It depends on what you want to use the report for. If you need it for a doctor in another country to continue your treatment, a professional translation will be enough as long as its done by a translator with a medical background. If you plan to show it to an official organisation, a court, or as in many cases, an insurance company, they normally require a sworn translation. This decision is always made by the person receiving the document, so its worth asking them before you ask for your document to be translated. In both cases, the terminology, the dosage, and the diagnostics should be reviewed based on medical judgement.
Translating a medical report is almost always urgent, we need to translate them when moving country, when we have an accident abroad, or when making disability claims or in disability procedures. In these situations, which may be highly stressful, its important to work with a team of professional translators to help and advice you with a specialised translation. For this reason Translinguo Global, an official translation agency, has native translators with over ten years of experience.
Below we will explain which type of translation you need, which parts of the report are most problematic, and how we protect your personal data.
Professional or sworn translation? It depends on what the report is for
The same page may need two different types of translation, depending on what it is being used for. What changes isn’t the quality of the translation, which should be high in both cases, but the formal validity: a sworn translation bears the stamp and signature of a translator appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and is considered official in Spain.
| Purpose of the report | Sworn? | Reviewed by a specialist? | Usual time-frame |
| Clinical continuity with another doctor | No | Recommended | 24-48 hours for a few pages |
| Insurance claims | Depends on the insurance company | Yes | 24-72 hours |
| Retirement or disability/ public benefit application | Yes, usually | Yes | 48–72 hours |
| Legal proceeding or injury | Yes | Yes | Depends on the quantity of pages |
| Full medical history due to change of country | No, except for official proceedings | Yes | Depends on the quantity of pages |
If you cannot decide between the two options, read our article on sworn translation or certified translation for guidance. And if the report is for benefits or retirement in another country, see also our article on sworn translation for state benefits.
Who decides if the translation needs to be sworn?
The organisation receiving it, whether that be thw INSS, a court, an isnurance company, or a foreign administrative body. It is advisable to ask in writing what type of translation is accepted before requesting it to be done. Asking for a sworn translation of your medical report when it isn’t necessary will make the process more expensive, and not asking for it when you do need it will result in you having to return to ask again.
Do I need a sworn translation to claim travel insurance?
Not always. Many insurance companies accept a professional translation for the evaluation of an injury, but others require a sworn translation, especially when the claim is significant and may lead to legal proceedings. It’s worth asking the insurance company to confirm in writing and to save their response: this way you’ll request the right medical report translation on the first try and you won’t be wasting time in a process that requires urgency.
Does a sworn translation guarantee medical precision?
It formally guarantees that the translation is faithful to the original, but a sworn translator does not necessarily have to be a specialist in medicine. Therefore, when translating medical reports with official validity we combine the sworn ranslator’s signature with a medical translator’s review of the terminology.
What makes translating a medical report difficult?
A clinical report is written quickly, for other professionals, and with its own conventions. Therefore, faithfully translating a medical report requires a translator to know abbreviations, codes, and formats which also vary from country to country. This table summarises the most problematic aspects of these translations.
| Aspect | Risk | How we resolve it |
| Abbreviations | Each letter can have a different meaning depending on context | |
| ICD Codes | Different versions in each country | The code is kept as it appears and the meaning is given alongside it |
| Commercial name | Can change from one country to another | Include the active ingredient alongside the original name |
| Units and dosage | The figures are preserved and each dose is confirmed alongside | |
| Handwritten elements | Illegible words | Mark illegible elements as such, without assuming what they say |
| Imaging tests | Radiologist’s reports alongside | Translate the report, not the image |
For codes, we use the Ministry of Health’s eCIE-Maps as a reference; for medications, the AEMPS (Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices) Medication Information Center; and for terminology, the Royal National Academy of Medicine’s Dictionary of Medical Terms. We elaborate on these criteria in our article on the translation of medical terms. In the case of diagnostic imaging, it is the specialist’s interpretation report—not the images themselves—that is translated; therefore, it is always advisable to request this report from the facility, as a translation without it leaves the diagnosis unsupported.
Why not use machine translation for medical report translation?
Because its most dangerous mistakes are almost invisible. A misinterpreted decmial point can turn 0.5mg into 5mg, an abbreviation may be translated with the wrong meaning, or a negation such as “no lesions seen” can be lost in a longer piece of text. For a general understanding of a report it may be enough, but when it comes to dosage, diagnosis, or official procedures, the translation of medical reports must be carried out and reviewed by a professional.
Confidentiality: medical data belongs to its own category
A medical report includes some of your most private personal information. The General Data Protection Regulation (Reglamento General de Protección de Datos) puts them into a special category, with enforced treatment requirements, and the Spanish Agency for Data Protection (Agencia Española de Protección de Datos) has published specific criteria for their protection.
When translating medical reports we sign confidentiality agreements with the whole team, we limit access to the document to only those who are working on it, and delete the files as agreed. If the report is to be shared with multiple parties, like an insurance company as well as a lawyer, we deliver separate versions, so that each party receives only the information they need from the entire medical report translation. To find out more about our full process, you can read our article about confidential translation and GDPR
What we see in the translation of medical reports for individuals
Before providing a quote, we review the document and its intended use. These are the issues we most frequently encounter with patients, families, and personal injury law firms which should be taken into account before translation takes place.
Documentation that is often missing
- The full report: often we only receive the discharge summary.
- Radiologist or laboratory reports that support the diagnosis
- Pages with the stamp and signature of the medical centre, necessary for an official proceeding
- An indication of which organisation is going to receive the translation
Circumstances that complicate the case
Illegible scans or photos taken on mobile phones, medical histories with documents from lots of different centres, each with different formatting, handwritten notes, and long medical histories. In the case of a very long medical history translation, we evaluate, aongisde the client, which parts are actually necessary for the process, because translating the entire document isn’t always needed.
Common mistakes
- Ordering a regualr translation when the organisation requires a sworn translation.
- Translating only the discharge summary and omitting other relevant tests
- Translating commercial names without indicating the active substance
- Using machine translation for dosage and diagnosis
Can you translate just a part of a medical history?
Yes, sometimes it’s the most sensible thing to do. In a medical history translation intended for switching medical systems you usually only need the discharge summary, primary diagnoses, current medication, and recent tests. If the receiving organisation is a court or official body, it’s best to confirm which documents they want before selecting, as omitting one document may result in having to repeat the entire order.
When is it worth waiting for the final report?
When a report is provisional, when there are test results missing, or a disability assessment rpocess requires a final evaluation. Translating a report which is going to change later means paying twice, unless you require it for an urgent medical consultation.
For example, a traveller suffers an injury in Germany and claims their insurance using a machine translation of their discharge summary. The insurance company asks for the full report and the radiology, both translated. Getting both documents together before requesting the clinical report translation would have avoided weeks of delay.
How we work through a clincial report translation
As a translation agency with an ISO 17100 certified workflow, we treat with every report as a clinical and legal document at the same time. The process includes a translator with a medical background, a proofreader, and when needed, the signature of a sworn translator. Thus, the medical report translation reaches its destination ready for use, without requiring the client to consult multiple different services.
- Analysis of the document and its purpose.
- Translation by a medical translator native in the target language.
- Review of terminology, dosage, units, and codes.
- A sworn signature, if the organisation requires it.
- Delivery in paper format or with an electronic signature, and secure deletion as agreed.
For medical centres and business within the sector we have our medical translation service, and we explain the context of translating for hospitals in our article, medical translation for hospitals. For individuals who require official validity, the starting point is our certified translation service.
How much does a medical report translation cost?
This depends on the length thereof, the language, the legibility of the original document, and whether or not it needs to be sworn. As a translation agency, we’ll send you a quote in less than 24 horus, indicating whether or not your translation will need to be sworn, or if a professional translation will be enough. Handwritten or poorly scanned originals require more revision, so sending a legible copy at the start of the process is the easiest way to adjust the cost and timeframe of a medical report translation.
First the purpose, then the translation
The key question is not about the language, but about who is going to see the report. For adoctor, a rigorous professional translation is enough, but for an official body, a court, or insurance companies, a sworn one is required. In both cases, the translation of medical reports requires precision regarding dosages and diagnoses, as well as the confidential handling of personal data.
If you need to translate a medical report now, you can request a quote and we’ll respond in less than 24 hours. Whether you’re unsure if you need a sworn translation or not, or you’re an agency that handles medical files, contact our professional translation agency and we’ll provide guidance to ensure your translation meets all the requirements for its presentation.
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