will need a sworn translation.
No; legal translation means the translation of texts whose subject matter is intrinsically legal. Sworn translation, on the other hand, is not limited to the field of law, but covers texts from any field of specialisation.
On its website, the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation makes available to the public the official list of sworn translators in Spain, a frequently updated directory of all sworn translators operating in Spain (with their names and contact details).
This list is ordered by the province in which the sworn translators reside or operate, and by the language pairs they can translate.
Although all documents are capable of acquiring official value through a sworn translation, not all need it. Any document can be translated, but if the original document has no legal value, the translation will have no legal value either. A document or declaration without signatures or stamps of any kind, for example, normally has no legal value.
Translation and interpreting are different disciplines. While translation is done on written texts, interpreting is a verbal translation. As a result, there are professionals who master both translation and interpreting, or only one of the two faculties. However, the qualification awarded by the Language Office of the Spansh Ministry of Foreign Affairs is that of sworn translator-interpreter. In principle, therefore, any person on the official list could work as a sworn translator of written documents or official sworn interpreter at notary's offices or in court. But the reality is that the vast majority of official sworn translators do not provide sworn interpreting services.
No. The Hague Apostille is a legalisation of the original document, not the translation. You must request an Apostille of your original documents from the institution that issued the documents (notary, civil registry, etc.). If your document was issued in another country, you will have to go to the country of origin of the document or to the consulate of that country.
Normally, what needs to be legalised is not the sworn translation but the original document, i.e. sometimes it may be necessary to certify the legitimacy of the original document. Such requirements are determined by the legislation of the country whose authorities require it.
Therefore, there will be countries for which it is sufficient for the translation to have the Hague Apostille (an abbreviated legalisation method for countries that are signatories to the Hague Convention), and others that will require diplomatic legalisation (which is carried out through the consulate or embassy of our country in that territory).
If the original document needs to be legalised, it must be legalised before the translation is made.
In addition, if the sworn translation is done in Spain, but is to be used abroad, it is likely that the sworn translator's signature will have to be legalised before the ministry.
Sworn translations can be delivered on paper or digitally.
If submitted on paper, each page of the translation should be signed and stamped by the translator. In addition, a small certification paragraph at the end of the translation with text such as the following is included:
D/Dña. [full name], Traductor/a-Intérprete Jurado/a de [language], nombrado por el Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Unión Europea y de Cooperación, certifica que la que antecede es traducción fiel y completa al español de un documento redactado en [language].
A sworn digital translation is an official translation that is delivered electronically with the digital signature of the sworn translator and with the same legal validity as a paper translation. A sworn translation with a digital signature should not be confused with a sworn translation scanned and sent by email.
In short, when sworn translations are delivered by e-mail, there are two options:
The FNMT Digital Certificate of Natural Person is the electronic certification issued by the FNMT-RCM that links its subscriber with Signature Verification Data and confirms their identity. It is used to carry out procedures over the internet with the Public Administration and some private entities.
You can find all the information on the digital signature and how to obtain it on the website of the Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre.
Normally each sworn translator sets his or her own translation rates with the language pair being the main variation in price. For some languages there is a higher number of authorised sworn translators than for others. It will not cost the same to translate texts from Spanish, English or French as from Hebrew, Russian or Japanese. For more information on sworn translators' fees, we recommend that you read this page on sworn translation prices and rates.
When requesting with a sworn translation, always engage the services of a professional sworn translator or certified translation agency.
Yes, we can apostille sworn translations into Romanian before a notary. This procedure is necessary when the translation is to be used in Romania or at some consulates in Spain. Please let us know where you are going to use the translation so we can advise you. The Apostille process the translation can take more than a week.
Although, traditionally, Brazilian authorities only accepted sworn translations made in Brazil, in recent years we have seen a change in the trend. Before ordering a translation, we recommend that you check whether a sworn translation performed in Spain will be accepted in your case.