Certified translators in UK, Portugal, Lithuania and Latvia
Thread poster: Manuel Moreno Tovar
Manuel Moreno Tovar
Manuel Moreno Tovar  Identity Verified
Estonia
Local time: 03:51
German to Spanish
+ ...
Aug 17, 2016

Hi there!

I am a Translation student from Spain doing some research on sworn translators. I have recently found out that some countries in Europe (such as the UK, Portugal, Lithuania and Latvia) don't have the concept of sworn translators, but certified translations that require an affidavit or an apostille from a solicitor. I have also read that in Portugal translators need to pay 24,40 euros to have a translation certified. Is this information accurate? What is the situation in th
... See more
Hi there!

I am a Translation student from Spain doing some research on sworn translators. I have recently found out that some countries in Europe (such as the UK, Portugal, Lithuania and Latvia) don't have the concept of sworn translators, but certified translations that require an affidavit or an apostille from a solicitor. I have also read that in Portugal translators need to pay 24,40 euros to have a translation certified. Is this information accurate? What is the situation in the other countries? Just to make it clear, I am asking about certified translations (into English, Portuguese, Lithuanian and Latvian) of documents produced in other countries.

Thank you in advance, your experiences are very much appreciated.

Manuel
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Viesturs Lacis
Viesturs Lacis  Identity Verified
Latvia
Local time: 03:51
English to Latvian
Latvia Aug 18, 2016

You are basically correct about Latvia. Whenever an "official" translation is needed (e.g. for court submissions), the translator affixes a statement which is in turn witnessed by a (civil law) notary. That's about the only part of the whole process that is formally laid down in law. There are no official requirements as to e.g. who can present themselves as a translator or how their credentials and competences are to be verified. In practice, the translator might form a closer relationship with... See more
You are basically correct about Latvia. Whenever an "official" translation is needed (e.g. for court submissions), the translator affixes a statement which is in turn witnessed by a (civil law) notary. That's about the only part of the whole process that is formally laid down in law. There are no official requirements as to e.g. who can present themselves as a translator or how their credentials and competences are to be verified. In practice, the translator might form a closer relationship with a particular notary and possibly receive more official translation work due to that, but it is neither technically required nor universal.

I would go as far as to call the "system" a fairly unorganized mess. There have been some cautious proposals for recognizing and certifying specialist "sworn translators" (the term is known to the general public, although notaries and other state institutions are heavily discouraged from using it as it has no legal meaning), but for some reason they have gone nowhere due to a general lack of interest from both the lawmakers and the (comparatively unorganized) translator community itself. Odds are, not much in this regard will change anytime soon.
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José Henrique Lamensdorf
José Henrique Lamensdorf  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 22:51
English to Portuguese
+ ...
In memoriam
The law in Brazil Aug 19, 2016

In Brazil sworn translations are mandatory, regulated by an ancient (1943) and unamended law, in some aspects similar to Spain's.

Detalis at http://www.lamensdorf.com.br/sworn-translation.html


 
Soonthon LUPKITARO(Ph.D.)
Soonthon LUPKITARO(Ph.D.)  Identity Verified
Thailand
Local time: 08:51
English to Thai
+ ...
Thailand Aug 26, 2016

Manuel Moreno Tovar wrote:

I am a Translation student from Spain doing some research on sworn translators. I have recently found out that some countries in Europe (such as the UK, Portugal, Lithuania and Latvia) don't have the concept of sworn translators, but certified translations that require an affidavit or an apostille from a solicitor. I have also read that in Portugal translators need to pay 24,40 euros to have a translation certified. Is this information accurate? What is the situation in the other countries? Just to make it clear, I am asking about certified translations (into English, Portuguese, Lithuanian and Latvian) of documents produced in other countries.

Manuel


I am struggling many years to organized qualified translation and interpretation processes in Thailand. But progress is unacceptable. Many government agencies and translation associations have their own work and certification processes.
In my latest job, I certified my translations to submit to a court in order to sue a non-payer abroad based on evidences I translated in EN TH pair. I had to sign plenty of documents by making a rubber stamp

"Certified true and correct translation.
Soonthon Lupkitaro
Translator"


 
Manuel Moreno Tovar
Manuel Moreno Tovar  Identity Verified
Estonia
Local time: 03:51
German to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you Sep 20, 2016

Thanks a lot for your answers! I am afraid there is a lot of work to be done in this field...

 
Inga Petkelyte
Inga Petkelyte  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 01:51
Lithuanian to Portuguese
+ ...
Portugal and Lithuania Sep 20, 2016

True in principal. Notary's fees in Portugal are not always 24,40 euros. Last time I paid 25,58 euros.
Well, I thought there were more countries with no specific regulation for the translation activity.


 


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