Authentications are administrative acts which grant validity to documents. Since there is no juridical instrument to provide exemption from this obligation, every foreign document has to be authenticated in order to be valid in Cuba, and every Cuban document needs to be authenticated for it to be valid abroad.
The ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX) is the body having the responsibility of providing authentication services for Cuban documents taking effect abroad, as well as foreign documents that are valid in Cuba. These services are provided to natural and juridical persons through the Central State Administration Bodies, specialized law and consultancy offices authorized by the Ministry of Justice; as well as any other institution or official department with the legal power to do so, following accreditation by the General Department for Consular and Cuban Residents Abroad Affairs (DACCRE) belonging to MINREX.
If you wish to know whether your document is in the process of being authenticated by MINREX, visit our website http://legaliza.minrex.gob.cu and follow the steps described on the site.
Document Handling Centre (CGD in its Spanish-language abbreviation)
The CGD provides potential users a body of services leading towards the fulfillment of its mission, vision and corporate purpose, as an organizational unit supporting the ministry. As part of the structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this Center is governed by the same regulations as other departments in the body, for entry into the building as well as for the form of attire required of officials and visitors.
In order to have access to public-open (unclassified) information, persons who do not belong to the body require a letter of presentation and an application from their institution, addressed to the Head of the Center, specifying their full name, job category and the center to which they belong, as well as the matter they propose to research. Besides all these requirements foreigners must also have their application endorsed by the Cuban institution attending to the matter at hand.
When the documentation possesses any type of classification, authorization is taken to the Minister to obtain his/her authorization and the time taken by this formality for response is not part of the center’s authority. Reviewing the document to which the user has been granted access takes place in a cubicle especially designed for this, where there is a computer so that the user may copy out the information they have found.
The Center possesses neither the equipment or the staff to guarantee digitalized reproduction of the documents, therefore photographing the documents, or parts thereof, is authorized to be monitored by a specialist.
The Central Archives possesses areas where documents are filed by geographical areas or by addresses in accordance with the topics involved, and at the same time by determinate periods of time (years), according to the amount in existence. A considerable number of documents are still in the process of being classified and selected. Nevertheless, locating any information is done within the parameters of efficiency of this task.
ESTI (Translation and Interpretion Services)
Translations:
Translation services cover a broad spectrum of types and subjects, going from the legal translation of a variety of official certificates and documents up to juridical, financial, scientific-technical, medical, etc. subject matter. Your request shall always be in the hands of qualified translators who are specialized in the area concerned.
Not only do we have excellently trained Cuba professionals, we also have technical personnel in a number of the languages in which we offer services.
It is also our practice to consult with specialists in every subject and use specialized documentation, glossaries and literature in the search for the best results for every translation assignment.
Interpreting at Conferences:
Interpretation at conferences and lectures is exclusively concerned with the task of oral communication: it is a matter of transmitting messages from one language to another in a natural, fluid manner, adopting the expression, tone and conviction of the speaker and speaking in the first-person. Persons coming from different backgrounds and cultures who speak different languages participate at international events, business meetings, fairs, etc. The job of the interpreter is to allow these persons to communicate with each other, transmitting the ideas they wish to express.
Interpreters are language professionals, not professionals in the fields of science and technology, medicine or some other sphere which their work encompasses. That is why constant communication with clients is extremely important; clients should specify the subject matter each job involves, in a general sense, and bring all available necessary documentation to serve as a reference for the interpreter’s optimum preparation. Good preparation results in better quality of the services rendered. Different types of interpretation are employed at conferences.
Consecutive or Bilateral Interpretation
In consecutive interpretation, also known as bilateral interpretation, even though the latter is really one of the types within consecutive interpretation, interpreters speak after the orator has concluded a section of their presentation. This type of interpreting tends to be used at the negotiating table, during the teaching of courses and training specialized personnel, at fairs, etc.
In bilateral interpretation, the interpreter specifically carries out his or her work in the two languages being used. Our team has highly qualified and experienced professionals who have had excellent results in Cuba and abroad.
Simultaneous Interpretation
With simultaneous interpretation, interpreters speak at the same time as the orator. In these cases, the interpreters are at work in sound-proof booths and the listeners receive their interpretation via head-sets. This type of interpretation tends to be used at congresses, lectures, symposiums, generally at events where a great number of persons who have different mother tongues attend. In such cases, the job does not involve one single interpreter; teams are set up in each booth to handle the job. Generally speaking, each interpreter only interprets one of the event languages.
Our team is made up of highly qualified and experienced professionals who have taken part at national and international events both in Cuba and abroad.