Sworn Translations of the English and Spanish Certificates of Incorporation

The demand for sworn translations of Spanish and English commercial documents continues growing as many Spanish and British companies continue setting up offices in the UK and Spain respectively.

A British company will need to submit the sworn translation into Spanish of the English Certificate of Incorporation if the company wishes to set up an office in Spain.

The Certificate issued by the Registrar of England and Wales will confirm the following information:

• The name of the company
• The number of the company
• The type of company
• The date of incorporation

In Spain, the equivalent of the Certificate of Incorporation is, normally, a very long document which is part of a Deed as companies are set up by virtue of a Deed signed before a Spanish Notary. The Certificate of Incorporation in English is one page.

The Spanish Deed of Incorporation is the equivalent to the English Memorandum and Articles of Association.

The Deed must be executed before a Spanish Notary by the incorporators.

The Deed will indicate:

1. Particulars of the Incorporators/Members
2. That the Incorporators wish to incorporate a company
3. The business structure
4. Share capital
5. Capital provided
6. Number of shares
7. Articles of Association. The Articles will be enclosed with the Deed.
8. The Certificate from the Spanish Registry of Companies which confirms the companies name is not taken by another company
9. Particulars of the Board of Directors

In the UK, it is not necessary to sign the Memorandum and Articles of Association before a Notary. The Spanish Deed is a very complex legal and commercial document which will also include Spanish notarial formalities.

The sworn translation into English of the Spanish Deed of Incorporation will have to be submitted if a Spanish company is going to set up an office in the UK.

The Spanish and English legal systems are very different. These differences are also obvious in the way companies are set up, and therefore in the legal terminology. In most cases, there is not an exact equivalent between the Spanish and English business entities which means that the sworn translation is never straightforward.

Sworn translators are experts in legal terminology and the legal systems involved (English and Spanish) and will produce accurate sworn translations to be accepted by the British and Spanish Authorities.