SWORN
TRANSLATION
SWORN TRANSLATOR
A sworn translator’s responsibility is to attest to the content of the translated text.
A sworn translation is completed from a foreign language into Spanish and vice versa by a sworn translator and interpreter, an accreditation awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. Only a sworn translator and interpreter may carry out this type of work in Spain. Sworn translators may only certify translations completed in the language pair for which they are accredited.
Sworn translation is usually and mainly required for public bodies and government agencies, for example ministries, courts, academic institutions, administration departments, etc.
For a translation to be considered sworn, it must include the standard certification established by the Official State Gazette, alongside the stamp and signature of the commissioned sworn translator. These translations then become official documents. In other words, they and the original document are equally valid. The aim of this certification is for the sworn translator to attest that the completed translation is a faithful rendition of the original foreign-language document.
Another specific feature of this type of document is that only a physical format in any of its forms (i.e. paper) is considered valid, although it does not need to be printed on stamp-impressed paper. In the digital era, we may scan this type of documents to submit them with electronic forms or applications, but we must remember that only the version in its physical format is official.
