Spanish legal and medical translation

One feature sets Spanish legal translation apart from other European languages: "Spanish law" is not one system but more than twenty. Spain's Civil Code of 1889 coexists with the foral law of the autonomous communities (Catalonia, Aragon, Navarre, the Basque Country, Galicia, the Balearic Islands), where inheritance and the matrimonial property regime differ by region; Mexico has a federal code and 32 state codes; Argentina merged civil and commercial law into one code in 2015; Chile keeps the 19th-century Bello Code. The same term carries different content in these systems, and the translator must know the origin of the document before choosing a term. On the medical side, Spanish healthcare is divided into 17 services of the autonomous communities under the common SNS, while in Latin America each country has its own system and terminology (the Mexican IMSS, the Colombian EPS, the Argentine obra social), and trade names of medicines change from country to country. This page helps you navigate this diversity: which systemic differences the client should know about, what a specific body requires and how we protect the translation from legal and clinical error.

Continental systems: Spanish, Latin American, Georgian

The Georgian Civil Code was created on the German model, the Spanish one under the influence of the French code, and these two branches sometimes differ in how they divide concepts. The Spanish "arras" (a deposit that has three kinds: confirmatorias, penitenciales, penales) does not map one-to-one onto the Georgian deposit; "cláusula penal" is the Georgian contractual penalty; "resolución" is termination of a contract, while "rescisión" and "nulidad" are separate institutions; "desistimiento" is withdrawal from a contract. Latin American codes (Mexico's Federal Civil Code, Argentina's Civil and Commercial Code of 2015, Chile's Bello Code) keep a common root with Spanish law, but terminology and institutions differ. In the translation the original term stays in brackets, the Georgian equivalent is functional, and at critical points a translator's note points the lawyer to the difference.

Contract translation: structure and formulas

A Spanish commercial contract consists of standard blocks: "REUNIDOS" (the parties), "INTERVIENEN" (in what capacity), "EXPONEN" (the preamble), "ESTIPULACIONES" or "CLÁUSULAS" (the terms), with headings in capitals, which is part of the Spanish notarial and contractual tradition. A Georgian contract uses a similar but not identical structure, and the translation preserves the sequence of blocks so that the lawyers of both sides can compare the clauses. In the "Ley aplicable y jurisdicción" clause the choice of a Spanish court or arbitral tribunal is a significant risk for the Georgian party, which the translation reflects unambiguously. In bilingual contracts, where both versions have equal force, the translation goes through double legal editing. Latin American contracts are often more detailed and carry the influence of American contractual practice ("representaciones y garantías", "indemnización"), which the translation takes into account.

Corporate law: S.L., S.A. and the Registro Mercantil

Spanish company forms partly match Georgian ones: an S.L. is a limited liability company, an S.A. a joint-stock company, S.L.U. and S.A.U. their single-member variants, an S.L.L. a labour company, while the "sociedad civil" and the "comunidad de bienes" do not exist as separate forms in the Georgian system. The commercial registry certificate (certificación registral) or extract (nota simple) contains the company's registered data, and the Spanish system knows three regimes of directors: "administrador único", "administradores solidarios" (each acting separately) and "administradores mancomunados" (jointly), and this difference is decisive for the Georgian Public Registry. Latin American forms differ: the Mexican S.A. de C.V. (with variable capital), the Argentine S.R.L. and S.A.S., the Colombian S.A.S., the Chilean SpA, and the translation keeps the original abbreviation with a functional explanation. "Apoderado" (attorney-in-fact) and "representante legal" (legal representative) are rendered with Georgian terminology.

Court documents and the Spanish judicial system

The Spanish judicial system has four tiers: Juzgado de Primera Instancia (first instance), Audiencia Provincial (provincial court), Tribunal Superior de Justicia (high court of the autonomous community) and Tribunal Supremo (supreme court), with separate labour (Juzgado de lo Social), administrative (Contencioso-Administrativo) and criminal (Juzgado de lo Penal, Audiencia Nacional) courts. A Spanish judgment (sentencia) is written in a standard structure: "Antecedentes de hecho", "Fundamentos de derecho", "Fallo" (the operative part), and the translation keeps this structure. Spanish judicial language is marked by Latin formulas and traditional expressions ("visto", "considerando", "así por esta mi sentencia"), which are translated into Georgian in judicial style. The "firmeza" note (entry into legal force) is never left untranslated, because it is the basis of the recognition procedure. The hierarchy of Latin American courts differs by country (the Mexican "amparo" procedure is unique), and the name of the instance is translated with an explanation.

Notarial acts and real estate

A Spanish notary (notario) certifies all real estate transactions, company formations, powers of attorney and wills, and a Spanish notarial deed (escritura pública) is written in standard blocks: "comparecencia" (identification of the parties), "intervienen" (capacity), "exponen" (circumstances), "otorgan" and "estipulaciones" (the transaction), "reservas y advertencias legales" (the notary's explanations), with the notary's protocol number (número de protocolo). A Georgian notary or the Public Registry receives this document when a Spanish inheritance is settled in Georgia, a Spanish notarial power of attorney is used in a Georgian transaction or a share in a Spanish company passes to a Georgian partner. In the translation the Spanish property registry system ("Registro de la Propiedad", "nota simple", "finca registral", "referencia catastral") is rendered with the terminology of the Georgian Public Registry, while the numbers stay unchanged. Spanish forms of ownership ("proindiviso", "usufructo", "nuda propiedad", "derecho de superficie") are translated with the institutions of the Georgian Civil Code.

Family law: marriage, divorce, children

The affairs of Spanish-Georgian families require knowledge of both laws. The Spanish matrimonial property regime differs by autonomous community: in most communities the default is the "sociedad de gananciales" (community of property), in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands the "separación de bienes" (separation of property), and this difference, often unknown even to a Spanish client, must be reflected in the translation with a note. Since 2005 divorce is possible directly, without a separation stage, and since 2015 also by mutual agreement before a notary if there are no minor children. Concepts relating to children ("patria potestad", "guarda y custodia", "custodia compartida", "régimen de visitas", "pensión de alimentos") are rendered with Georgian family law terminology, while the "convenio regulador" (the divorce agreement approved by the court) needs an explanation for the Georgian system. In inheritance cases the Spanish "legítima" (the reserved share, which in Spain is larger than the Georgian one: two thirds for the children), "testamento abierto" and "declaración de herederos" are submitted to a Georgian notary with an apostille and a translation.

Employment law: convenio colectivo, empleadas de hogar, finiquito

Spanish employment law is detailed: the Workers' Statute (Estatuto de los Trabajadores), sectoral collective agreements (convenios colectivos), which set minimum wages, working hours and categories, and a separate regime for domestic workers (Sistema Especial de Empleados de Hogar), which concerns most Georgian women working in Spain. Spanish employment terminology ("contrato indefinido", "contrato temporal", "periodo de prueba", "despido", "finiquito", "indemnización por despido", "nómina", "cotización") is rendered with the concepts of the Georgian Labour Code, while "finiquito" (the final settlement at the end of employment) and "indemnización" (severance pay, which in Spain is calculated by years of service) need an explanation for the Georgian system. These documents are translated into Georgian when the worker calculates pension service in Georgia, a bank considers a loan or an employment dispute is settled with a Georgian lawyer, and Georgian certificates of work experience into Spanish for a Spanish employer.

Spanish medical documentation: the SNS and the autonomous communities

Spanish healthcare works through the health services of the autonomous communities (Servicio Andaluz de Salud, Servei Català de la Salut, Osakidetza in the Basque Country and so on) within the single national system (SNS), and the form of documents differs by community. The discharge report (informe de alta) is written in standard blocks: "motivo de ingreso", "antecedentes personales", "enfermedad actual", "exploración física", "pruebas complementarias", "evolución", "diagnóstico principal", "tratamiento al alta". Spanish medical text is saturated with abbreviations (TA, FC, RX, TAC, RMN, ECG, AP, IQ) that do not match the international English ones (TAC is CT, RMN is MRI, IQ is a surgical intervention) and must be fully expanded in the Georgian translation. Spanish trade names of medicines (Nolotil, Espidifen, Gelocatil, Adiro, Sintrom) are not known in Georgia, and the international nonproprietary name is added in the translation; in the case of Nolotil (metamizole) this is especially important, because the drug is restricted in many countries.

Homologation, MIR and a doctor's documents

The path of a Georgian doctor to working in Spain goes through homologation of the diploma at the Ministry of Universities, which equates the Georgian single-cycle medical education to the Spanish "grado en medicina" and, where needed, imposes compensatory measures (an exam or a traineeship). There are two ways to obtain a specialty: the Spanish residency competition (MIR), an annual state exam, or recognition of an existing specialty at the Ministry of Health, which compares the Georgian residency programme with the Spanish one. Finally, registration with the provincial medical college (Colegio Oficial de Médicos), which is mandatory in Spain. In the translation the stages of Georgian medical education must be explained in the terms of the Spanish system (grado, formación sanitaria especializada, título de especialista), and the hour load of the curriculum must be comparable with the structure of the Spanish curriculum. For nurses the analogous procedure covers homologation to the "grado en enfermería" and registration with the nursing college.

Disability, dependency and the INSS

The Spanish system knows three separate concepts: the degree of disability (grado de discapacidad, in percentages, with a 33% threshold for benefits), set by the social services of the autonomous community; the degree of dependency (grado de dependencia, I-III), which assesses the need for care under the "Ley de Dependencia"; and permanent incapacity for work (incapacidad permanente, parcial/total/absoluta/gran invalidez), which the INSS recognises for pension purposes. These three systems do not map one-to-one onto the Georgian disability groups (severe, significant, moderate). A Georgian medical-social examination report is translated into Spanish so that the diagnosis and functional limitation are unambiguous, and the group is explained with a note; in the opposite direction, a Spanish "resolución de reconocimiento de grado de discapacidad" is rendered descriptively for the Georgian Social Service Agency, keeping the percentage.

Latin American medical and legal specifics

Latin American medical documentation differs from Spanish in terminology and structure: the Mexican "expediente clínico", the Argentine "historia clínica" and "epicrisis" (a term that corresponds directly to the Georgian "epicrisis"), the Colombian EPS (Entidad Promotora de Salud) system, the Chilean FONASA and ISAPRE. Disability systems differ by country, and trade names of medicines differ from Spanish ones as well. In the legal sphere the Latin American notarial system ("escribano" in Argentina, "notario público" in Mexico, where the notary is appointed by state) and judicial terminology require their own knowledge. Our Spanish legal and medical translators know the variants of Spain and Latin America, and we prepare the translation for the specific country so that a Mexican or Argentine body sees "its own" terminology.

Pharmaceutical and medical device documentation

The Spanish-speaking pharmaceutical world covers two different regulatory systems, and this directly determines the terminology of the translation. Spain is part of the European system: the Spanish medicines agency (AEMPS) uses the harmonised texts of the European Medicines Agency, the "ficha técnica" and "prospecto" are written on the European template, and for Georgian registration, which also follows the European model, the translation finds an almost one-to-one terminological match. Latin America is a separate world: the Mexican COFEPRIS, the Argentine ANMAT, the Colombian INVIMA and the Brazilian ANVISA (in Portuguese) use their own formats, classifications and terms, and the "registro sanitario" is a different procedure in every country. A Georgian pharmaceutical company entering a Latin American market (in recent years this concerns generics and medical devices) needs several national versions from one European dossier, and we prepare the translation by country. Clinical trial documents ("protocolo", "consentimiento informado", "hoja de información al paciente") are translated in both directions, and the consent form is written in Georgian by the ethics committee's "comprehensibility" criterion.

Tax documents: NIF, IRPF, Agencia Tributaria

The flow of Spanish-Georgian tax documents uses its own terminology: "NIF" (tax identification number), "declaración de la renta" (IRPF, the income tax return), "certificado de retenciones" (the employer's certificate of tax withheld), "certificado de residencia fiscal" (certificate of tax residence under the double taxation agreement), "modelo 720" (the declaration of assets abroad, which concerns Georgians living in Spain with property in Georgia). These documents are translated into Georgian for the Georgian Revenue Service, a bank or a court, and Georgian tax certificates into Spanish for the Agencia Tributaria. The Spanish tax system ("IRPF", "IVA", "Impuesto de Sociedades", "IBI") partly matches the Georgian one, and the translation marks the difference with a note.

Two Spanishes, one glossary: how we maintain consistency

The main quality challenge in the Spanish direction is variation: the same Georgian concept must be rendered with one term for Spain, another for Mexico, a third for Argentina, and within one project (for example a wine exporter's documents for three Latin American markets) these variants must not be mixed. So for every long-term client a glossary with country columns is built, in which "extract from the Registry of Entrepreneurs" is fixed as "certificación registral" for Spain, "constancia de situación fiscal" or "acta constitutiva" depending on context for Mexico, and "certificado de existencia y representación legal" for Colombia. The translation is handled by a translator with legal training or practice in Spanish law, medical text by a specialist in medical terminology with the possibility of consulting a doctor, and a second specialist who commands the specific country's variant reads the text "with the eyes of a local official". Figures, dates, both surnames, clause numbering, doses and cadastral references are compared with the original against a separate list. Finally, a translator registered with a notary in the Spanish-Georgian pair signs the document, and for Spain the stage of the apostille and, where needed, the Spanish traductor jurado begins.

RGPD, LOPDGDD and Latin American laws

In Spain personal data is protected by the European regulation (RGPD in the Spanish abbreviation) and its national development, the 2018 organic law LOPDGDD, and the Spanish data protection agency (AEPD) is known for the severity of its fines; in Latin America each country has its own law (Mexico's LFPDPPP, Argentina's Law 25.326, Colombia's Law 1581), with different requirements for medical data. A Spanish or Latin American client who sends us a Georgian medical history or court case often asks for written confirmation of the processing conditions, and we provide it: a confidentiality agreement on every order, encrypted channels, the translator's access only to their own document, anonymisation of medical histories at the client's wish, deletion of files on request after delivery. For Latin American clients, where the law regulates cross-border data transfer separately, we state the place and duration of processing explicitly in the agreement.

Typical documents in this field

• contrato de compraventa, de arrendamiento, de trabajo, de distribución, and Georgian contracts into Spanish
• certificación registral, estatutos sociales, escritura de constitución, acta de junta, poder notarial
• sentencia, auto, demanda, decreto, diligencia de ordenación, certificación de firmeza
• escritura pública, testamento, declaración de herederos, capitulaciones matrimoniales, convenio regulador
• informe de alta, historia clínica, informe de pruebas, informe de anatomía patológica, parte de baja
• doctor's diploma, título de especialista, certificado de servicios for the homologation package
• resolución de grado de discapacidad, resolución de dependencia, resolución de incapacidad permanente
• ficha técnica, prospecto, declaración de conformidad CE, consentimiento informado

Frequently asked questions