How We Contributed to the Format of Certified Translations in Costa Rica

Published by Tilde Traducciones | ISO 9001 and ISO 17100 Certified Company

For years, certified translations in Costa Rica followed a rigid format that replicated that of a notarized document. Each translation had to have numbered lines, running text and a layout that, although useful in former times, was a legacy of the typewriter era. This format required certified translators to spend time manually numbering each line in Word, even when the documents to be translated were not of a legal nature, such as labels, technical reports or certificates of free sale.

As clients’ needs evolved and IT tools became essential, it became clear that this model no longer responded to the modern world. Updating the regulations was necessary to allow for cleaner, more professional formats that accurately reflected the original documents and facilitated both the translators’ work and the customer’s experience.

In 2017, Natalia Acuña, founding partner of Tilde Traducciones, assumed a decisive role in this process of change. As a certified official translator herself, she participated as an advisor and active member of the committee formed by the National Association of Official Translators and Interpreters of Costa Rica (ANTIO). Together with colleagues Helmuth Ángulo, Mark Bogan, Eugenia Cartín, Yamilett Blanco and Ricardo Vargas, Natalia promoted a proposal to modernize the format of official translations to reflect the way translators work in the 21st century.

Natalia led the technical discussions and presented the formal proposals to both the ANTIO members and the Legal Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship (MREC), where they were finally approved. The changes were made official through Executive Decree 40824-RE, published in Scope 313 of Ofiicial Diary La Gaceta on December 22, 2017, establishing a milestone for the certified translation practice in Costa Rica.

Thanks to this effort, numbered lines were eliminated, white space was allowed, and a modern, clean format that mirrors the original document was standardized. This not only streamlined the work of certified translators, but also improved the quality and presentation of the translations for clients, offering clearer and more professional documents.

At Tilde, we are proud one of our partners has played a central role in this process. This contribution reinforces our commitment to our clients and to the professional translators’ guild in Costa Rica. Natalia helped modernize a system that needed to evolve and, at the same time, demonstrated how, at Tilde, we work to bring translation in our country in line with the standards of quality and professionalism demanded by today’s times.