Spanish–Swiss Legal Glossary: Key Terms to Understand

Lexique juridique Espagne–Suisse : les termes à connaître

Understanding legal terminology is essential when dealing with property, inheritance, tax, or corporate matters between Spain and Switzerland. This glossary provides a practical comparison of essential legal concepts in both systems—so you can speak the language of the law, even across borders.

Comprendre la terminologie juridique est essentiel lorsqu’on traite des questions de propriété, de succession, de fiscalité ou de société entre l’Espagne et la Suisse. Ce lexique offre une comparaison pratique des notions juridiques essentielles dans les deux systèmes – pour parler le langage du droit, même au-delà des frontières.

Property & Real Estate / Immobilier

• Notary / Notaire (FR) – Notario (ES)
  Public officer essential in real estate transactions. In Spain, the notary validates the sale contract. In Switzerland, their role depends on the canton.
• Land Registry / Registre foncier – Registro de la Propiedad
  Official register of property ownership. Mandatory for property transactions in both countries.
• Cadastre / Cadastre – Catastro
  Administrative register of real estate used for tax purposes. Separate from the land registry in Spain.

Contracts & Powers / Contrats & procurations

• Power of attorney / Procuration – Poder notarial
  A legal document authorizing someone to act on your behalf. In Spain, it must be granted before a notary.
• Legal representative / Représentant légal – Representante legal
  A person authorized to act in legal or commercial matters for another person or entity.

Companies & Tax / Entreprises & fiscalité

• Limited liability company / Société à responsabilité limitée – Sociedad limitada (SL)
  A common business form in both countries, limiting owners’ liability to their contributions.
• Public limited company / Société anonyme – Sociedad anónima (SA)
  Suitable for larger companies. Shares can be traded more easily. Similar structures in both countries.
• Tax ID / Numéro fiscal – NIF (ES) / Numéro AVS ou IDE (CH)
  Essential identifier for individuals and companies dealing with tax authorities.

Inheritance & Family Law / Succession & droit de la famille

• Inheritance tax / Impôt sur les successions – Impuesto de sucesiones
  Applied differently in each country and region. In Spain, it’s autonomous community-based. In Switzerland, it’s mostly cantonal.
• Heir / Héritier – Heredero
  A person legally entitled to inherit.
• Testament / Testament – Testamento
  A legal document stating how assets should be distributed after death. Both countries require formalities.

Official Certifications / Certifications officielles

• Sworn translation / Traduction assermentée – Traducción jurada
  Required when submitting foreign documents to public authorities.
• Apostille / Apostille – Apostilla
  Simplifies the legalisation of public documents between countries signatory to the Hague Convention.

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🧭 Besoin d’aide pour naviguer entre les documents juridiques espagnols et suisses ? Nous vous accompagnons dans votre langue, avec des professionnels certifiés dans les deux systèmes.

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