Translation services continue to gain traction owing to globalisation. Professionals, businesses, and individuals have realised the importance of translation services in terms of accessibility in a world replete with hundreds of languages. However, a number of people often wonder why they should get a certified translation service and how it works.
Let’s simplify it with an in-depth and easy-to-follow guide.
What Is a Certified Translation?
A certified translation is a translation that has been carried out by a professional qualified translator and is signed by the translator to certify that the translation is a true and accurate translation of the original document. These translations are usually accompanied by a stamp, signature, or seal from a notary public or other official authority.
If you want to translate your documents into another language but you are not sure if they will be accepted by the court or by immigration authorities, then it is best to use translators qualified to supply certified translations for legal use for the jurisdiction in which the certified translation will be used to ensure your and certified translation will be accepted.
The certification process involves checking the original document against the translation to ensure there are no discrepancies between the two versions. This is done to ensure that all information appears unchanged from its original form and that no information has been lost or added during the translation process.
Types of Certified Translations
There are four common types of certified translations:
Certified Translation
A certified translation is a document that has been translated by a translator who is recognised to provide certified translations within a particular legal jurisdiction. The certification will consist of a signature and signed declaration that the translation is a true and accurate translation of the original document. Often this is accompanied by an official stamp or seal and sometimes also sent to a certifying authority for verification. The requirements vary according to the local regulations of the final destination where your certified translation will be used.
Notarised Translation
A notarised translation is a translation that has been authenticated by a notary public or other official with the responsibility of verifying the identity of those involved in creating, witnessing, or executing legal documents. Notarial seals are attached to give evidence of authenticity and due execution. This type of certification may be required by law or requested for legal purposes such as company registration, immigration or citizenship matters.
Apostille Translation
An apostilled translation has an international stamp or seal issued by one’s home country’s embassy or consulate and affixed on a document, certifying that it has been officially certified as genuine by their own government.
This apostille confirms that the document can be used internationally in another member nation of the Hague Convention without further authentication procedures being required. For example, if an American wants their diploma to be accepted in Australia, it will have to be apostilled before being sent there.
Legalised Translation
Legalisation of a translation document is required to ensure a document can be used in another country when that country is not a signatory of the Hague Apostille Convention. Legalising a document consists of obtaining a stamp or seal issued by a country’s embassy or consulate which is affixed onto your translation document, certifying that it has been officially certified as genuine by their own government.
The legalisation stamp confirms that the document can be used internationally. For example, if a resident of Canada wants their marriage certificate to be accepted in the UK, they will need to have their certificate legalised by their home country before it can be officially accepted in the UK. For acceptance in another country, for instance, Spain, the legalised document and its stamp will also need to be translated into Spanish.
The Need for Certified Translation Services
Certified translation services are the most common type of translation service. These services are provided by professional translators who have met requirements specific to the jurisdiction in which the translation is required to be certified for use in. Certified translation services are used for official documents such as legal contracts, birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses, and medical documents. They may also be used for personal documents such as school transcripts or proof of employment.
Translators who provide certified translations are required to be proficient in the languages they translate between and have professional qualifications in these languages. They must be able to convey the meaning of the words from one language to another in a way that is clear and understandable for both parties and ensure the information is true and accurate.
Translators also usually specialise in technical subject fields. Just as it is important to use a translator with the correct language pair experience, it is also important to use a translator with the correct subject expertise. At Aplomb, all our translators have expertise and experience in their specialist fields. This means they know the terminology in both languages they are translating between. This is especially true for medical translations, where each country has its own medical terms, and more importantly, medical abbreviations that must be translated. If you are dealing with legal and financial matters, you also want translations to be carried out by people who understand the legalese and accounting terminology in both languages as it is important to translate exactly what these terms mean.
4 Steps to Getting Certified Translation Services
To get certified translation services, you need to take some steps as discussed below:
1. Get in Touch with the Certified Translation Service Agency
The best way to get certified translation services is by contacting a professional agency that has been in this business for years. They will be able to provide you with quality translations that meet your needs and expectations.
When looking for a certified translation service agency, it is important that you choose those specialising in your field of interest. For example, if you need legal translations, then contact an agency specialising in legal translations. This will ensure that they are familiar with all aspects related to legal translations and can deliver quality products within your budget constraints.
You should also check their testimonials and feedback from their previous clients before hiring them for your translation work. This will give you an idea of how satisfied other people were with the translations provided by these agencies and whether they could meet all their expectations.
2. Send your documents for a quotation for Certified Translation
The next step is preparing and sending your documents to the selected translation agency. Usually you can do this via email. For larger files, contact the agency for a secure upload link. Word files are the quickest and easiest file types for translators to work with so where possible, do provide Word versions. All documents can be translated so don’t worry if you do not have Word versions. Once the agency has had a chance to check your documents, they will be able to help you identify the important aspects of your translation project and ensure that your expectations are met.
To speed the process along, you should provide all relevant contact information for your business, including your industry and the type of documents that need to be translated. Please remember to include details about the languages involved, any particular dialects required and any other specific directions pertaining to each document. It is important to mention that you need certified translations and where the documents will be used. It is helpful to state if the documents will need to be notarized or legalised. And, please do let the agency know your timeline.
The agency will use this information to provide accurate estimates of costs and turnaround time. It is important that you verify all these details before making any commitment, as it will help avoid any complications or disputes later on. Translators are assigned projects in relation to the jurisdiction that the certified documents will be used. To ensure an appropriate translator carries out your translation, it is important to let an agency know that you will need the translation to be certified for use in a particular country.
3. Proceed with the Certified Translation Order
Once satisfied with the agency’s offer and their ability to meet your requirements, you can proceed with the order. The agency will send you a formal agreement that should be signed and returned to them.
The agreement will stipulate the terms of service, including the payment methods, the agreed timelines, and any other requirements related to your project. Once you have signed the agreement and made your initial payment, you can expect to receive your certified translations within the agreed-upon timeframe.
4. Receive Your Certified Translation
The final step in your translation project is the delivery of your documents. Once your translation has been completed, the agency should send you a draft for you to check that all names have been translated appropriately, that the layout is correct and everything has been translated. Following any amendments and your final approval, the final translations will be issued with their attached certification. These can be delivered to you electronically or by post or courier. The certificate of translation will state that the translation has been carried out by a qualified translator and is a true and accurate translation of the original documents.
Getting Certified Translation Services – The Two Most Important Factors
If you are planning to hire a certified translation service, make sure to factor in the following two considerations.
Language Tiers
Certified translations require professional translations carried out by experienced human translators at the top of their career. While not all projects require expert professional translators, only translators at the top of their field can provide translations acceptable for certification. Translations for certification must be accurate and fully translated.
Not all translation is done to the highest professional standard. When you need a translation, the first thing that you need to do is determine what language tier suits your needs. This will depend on the type of document you want to be translated and who it will be used by. If the document is for internal purposes only, then there may not be a need to translate to the highest language standards.
However, if your translation will be used internationally, you should consider using the highest standard possible. For example, if you are translating a patent application from Spanish into English, then it would make sense for you to use the best translators available with correct subject and patent translation expertise. This will ensure accurate translation of your patent that also will adhere to the patent application requirements.
Similarly, any documents that are translated for legal, financial or medical use should also be translated to the highest standards by experienced qualified professional translators. After all, you would not want to sign a contract that was only 80% accurate. Nor would you want to submit financial accounts that were inaccurate.
Quality Control
Another important consideration is quality control. You need to make sure that the translation professionals have some sort of quality control strategy in place so that they can ensure that all documents are produced on time and within budget. This means that they should have internal processes in place to guarantee their work meets your needs. If your translation provider does not have a quality guarantee, then you should look elsewhere for translation services.
Hire the Professionals
The decision to translate a document is a big one, and you want to make sure it is done correctly. Do your research and secure the services of translation professionals with experience translating documents for the specific type of document you need translated. This will help ensure that your translation is done to the highest standards possible and is accurate and comprehensive. Remember to let the agency know where you will use your certified translations so they ensure they assign an appropriately qualified translator to your project.
If you are looking for a translation service you can count on, you can rest assured that Aplomb Translations will take care of everything for you because we have over three decades of experience providing certified translations in any language pair. We can advise you on the best way forward for your translation project.
All our translators are native speakers, with professional qualifications and experience in their specialist technical fields including legal, financial, medical, marketing, engineering, energy and shipping. With our team of more than 1,800 accredited and Aplomb-certified linguists covering over 120 languages and dialects, we can handle even the most demanding tasks.
