Certified translator

What is a certified translator?

The exact name in Spain is Sworn Translator and Interpreter and is a title granted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation (MAEC) of the Government of Spain. Each official certified translator has their own unique number that identifies them, which appears both on their seal and on their certification they stamp on the documents translated.

All certified translators of the Government of Spain can be found in the “Listado de Traductores-Intérpretes jurados” (List of Sworn Translators-Interpreters) of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with their contact information. Every certified translator who has passed the prerequisite exam and is official, whether they live in Spain or abroad, is listed.

An official certified translator has the task of accurately and completely translating the entire content of the original document. The translator must be professional and record any seals/stamps, logos or signatures that appear in the text. By doing so, the sworn translator ensures that the bodies or institutions which the certified translation is presented to have all the information of the original text.

Can any translator carry out a certified translation?

Although a translator may have many years of experience and can accurately translate official documents, this does not make them an official certified translator. If they do not have a seal, signature or certification from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, then they cannot be considered a sworn translator. A non-certified translator can carry out what is known as a simple (non-certified) translation.

It is important to bear this in mind since a non-certified translation of an official document that needs to be a certified translation will not be valid for any official procedure.

What exactly differentiates a certified translator from a non-certified translator?

There are several elements that differentiate a sworn translator from a standard translator and that can be identified in a certified translation.

• The seal must include the translator’s full name, the language (or languages) which they work in and their certified translator number (TIJ - Sworn Translator-Interpreter number) issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain. It is usually accompanied by the translator’s signature. Both the seal and signature appear on all pages of the translation.
• The certification includes the certified translator’s details, a statement that the translation is accurate, as well as the source language (the language of the original document) and the language into which it is translated. The certification only appears once at the end of the sworn translation.

Thanks to these elements, an official sworn translator can guarantee the quality and validity of their translations.

Since April 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, certified translations can also be delivered with the certified translator’s digital signature. This was introduced because certified translations were still required and it was easier to deliver them electronically.

At Trajura, our translators have a digital signature, so we can send your translations in electronic format to speed up the delivery process and so that you can keep your translations for future use. PDFs can also be delivered as is or as a hard copy.

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