Bringing a friend or child to interpret for you

Key rules

• Friends: A friend can help in low-stakes settings, but offices may refuse and you have no right to it.
• Notary: If you do not understand Spanish, the notary must be satisfied you understand the deed before you sign.
• Court and police: Ask for a qualified interpreter, because a friend or relative is generally not accepted for formal statements.
• Children: Never use a child as your interpreter; ask for a professional, phone or video interpreter, or a cultural mediator.

The short answer

A friend or partner can help you at a counter, a shop or a routine office visit. They cannot do the job in a notary's office, a court, a police station or a clinic, where formal rules apply. A child should not interpret anywhere.

Everyday offices

No general rule stops a friend or relative from helping you with ordinary paperwork, and many offices let it happen. You have no right to it, though, and staff may refuse. Practice varies by office.

Ask the office before you go whether your friend can help. If the procedure needs an official translation of a document, a friend's translation will not do. It usually has to come from a sworn translator (traductor-intérprete jurado), appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

At a notary

Tell the notary before the signing that you do not understand Spanish. The notary must be satisfied that you understand what you are signing.

• If the notary knows your language, the deed can be drawn up in both languages at your request.
• If the notary does not know your language, you can bring an interpreter of your choice. The interpreter promises or swears to translate faithfully and signs the deed. The notary records who they are.
• Alternatively, the deed is signed with a sworn translator's translation attached.

So at a notary, a friend can interpret only if the notary accepts them and they take on this formal role. Do not treat it as a favour at the side of the table.

In court or with the police

If you give a statement, ask for a qualified interpreter. A friend or relative is generally not accepted for formal statements. In criminal cases you have the right to a qualified interpreter. A court may use someone without an official title only as an exception, when no qualified or sworn interpreter is available. That person must swear or promise to translate faithfully.

At the doctor or hospital

Do not bring your child to interpret. Health services advise against it, especially for medical or sensitive matters. A child carries an emotional burden, may mistranslate medical terms, and the visit loses its confidentiality.

Ask the clinic or health centre for a professional interpreter, a telephone or video interpreter, or a cultural mediator. Some regions, such as Catalonia, Madrid and Andalusia, offer these services in hospitals and health centres. Availability differs by region and by centre, so ask when you book.

What to do next

Use the checklist below to prepare for each type of visit. The warnings and questions below cover the cases most likely to catch you out.

Documents you need

• A translation by a sworn translator (traductor-intérprete jurado), appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for any document an office requires as an official translation. A friend's translation does not count.

• A sworn translator's translation of the deed, attached to it, when you sign at a notary who does not know your language and you want the deed to include it.

Checklist

• Ask the office in advance whether it lets a friend or relative help you, because staff may refuse.

• Bring an interpreter of your choice to the notary if the notary does not know your language, and make sure they will swear or promise faithful translation and sign the deed.

• Ask for a qualified interpreter if you give a statement to the police or a court, instead of relying on a friend or relative.

What to watch out for

• An office may refuse your friend: No rule bans a friend or relative from helping in ordinary procedures, but you have no right to it and staff may refuse on the day. Ask the office beforehand, and have a professional interpreter or a sworn translator ready as a backup.

• Friends are not accepted for formal statements: In courts and police procedures, interpreters should be qualified and independent, so a friend or relative is generally not accepted for a formal statement.

• Children should not interpret: Health services advise against using a child as interpreter, especially for medical, legal or sensitive matters. Medical terms can be mistranslated, the child carries a heavy emotional burden, and confidentiality is lost.

Practice varies by office and region, so check with the office or health centre you are using.

Frequently asked questions

Can I bring my own interpreter to a notary signing?

Yes, you can bring an interpreter of your choice to a notary signing if the notary does not speak your language. The interpreter must swear or promise to translate faithfully and sign the deed, and the notary records who they are in the deed.

Can the notary draw up the deed in my language too?

Yes, you can ask for a bilingual deed or one in two columns, as long as the notary knows your language. If the notary does not know it, a sworn translator's translation is attached to the deed instead.

Will a court accept a friend as my interpreter?

Only as an exception, when no official or sworn interpreter is available. The judge can then appoint someone who knows the language, and that person must swear or promise to translate faithfully.

What can I use instead of my child at a doctor's appointment?

Ask for a professional interpreter, a telephone or video interpreting service, or an intercultural mediator.