Why are official translations and certified translations needed?
When something official, formal or legal has been documented in one language, but it needs to be understood in another language, a certified or official translation is needed. This gives the requesting organisation confidence and security that the translation is accurate.
For example, if a couple get married in Sweden but need to have their marriage officially recognised in the United States for residency purposes, a certified translation of the marriage certificate might be required by officials in the US.
Official and certified translations can also be used for visa applications and extensions; school, college and university enrolment; marriage, birth and death certificates, or any other legal, formal or official document.
What is the difference between official translation and certified translation?
Official Translation
‘Official translation’ usually means the translation needs to be completed by a registered professional translator or professional translation company.
When an official translation is required, the translator or translation agency will write their credentials on the translation and stamp it.
Certified Translation
A step up from official translation, certified translation is also carried out by professional translators, but the translation is then certified. This means the translations are bound together in a pack, and stamped just like an official translation, but with the addition of a certification letter.
This letter will contain details of the translator or translation company, their professional credentials, and a statement of certification. We are corporate members of the ITI, so we use this membership to validate our certified translations.
A certified translation automatically meets the requirements of an official translation. Because of this, many professional translation companies only offer certified translation.
How much does certified translation cost?
Some companies charge per word for certified translation, but this isn’t always practical as many official documents are scanned, meaning the only way to establish the word count would be to count manually! Because of this, we keep it simple and charge according to the number of pages for translation:
- 1-2 pages is £90
- 3 pages is £140
- 4 pages is £180
- 5 pages is £215
I need a certified translation - how do I get one?
The quickest and easiest way is to order online. Select the number of pages you require, pay the fee, email your documents to us and your completed official certified translation will be emailed to you in a few days. Simple!
