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Certified Translation

Certified translations are translations done by a certified translator (notary public) appointed by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs or by the competent regional authority.

The certified translator publicly attests to the truthfulness of the translated document. Being recognised as an official document by the authorities, every certified translation is signed and sealed and can only be delivered on paper. However, original documents can be sent by any means (fax, e-mail, paper).

In addition to the signature and seal mentioned above, every certified translation comes with a textual attestation to the faithfulness and integrity of the submitted document.

In Spain, certified translators and interpreters can also do back translations, i.e. into the foreign language they usually translate from; for this purpose, they must be registered with the corresponding consulates. It must be pointed out, on the other hand, that certified translations cover the co-official regional languages in Spain as well.

Legal and certified translations must be clearly differentiated. The former is a specialised translation within the field of law, whereas the latter is not restricted to a specific subject area. Therefore, both commercial, medical, administrative documents and notarial deeds can be certified translations.

The field of work of certified translators comprises not only written translations but also interpreting assignments at police stations, trials, etc.

Although there are variants of certified translations in other countries, it is advisable to consult the competent authorities about this matter in order to determine in advance if this type of translation is actually required and the procedures that have to be followed in that specific country.

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