Many customers ask about this and we have published this article to address your questions. Translation processes can be a bit daunting if you have never been required to provide an official translation for your documents before.
What is a certified translation?
A certified translation (aka sworn or official translation or “traducción jurada” in Spanish) is an official translation that has been delivered by a certified translator. Official translations usually bear the signature and stamp of the registered translator as well as a certification that the translation is accurate and faithful to the original document written in another language. This form of translation is the only one recognized as to be official in some countries (i.e. Spain and most of EU Member States).
Ok, then… Any signed and stamped translation is a certified one?
Not necessarily! Every country has their own requirements to define who can provide official translations and what the requirements for these are. In Spain, for instance, this is a “regulated profession” where all official translators need to graduate from Translation Studies in specific universities (until 2015) or follow a public exam to obtain a license number. In US, a translator does not need to be registered to certify a translation.
What does this really mean?
This means you must always ask you document recipient entity what their translation requirements are. In SOT, we provide certified translations valid across Spain for your document legalisation processes. Our translators are accredited by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. If your document is bound to a different country, always ask what their requirements are and contact us to review your case.
Will your translation be valid in my country?
Because this is a profession that is regulated in some countries, every country sets forth their own certified translation requirements. Our translations are valid in Spain, any other EU member states as well as in countries where there is no specific regulation (i.e. US).
Our advice is always to contact your doc recipient authority to understand their acceptance and validity requirements.
How can I become a certified translator?
It depends which country you want to exercise this profession on. For instance, in Spain, all applicants need to pass a public exam specific for each language to be certified by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (since 2009). The process in other countries may be different.
Reach out to us with your translation request and we will get back to you with a tailored quotation within 48 hours (excluding weekends and public holidays in Spain). Talk soon! The Spanish Official Translations Team
