English and Spanish translation in Madrid

English documents to be used in Spain

A contract written in English needs to be understood within its legal setting. Legal translation considers the function of clauses and defined terms without pretending that every common-law expression has an exact Spanish counterpart. A financial report brings another set of questions about line items, periods and figures. The language alone does not identify the source jurisdiction or reporting framework.

Manuals, specifications and product files need drawings and approved terminology. Technical translation should keep a component's name consistent between an interface, parts list and maintenance instruction. If the English file was itself translated from another language, tell us what status it has. An intermediate version may have lost distinctions that matter to the Spanish reader.

Spanish documents for English-speaking readers

Tell us whether the target is the UK, US or another country. Spelling and vocabulary matter, but adapting a document goes beyond replacing a few letters. Administrative references, date conventions, tone and assumptions about the reader may all need attention. An organisation's style guide can help us keep its established terms and voice consistent.

For a localised website, include forms, automated messages, navigation and calls to action in the scope. Translating the landing page while leaving the enquiry process in Spanish creates a confusing journey. Your business should approve market-specific prices, conditions and legal statements before publication; a linguist cannot invent them from the Spanish page.

Version and format control

Presentations and catalogues often repeat product names, job titles and campaign language. An approved glossary helps maintain consistency, but an earlier sentence still needs checking in its new context. If several departments edit the Spanish source, agree a reference version and identify the person who consolidates changes. Bilingual review may be useful when an English target already exists and needs assessing before replacement.

For presentation slides, tell us whether the deck must stand alone or will accompany a spoken talk. A title that looks fine in a report may be too dense on screen, while speaker notes may need translating even though the audience never sees them. If the same figures appear in a handout, provide both files so terminology and captions remain consistent. This is a question of the material's use, not simply of how many words it contains.

Editable files help preserve tables and tracked changes. Scanned PDFs require legibility checks for notes, graphics and stamps. A designed report or brochure may need multilingual typesetting so translated text remains associated with its figures and no column disappears. Translation and final layout are different stages and should be identified in the quotation.

Sworn and certified documents

If a Spanish authority requires sworn translation of English, we must confirm the professional's authorisation for the relevant language direction. Not every certificate requires that formality. The receiving body should specify whether it accepts an electronically signed file, needs paper or requires another step concerning the source. Apostille or legalisation is separate from translation.

For a Spanish document to be used in the UK, US or elsewhere, ask the recipient what it means by “certified translation”. That term does not automatically describe the Spanish sworn translation system. A document translated correctly under one procedure may still fail another authority's presentation rules. Clarifying the requirement before work begins is more useful than assuming the labels are equivalents.

Requesting a proposal

Send the complete source, exact direction, target country, purpose, output format and deadline. Separate files intended for different markets if they need different language choices. The translation languages covers other pairs; our translation services and quality approach explain the available processes. Use the quote form to submit the material.