It is indeed true that in Spain we are blessed with many different languages, some of which are completely unique, and that many of these languages have official status. So, into which language do I need to translate my documents.
This question may be very relevant to you if you live, let’s say, in a sleepy village in Gipuzkoa or in a town in Catalonia. Do I need to translate my documents into Basque or Catalan to have them accepted? Are Spanish translations accepted by the local authorities?
The short answer to all of this is that a sworn translation of your documents into Spanish should be accepted anywhere within Spain. The same laws that allow you to speak and carry out your business with local bodies in the official regional language also allow you to do so in Spanish. And, in fact, when dealing with the central government it is advisable to have your documents translated into Spanish to avoid complications further down the line. However, we always recommend checking the language of the translation with the authority requesting the translation before having it done.
This seems pretty straightforward right?
But what if I need to translate a medical report I was given by my doctor in Catalonia, which is written in a mix of Catalan and Spanish, into English?
Well, this is where things become more complicated. If you need a sworn translation of a document which is partially written only in Catalan and partially written only in Spanish, it could be more of a headache to translate. This is because a sworn translator can only translate documents written in a language for which he or she is certified. This often means that two translations are necessary. One first translation from one of the languages into English and a second one from the remaining language into English.
This does increase prices and delays the time needed to receive your translations. This is why we always recommend trying to obtain a copy of the document in question either fully in Spanish or fully in the regional language in question. This can save time and money in the long run.
I hope you have found this article interesting and maybe it has helped you to better understand what is needed when translating these types of documents. Here at CBlingua Malaga we like to keep people informed and that’s why we publish articles regularly on different translation and sworn translation related topics. Keep browsing this website or any of our other websites to know more.
If you need to have a sworn or certified translation, or even just a standard translation, done or you have any queries, please write to us at info@cblingua.com