A bilingual contract can make an international transaction easier to negotiate. It can also leave the parties signing different promises without noticing. A price adjustment, deadline or limitation may have changed in one version while the translation still reflects an earlier draft.
The useful question is whether both texts express the same agreed deal. Treat language review as part of the signing process, with a clear owner and a final version check.
1. Decide what each language version is for
Record whether both texts are intended to be signed, or whether one is provided only to help a party understand the agreement. Label that purpose consistently on the cover, signature page and annexes. Do not call a document a translation for convenience in one place and an equally authoritative original elsewhere.
Keep the language of the contract separate from the governing law and the language of a future dispute. Choosing English wording does not by itself select English law.
2. Compare commercial terms, not just sentences
Build a short comparison sheet for the price, currency, tax treatment, delivery milestones, acceptance, liability and termination. Include dates and time units: calendar days and working days are easy to confuse. Check decimal separators and written amounts against figures.
Use one glossary for defined terms. If Supplier is a defined party, do not translate it as contractor in one section and seller in another without checking the intended role. Match cross-references and the numbering of annexes.
3. Address discrepancies deliberately
Discuss whether one language should prevail if the texts diverge, and identify it clearly. Such a clause is a drafting choice to assess for the transaction, rather than a substitute for accurate translation or compliance with mandatory requirements.
Where Albanian law applies, the Civil Code’s interpretation rules consider the parties’ shared intention and the agreement as a whole. A single translated word should therefore not be assessed in isolation. Specific forms or submission requirements need a separate check.
4. Review annexes and amendments together
A well-aligned main agreement can still conflict with a price schedule or technical specification. Mark which annexes form part of the signed package and decide how their order of priority works. Apply the same version discipline to later amendments.
Practical example: the English payment schedule says payment follows acceptance, while the Albanian schedule says payment follows delivery. Resolve the trigger before signing; a general prevailing-language sentence does not remove the operational confusion.
5. Freeze the signing package
Choose a final file name and version date. Compare clean copies against the agreed changes, remove unresolved comments and check signatures refer to the same package. Retain both signed texts and their annexes together. Avoid replacing a signed file with an informal corrected translation.
Alba Legal can review bilingual agreements and coordinate legal terminology across Albanian, English and Italian. Send the two complete versions, annexes and the last agreed changes so that the review covers the actual signing package.
Official reference: Albanian Civil Code, interpretation provisions. Checked on 16 October 2026. This practical checklist is general information; required language, form and procedural translations depend on the document and its use.
