🌐 Catalan Interpreter and Catalan Translation

A document drawn up in Catalan usually turns up for someone who studied in Barcelona, worked in Valencia, got married in Majorca or applied for a residence permit in Andorra. At first glance such a text may look Spanish or French, but Catalan is an independent Romance language with its own spelling, its own administrative vocabulary and terms that do not always match their Spanish equivalents word for word.

The Catalan interpreter at TARGMANEBI translates personal, educational, medical, corporate and court documents from Catalan into Georgian and from Georgian into Catalan. Before work starts, we establish who the translation is for: a Georgian authority, an institution in one of Spain's autonomous communities or a government service in Andorra. This determines the form of certification, whether an apostille is needed and in which language the final text has to be written.

Catalan-Georgian translation: what the service covers

We work both on one-page certificates and on extensive case files in which Catalan, Spanish and sometimes French text are mixed together. You can start an order with a photo or a PDF, and the notarized copy, if you need one, is prepared at our Tbilisi office. If the package also contains a Spanish part, we process it with the same terminology, so that one and the same authority or position does not sound different in two separate documents.

Where Catalan is an official language

The Spanish Constitution declares Castilian, that is Spanish, the official language of the State and adds that the other languages of the country are official in the respective autonomous communities in accordance with their statutes. In Catalonia, Catalan and Spanish are equally official languages, and the Statute of Autonomy also gives official status to Occitan, which in the Val d'Aran is called Aranese. In the Balearic Islands, Catalan is an official language alongside Spanish, while in the Valencian Community the same language is called Valencian (valencià) by the statute and has official status next to Spanish.

In the Principality of Andorra the situation is different: under Article 2 of the Constitution, the official language of the State is Catalan, and it is the only official language. That is why an Andorran civil, immigration or corporate document is usually drawn up in Catalan alone, whereas from the Spanish regions a bilingual form often arrives.

In a Valencian text you may come across forms that differ slightly from the Barcelona standard, for example some verb endings or lexical variants. For translation purposes this is not a separate language, but the translator has to know the local administrative terms in order to render a document from Valencia, Palma or Andorra la Vella with the same accuracy.

A bilingual form: which text is translated?

Institutions in Catalonia often use both official languages on one sheet: the heading and the field names are in two languages, while the data filled in is written only once. There are also documents issued in Catalan only, because the applicant asked for it or because that is the practice of the authority. The Spanish Civil Registry Law (Ley 20/2011) provides for the use of the co-official languages both when an entry is made and when certificates are issued.

When the same content is repeated in two languages, it is not written twice in the Georgian translation: we translate the full content and note at the beginning of the translation that the original is bilingual. If the parts written in the two languages do not match exactly - for example, the text of the seal is only in Catalan while a handwritten annotation is in Spanish - we translate each fragment separately and indicate its language. If the receiving authority needs a different approach, for example the full rendering of the text in both languages, we agree on it when you place the order.

Which Catalan documents are translated?

Catalan-language material is varied: from a registry extract to a university academic certificate, and from a notarial deed to an Andorran residence permit. The most common groups are listed below. Each has its own terminology and its own fields to check.

Generalitat de Catalunya, the ajuntament and Catalan universities

The autonomous government of Catalonia, the Generalitat de Catalunya, issues its own documents mainly in Catalan: decisions of its departments, licences, social and educational certificates. Within the structure of the Generalitat, a Departament is the unit corresponding to a ministry, so in the translation the name of the authority stays in its original form in brackets, and its function is briefly described in Georgian. This way the Georgian reader understands which body is involved, while the official name stays unchanged.

The town or village council, the ajuntament, most often issues the certificate of registration in the municipal population register, the certificat d'empadronament. It confirms that a person is registered at a specific address and is often needed for residence, school enrolment or a family matter. Catalan universities, for their part, often issue the diploma, the academic certificate and the description of the study programme in Catalan and Spanish versions, sometimes in English as well, so before translating we establish which version you have.

Civil registry certificates from Catalonia

In Spain the civil registry is a competence of the State, so birth, marriage and death certificates issued in Barcelona, Girona, Lleida or Tarragona are part of Spain's common system. In the Catalan version they are called certificat de naixement, certificat de matrimoni and certificat de defunció, and in Spanish - certificado de nacimiento, certificado de matrimonio and certificado de defunción. In one family's package, certificates in both languages often arrive together.

A certificate may be a full-text one (literal) or an abridged extract. A full certificate shows the annotations added to the entry: a divorce, an acknowledgement of paternity, a change of surname or the acquisition of citizenship. In the translation, every annotation, the identification data of the entry, the electronic verification code and the position of the signing official are carried over unchanged. If the Georgian authority asks for the full text and you have an abridged extract, we will warn you about this before the translation starts.

DNI, NIE, passport and Catalan surnames

The identity document of a Spanish citizen is the DNI, while a foreigner living in Spain receives an NIE number. In the translation both numbers are carried over in the same format as in the original, without changing the order of the letters and digits. Almost every document of a Georgian living in Catalonia, from a bank statement to an employment contract, is linked to the NIE, so even a mistake in a single digit complicates the matter.

A Spanish citizen usually has two surnames. In the Catalan tradition the conjunction "i" is sometimes written between the two surnames, for example Puig i Cadafalch. This is not a third name or an initial: it links the two surnames. In some documents the same person is written with the conjunction, in some without it, and in others with the Spanish "y". In the translation we keep the form that appears on the specific document, and we compare the Georgian transliteration with the Latin spelling in the passport.

Catalan pronunciation also matters for the Georgian spelling: Jordi is written in Georgian as "Zhordi" (ჟორდი) and not "Khordi" (ხორდი), while the initial letter of Xavier gives the sound "sh". If the client already has a Georgian document in which the name is written differently, we use the form already established, so that one person does not appear as different people in different documents.

Catalan diacritics: à, è, é, ï, ç and l·l

Catalan spelling uses the grave accent (à, è, ò) and the acute accent (é, í, ó, ú), the diaeresis (ï, ü), the cedilla ç and the special sign l·l, in which a dot separates the two l's. These signs change meaning: l·l shows that the two l's are pronounced separately, as a lengthened sound, while ll without the dot stands for an entirely different, soft sound.

In a first name and surname such a sign must stay exactly as it is in the passport. In many electronic systems, on air tickets and on bank cards the diacritics get lost: Martí becomes Marti, Pagès - Pages, and Ballús - Ballus. In the translation we do not correct such a difference on our own initiative. We keep the form of the original and, where needed, inform the recipient that the same surname is written with diacritics in one document and without them in another.

Andorra: civil registry, passport and residence permit

Documents of the Principality of Andorra are monolingual, and their administrative vocabulary is distinctive too. Civil status certificates are issued by the Registre Civil, and the country is divided into seven parishes (parròquia), each with its own local government, the comú. Residence and work permit cases are handled by the government's immigration service, the Servei d'Immigració, so its documents often contain the phrase autorització de residència i treball, that is a residence and work permit. When an Andorran passport is translated, the first name and surname are written exactly as in the Latin part of the passport.

According to the Andorran government's official forms, the holder of a work permit is obliged to register with the comú of their place of residence, and for some types of permit the applicant submits a criminal record certificate from the countries of origin and previous residence. This is exactly when Georgians need a Catalan translation of a Georgian certificate. Check every requirement, including the validity period of the certificate and the form of certification, in the Andorran government's current instructions, because the rules change from time to time.

Company documents: the Registre Mercantil and the Andorran register

In Spain commercial companies are registered by the Commercial Register (Registro Mercantil), which in Catalonia is referred to as the Registre Mercantil, for example the Registre Mercantil de Barcelona. The extract shows the company's name, legal form, registered address, corporate purpose, directors and their powers. In Andorra a similar function is performed by the Registre de Societats Mercantils.

Andorran and Spanish company abbreviations are similar: SL denotes a limited liability company (societat limitada), SA - a joint-stock company (societat anònima), and SLU - a single-member limited liability company. In the translation the legal form stays in the original and a Georgian explanation is added, so that the reader does not assume it is equal in every detail to a Georgian LLC or JSC.

Sworn translators in Catalonia and notarized translation in Georgia

Catalonia has an institution of sworn translators for the Catalan language: the qualification of traductor-intèrpret jurat is granted by the Generalitat de Catalunya, and this activity is regulated by the decree on sworn translation and interpreting (Decret 119/2000). Such a translator confirms the accuracy of a translation with their own certification and seal. For sworn translation between Spanish and foreign languages there is a separate system, managed by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In a Georgian notarized translation, the notary's certification concerns the authenticity of the translator's signature, not how accurately the text has been rendered. The translator is responsible for correctness, so before it is presented to the notary the translation goes through our internal check. This form is widely used by Georgian authorities. For details, see the notarized translation page.

If a Georgian document has to be submitted in Catalonia or another region of Spain, ask the recipient in advance whether it will accept a notarized translation made in Georgia or requires a version by a local sworn translator. For the Georgian-Catalan pair a sworn translator may not be found at all, and then the authority may offer you another route, for example a sworn translation prepared in Spanish. Such a decision is made by the recipient, not by the translator.

Apostille on Spanish and Andorran documents

Spain, Andorra and Georgia are parties to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, which abolishes the requirement of legalization for foreign public documents. According to the official status table of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), the Convention has been in force for Spain since 25 September 1978, for Andorra since 31 December 1996 and for Georgia since 14 May 2007. Accordingly, public documents of these countries do not need consular legalization and, as a rule, an apostille is sufficient.

The apostille is affixed by the country that issued the document. In Spain the competent body depends on the type of document (Real Decreto 1497/2011): apostilles on court and administrative documents are issued by the offices of the High Courts of Justice of the autonomous communities (Tribunal Superior de Justícia) and by the Ministry of Justice, and on notarial deeds - by the Association of Notaries. In Andorra, according to the HCCH and the Andorran government, the apostille is the competence of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. An apostille on a Georgian document is affixed in Georgia; for details, see the apostille page.

It is important to know what an apostille confirms: the authenticity of the signature, the authority of the person who signed and, where applicable, the authenticity of the seal or stamp. It does not confirm that the content of the document is correct, and it does not replace the translation. That is why the usual order is the apostille on the original first, then the translation, which also includes the text of the apostille.

Diplomas, academic certificates and recognition in Georgia

A diploma from a Catalan university (títol universitari) is often accompanied by an academic certificate (certificat acadèmic personal) listing the subjects, credits and grades, as well as the European Diploma Supplement. The translation renders exactly the name of the programme, the level of the qualification (grau, màster, doctorat), the ECTS credits, the years of study and the grades. In Spain grades are usually on a scale from 0 to 10 and are also written in words: aprovat, notable, excel·lent, matrícula d'honor. The translator does not convert these grades into the Georgian system: they translate what is written in the original.

In Georgia, recognition of foreign education is carried out by the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement, and the list of required documents is also set by the Center. When a Georgian diploma is submitted in Catalonia, it is the receiving university or the relevant Spanish authority that decides whether an apostille and a sworn translation are needed. More information: diploma translation.

Medical, banking and insurance documents

From clinics in Catalonia we often receive discharge summaries (informe d'alta), results of tests and examinations, operation reports and medication lists. These texts contain many abbreviations, Latin terms and units of measurement that have to be carried over unchanged. A doctor's handwriting that cannot be read is marked as such in the translation and is not filled in by guesswork. Such a translation does not replace the doctor's conclusion: it renders the medical information accurately in another language.

Among banking material, the most common items are account statements, a bank letter confirming that an account is held, loan agreements and transfer confirmations, and among insurance material - the policy and the claim settlement letter. IBANs, account numbers, amounts, currency and dates are written exactly as in the original, and a date in day/month/year format must not be left ambiguous in the Georgian translation.

Real estate, the notary and inheritance

In Catalonia a notary (notari) draws up a public deed, the escriptura pública, which is used to formalize a property sale, a mortgage, the incorporation of a company or a power of attorney (poder). Such a deed has a protocol number (número de protocol), which stays unchanged in the translation. Real estate rights are recorded by the Property Register (Registre de la Propietat), and its extract is often needed by Georgian buyers or heirs.

Catalonia has its own Civil Code (Codi civil de Catalunya), which also governs inheritance, so the concepts used in a Catalan will or inheritance deed rest on local law. We leave such a term in the translation with the original word in brackets and choose the Georgian equivalent carefully. A translation does not replace legal advice: if the matter concerns selling a property or accepting an inheritance, check the legal consequences with a lawyer or a notary.

Court documents from Catalonia and Andorra

In cases before the courts of Catalonia you may come across acts written in Catalan and in Spanish at the same time. In a Catalan text a judgment is called a sentència and a court order an interlocutòria, which corresponds to the Spanish auto. In divorce, guardianship or maintenance cases, a Georgian client often needs a translation of the decision for its recognition in Georgia or for making a change in the civil registry.

The Andorran court system includes the Batllia d'Andorra as the first instance, as well as the Tribunal de Corts and the Tribunal Superior de Justícia d'Andorra. The names of these bodies stay in the original in the translation, because there is no exact Georgian equivalent, and a short explanation is added. When translating a court act, we pay particular attention to the case number, the parties, the operative part and the note that the decision has become final (ferma).

From Georgian into Catalan: what we take into account

A Catalan translation of a Georgian document is prepared mainly for Andorra, where Catalan is the only official language, or for those institutions in Catalonia that prefer a Catalan text. The documents translated most often are the criminal record certificate, birth and marriage certificates, the diploma, the certificate of work experience and the power of attorney.

A Georgian first name and surname are written in the translation in the Latin form from the passport and are not adapted to Catalan spelling; for details, see passport translation. The names of Georgian authorities are described in Catalan according to their function, with a transliteration of the original where needed. If the recipient also accepts a Spanish text, the Spanish interpreter service may be more practical, and for other Romance languages see the French and Italian translation pages.

How to order a Catalan translation

To place an order, a clear photo or PDF of the document and some brief information are enough: in which direction you need the translation, in which country and to which authority you will submit it, and whether it needs notarization. If the document has an apostille, a reverse side or an attachment, send that as well, because it will become part of the translation.

Turnaround time and what it depends on

We usually prepare the translation of a standard-length Catalan document the same day or the next day. For an extensive package, handwritten text, a low-quality scan or notarization, the deadline is agreed after we have seen the document. The time it takes to obtain an apostille is set by the authority of the issuing country and is not included in our working time.

• Volume: the number of pages, the attachments and the apostille page.
• Condition of the original: a bilingual form, a handwritten annotation or an unclear seal.
• Form of certification: an electronic version or a notarized copy.
• Terminology: a court, medical or corporate text requires more time.
• The recipient's deadline: tell us when your appointment at the authority is scheduled.

Tbilisi office, remote service and quality control

Our office is located in Tbilisi, at 118 Davit Aghmashenebeli Avenue. If you are in Barcelona, Valencia, Palma or Andorra la Vella, you can order entirely online: you send us the file electronically and receive the finished translation electronically as well. The notarized copy is prepared in Tbilisi, and the way it is handed over is agreed individually. More information on other languages: interpreter services.

Before the final file is issued, we check the first names and surnames against the passport, the DNI, NIE and other numbers, the dates, the diacritics, the completeness of the bilingual parts, and the text of the seals and the apostille. In a multi-page package one and the same term, authority and person are written the same way throughout. A fragment that cannot be read is not filled in by guesswork: we either clarify it from a better copy or mark it in the translation with an appropriate note.

Frequently asked questions about Catalan translation