{"id":105471,"date":"2026-10-28T16:16:16","date_gmt":"2026-10-28T15:16:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/translinguoglobal.com\/translating-medical-reports-when-a-professional-translation-is-enough-and-when-it-needs-to-be-sworn\/"},"modified":"2026-10-28T16:16:16","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T15:16:16","slug":"translating-medical-reports-when-a-professional-translation-is-enough-and-when-it-needs-to-be-sworn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/translinguoglobal.com\/en\/translating-medical-reports-when-a-professional-translation-is-enough-and-when-it-needs-to-be-sworn\/","title":{"rendered":"Translating medical reports: When a professional translation is enough, and when it needs to be sworn"},"content":{"rendered":"

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. <\/p>\n

Translating a medical report<\/strong> 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<\/strong> to help and advice you with a specialised translation. For this reason Translinguo Global, an official translation agency<\/strong>, has native translators with over ten years of experience. <\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Professional or sworn translation? It depends on what the report is for <\/h2>\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Purpose of the report<\/td>\n

<\/strong>
\n<\/p>\n

Sworn?<\/td>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

Reviewed by a specialist?<\/strong><\/td>\n

<\/p>\n

Usual time-frame<\/td>\n

<\/strong>
\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n

Clinical continuity with another doctor<\/td>\nNo<\/td>\nRecommended<\/td>\n24-48 hours for a few pages<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Insurance claims<\/td>\nDepends on the insurance company<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n24-72 hours<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Retirement or disability\/ public benefit application<\/td>\nYes, usually<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n48\u201372 hours<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Legal proceeding or injury<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nDepends on the quantity of pages<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Full medical history due to change of country<\/td>\nNo, except for official proceedings\n<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nDepends on the quantity of pages<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

If you cannot decide between the two options, read our article on sworn translation or certified translation<\/a> for guidance. And if the report is for benefits or retirement in another country, see also our article on sworn translation for state benefits.<\/a> <\/p>\n

Who decides if the translation needs to be sworn?<\/h3>\n

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<\/strong> 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. <\/p>\n

Do I need a sworn translation to claim travel insurance?<\/h3>\n

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<\/strong> on the first try and you won’t be wasting time in a process that requires urgency. <\/p>\n

Does a sworn translation guarantee medical precision?<\/h3>\n

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<\/strong> with official validity we combine the sworn ranslator’s signature with a medical translator’s review of the terminology. <\/p>\n

What makes translating a medical report difficult?<\/h2>\n

A clinical report is written quickly, for other professionals, and with its own conventions. Therefore, faithfully translating a medical report<\/strong> 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Aspect<\/td>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

Risk
\n<\/strong><\/td>\n

<\/p>\n

How we resolve it<\/td>\n

<\/strong>
\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n

Abbreviations<\/td>\nEach letter can have a different meaning depending on context<\/td>\n

Clinical context and consulting the institution if there are any doubts<\/p>\n

<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ICD Codes<\/td>\nDifferent versions in each country<\/td>\nThe code is kept as it appears and the meaning is given alongside it<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Commercial name<\/td>\nCan change from one country to another<\/td>\nInclude the active ingredient alongside the original name<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Units and dosage<\/td>\n

Decimal points, mg vs \u00b5g<\/p>\n

The figures are preserved and each dose is confirmed alongside<\/td>\n<\/td>\n

\n<\/tr>\n

Handwritten elements<\/td>\nIllegible words<\/td>\nMark illegible elements as such, without assuming what they say<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Imaging tests<\/td>\nRadiologist’s reports alongside<\/td>\nTranslate the report, not the image<\/td>\n

\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

For codes, we use the Ministry of Health\u2019s eCIE-Maps<\/a> as a reference; for medications, the AEMPS (Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices)<\/a> Medication Information Center; and for terminology, the Royal National Academy of Medicine\u2019s Dictionary of Medical Terms<\/a>. We elaborate on these criteria in our article on the translation of medical terms<\/a>. In the case of diagnostic imaging, it is the specialist\u2019s interpretation report\u2014not the images themselves\u2014that is translated; therefore, it is always advisable to request this report from the facility, as a translation without it leaves the diagnosis unsupported. <\/p>\n

Why not use machine translation for medical report translation?<\/h3>\n

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. <\/p>\n

\"Translation<\/a><\/p>\n

Confidentiality: medical data belongs to its own category<\/h2>\n

A medical report includes some of your most private personal information. The General Data Protection Regulation (Reglamento General de Protecci\u00f3n de Datos<\/a>) puts them into a special category, with enforced treatment requirements, and the Spanish Agency for Data Protection (Agencia Espa\u00f1ola de Protecci\u00f3n de Datos<\/a>) has published specific criteria for their protection. <\/p>\n

When translating medical reports<\/strong> 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<\/strong>. To find out more about our full process, you can read our article about confidential translation and GDPR<\/a> <\/p>\n

What we see in the translation of medical reports for individuals<\/h2>\n

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. <\/p>\n

Documentation that is often missing<\/h3>\n