L’habilitació professional dels intèrprets jurats de llengua castellana [Professional certification of sworn Spanish-language interpreters]

This article discusses briefly the history of the certification of sworn Spanish-language interpreters and the three currently available ways of obtaining certification. They are: the annual Foreign Office (Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y Cooperación) examinations, the examination exemption for qualifying translation and interpreting graduates, and the validation of professional degrees earned abroad. Special attention is given to the first two, and in the second, the presentation of academic transcripts. We deal briefly with the register of sworn Spanish-language interpreters authorized to practice throughout Spain, under the auspices of the Oficina de Interpretación de Lenguas, and accessible through the website of the Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y de Cooperación. This list is important both for sworn interpreters and for persons or institutions seeking their services. Concluding remarks note a significant increase in the numbers of sworn interpreters in recent years given there are now three ways to obtain certification instead of just one. Moreover, although the Ministerio regulates certification, its authority does not include regulating the profession itself. It may well be desirable that it do so, but such powers lie beyond its purview.