How Sworn Translations in Spain Differ from Regular Translations
Posted by Sofia Levine
from the Business category at
12 Jun 2024 08:29:31 am.
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There are different situations in which you may need sworn translations in Spain. Most often, they are required for official documents, such as birth or marriage certificates, and documents for official use, such as study documents that will be used abroad. For example, people who immigrate or work abroad often need these translations in their relations with the authorities in the country where they want to settle or carry out their activity. Another example would be foreign companies that intend to carry out commercial activities on the territory of another state.
A translation can be considered sworn if made, signed, and stamped by a translator authorized by the Ministry of Justice. To be considered reasonable to use, the necessary and sufficient condition for this is that, following a review, it has been signed and stamped by a person holding an authorized translator's certificate issued by the Ministry of Justice. This certification gives the authorities the guarantee that the translation preserves the content and meaning of the original text.
The Difference Between Translations
If you need different sworn translations in Spain, and those documents are important, choose someone qualified. Be sure to ask for help from someone whom the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs accredits. Yes, translating a document is something that any person who knows the language can do. Still, for important documents that need certified translations, you need an expert, more precisely, someone who has already passed an exam in this field and has the right to offer you the documents you need.
You can save time and additional costs by working with people who are up for the task. Legalization guarantees that the signature and initials on the document belong to a translator authorized by the Spain Ministry of Justice. Of course, a simple translation can be done by anyone who knows both the source and target languages well enough. However, the certification of an authorized translator gives the minimum guarantee that your text is translated by a person whose skills have been certified by the state after passing some exams.
When Are These Translations Needed?
In most cases, these documents are necessary in the relationship with the state authorities. The most well-known situation is probably immigration. In this case, regarding the authorities, most of the documents certifying a person's identity, social status, or studies must be sworn in. That is usually stated when the person is asked for various documents by the local or government authorities. If you have any doubts about the type of translation requested, ask for additional information to avoid any confusion. Another situation is the activity of foreign companies on the territory of a different state.
In this case, the authorities can request sworn translations of the respective company's founding documents and various economic and accounting documents such as balance sheets, balance sheets, account statements, or contracts. When you are asked for certain documents to be accompanied by a translation, you must determine what type of translation you need. Since each document type has its characteristics, they are not interchangeable. You may even be asked for an Apostille to use some documents issued in a particular country or abroad, but this is another topic.
Types of Legal Translations
Among all the possible - or impossible - translations (such requirements have also been seen at almost all translation offices) - those in the legal field in Spain need the most extraordinary rigor and a real specialization of the translator. When contracts, acts, documents, or files for credits and tenders are discussed, only a specialized translator in the field can deliver the correct and equivalent documents to the client. The main requirement in such projects is that the source and target documents are perfectly equivalent or, as the case may be, perfectly adapted to the norms and laws of the country in which they will be used.
So, translations are not just word-for-word translations; they are adapted to two legal and legislative systems - the source and the target documents. Many different types of documents can fall under the name of legal translations. Whether it is company documents and contracts, court sentences or legal files, or commercial patents, the translator must master more than the language pairs in which he works. He also needs local and international legal knowledge - laws, regulations, and norms, in the field for which he translates.
When Are Sworn Translations Needed?
Large companies that operate in several countries constantly need sworn translation services in the legal field to conclude similar contracts in different countries, for internal communication, or for the constitution files of subsidiaries where they expand. In commercial translations, the dangers that a translator must avoid lurk in every word! Each contract term needs an exact translation and must be applied to the laws of the country in which it must operate. No omission or paraphrase is accepted.
The translation agency usually works with law offices to obtain legal files, documents requested by the court, sentences, and court decisions. Only translators with the experience and expertise to perform rigorous translations in such situations will be accepted. As a rule, the translators appointed in such projects have studied law and know the laws in depth; moreover, they have the necessary skills to apply legal knowledge to each case. For immigration, notarial, wills, or donations, in these cases, an additional requirement may be for the translation to be legalized and apostilled. Only authorized translators have this right.
Financial Documents - Accounting, Credit Files, or Tenders
The need to translate a company's financial documents is increasing in connection with economic globalization. Ambiguous expressions, errors, or misinterpretations have no place in financial files. It is not only the reputation of a hurried translator that is at stake; in these cases, incorrectly translated documents become invalid or may lead to legal and financial complications. Specific laws govern patents, copyrights, and trademarks. Translators in this field should have technical knowledge related to the field of applicability of inventions, for example, in addition to knowledge of local and international legislation regarding the protection of intellectual property.
Let's remember that translators are also providers of interpreting services. In the legal field, interpreters are requested to facilitate communication between persons of other nationalities and the state institutions where they are located. It can be about trials where the defendants or witnesses speak different languages. There may also be situations where people of other nationalities need to dialogue with the state authorities. Sworn translations and interpreting in the legal field have vast requirements mainly related to legality. Only the best professionals can provide real help and rigorous translation.
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