Medical document translation ensures your clinical information is accepted in the destination country
Anyone about to study, work, emigrate, travel, take out insurance or begin treatment in another country will almost always be asked for medical documentation. These are sensitive documents that demand precision, and many foreign authorities will only accept them when they are accompanied by a certified translation and an apostille, depending on the country. If you are presenting medical documents outside Portugal, it is important to ensure the translation meets the requirements of the body that will assess them.
At GT-Traduções we have worked with clinical documentation for four decades, for institutions and for private clients alike. From our office in Loulé we follow the process from start to finish: we review the document, indicate which type of translation is required, and clarify at which point certification or the apostille comes in.
Do you have medical documents to present in another country?
Send us the document for a preliminary review and we will tell you what is needed — standard translation, certified translation, or certification with an apostille.
Contact our teamWhich medical documents may need translating
It is not only the complex reports. Any clinical document may be requested, depending on the procedure:
- Medical reports and diagnoses — the basis of any continuity-of-treatment process.
- Test results — laboratory work, imaging and complementary investigations.
- Vaccination records — frequently required for school, university or visa procedures.
- Prescriptions and current medication — needed to continue treatment at the destination.
- Certificates of incapacity — for employment, social security or insurance procedures.
- Supporting documents for insurers — paperwork underpinning claims and reimbursements.
- Clinical history and allergy records — information the receiving clinical team needs to read precisely.
- Documents for schools, universities or exchange programmes — usually subject to their own formal requirements.
Standard translation or certified translation
Standard translation
Sufficient where the receiving authority does not require certification and the document simply needs to be understood — for internal clinical reading or personal use, for example.
Certified translation
Required when the document is to be submitted to authorities, schools, universities, foreign hospitals, insurers or immigration services. In Portugal, certification is carried out by a notary, lawyer or solicitor.
Certification with apostille
Required by some foreign authorities. The apostille applies to a public document — and, for Portuguese documents, it is the certified translation that is apostilled, once it has been certified by a notary, lawyer or solicitor.
When an apostille is required
Whether an apostille is required depends on the country where the document was issued, and the process is not the same for foreign documents as for Portuguese ones:
- Medical documents issued abroad — some countries require the original document to be apostilled before it is translated. The apostille is always issued in the country of origin; Portugal has no competence to apostille foreign documents. To obtain the apostille, you may contact the embassy or consulate of the issuing country.
- Medical documents issued in Portugal — where a foreign authority requires an apostille, it applies to the translation certified before a notary. The apostille serves as international validation of the certification carried out in Portugal.
How the process works
You send us the document
By email or as a legible photograph. The paper original is not required for the translation itself; for certification, we then need the original or a certified copy.
We review the document
We check the language, the legibility and what type of certification your procedure requires, before any quote is issued.
Specialist translation
Medical documents demand terminological precision. The work goes to translators with practice in the relevant clinical field.
Certification, where required
The translation is certified by a notary, lawyer or solicitor, thereby acquiring the standing of a public document.
Apostille, where required
It can be obtained in person at the District Offices of the Attorney General, normally by appointment, by post, or through authorised third parties.
CIOL certification
CIOL certification derives from our standing as qualified members of the Chartered Institute of Linguists, for the Portuguese–English combination. It is widely accepted by European and international bodies, allowing faster procedures and avoiding the costs associated with notary certification and the apostille.
Not sure what your procedure requires?
We review your list of documents and tell you exactly what needs translating, certifying or apostilling — document by document, with no unnecessary steps.
Request a quote WhatsAppCommon mistakes that lead to documents being refused
- Translating without confirming the receiving authority’s requirements — the single greatest cause of repeated work.
- Translating a foreign document without an apostille where one is required — this forces the process to start again.
- Submitting illegible documents — a blurred scan compromises the accuracy of the translation.
- Relying on machine translation — in a clinical context, the risk of terminological error is real.
- Not certifying where certification is needed — the document is returned and the procedure is delayed.
Why entrust it to GT-Traduções
Since 1986 we have supported official procedures, from our office in Loulé.
Each document goes to translators with practice in the specialty, always working into their own native language.
Translation, revision and verification of figures, units and values before delivery.
We are members of the Chartered Institute of Linguists, under a demanding professional code.
Your clinical information is handled within a restricted circuit and is not shared with third parties.
English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Arabic and Mandarin, among others.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to send the paper original?
Not for the translation itself: a legible photograph or a PDF is normally sufficient. For certification we need the original document or a certified copy, which you send us by registered post. If you would rather keep the original, a certified copy obtained at a CTT post office serves the same purpose.
How do I know whether I need a standard or a certified translation?
The body receiving the document decides. If you are unsure, send us the list of documents and the destination: we will assess the case and tell you what is required, document by document.
Does the translation have to be “sworn”?
In Portugal the term is certified translation, not sworn translation. Certification is carried out by a notary, lawyer or solicitor, who attests to the correspondence between the original and the translation.
Do I translate first or apostille first?
It depends on where the document was issued. Foreign documents: the apostille comes first and the translation follows, so that the translation also covers the content of the apostille. Portuguese documents: translate, certify before a notary, and only then apostille the certified translation.
Is my clinical information protected?
Yes. Documents are handled within a restricted circuit, accessible only to the translators assigned to the work and under GDPR.
Do I need a Portuguese translator near me?
You do not need a Portuguese translator near you for the document to be accepted. A translation certified in Portugal is valid wherever it is presented, and the process is handled remotely: we work from our office in Loulé for clients across Portugal and abroad.
Let’s move your process forward with confidence
Send us your documents for a preliminary review and receive guidance on the appropriate process, with a clear quote and a reply in under four working hours. Office in Loulé, serving the whole of the Algarve and the country.
Request a quoteor call +351 934 602 625 · [email protected]
