Certified translations are an increasingly important part of our globalized world. Therefore, in this week’s blog, we will discuss certified translations and 5 reasons why you should use a certified translation service to help you.
Whether you are an expatriate who is looking to retire or settle in a foreign country or a business that wants to open up an office overseas, you will likely need certified translations. Not to mention, if you marry a foreign national, whether in the United States or abroad, your partner’s foreign documentation will need to be certified. This is the case for both the marriage and if your foreign spouse would like to obtain permanent residency. If you want to get your overseas education credentials validated for use in the United States, you will also need certified translations of your diploma and transcripts.
All of these legal processes (and many more) require you to provide certified translations. To obtain these important documents, you will need the assistance of a certified translation service. Sometimes a notary is also required.
Besides immigration matters, certified translations are often needed for opening a business overseas. Whether it is a lease for office space, a teaming agreement with a local company, or legal and regulatory paperwork required by the foreign government where your business will be located, you will need certified translations. However, what does this term “certified” translation actually mean?
What is a “Certified Translation”?
A “certified translation” means that a statement or certificate has been attached to a translation, speaking to the translator’s qualifications, a statement affirming the completeness and accuracy of the document, identification of the translated document and language (e.g., from Spanish to English), and the translator’s (or translation company’s) name, signature, and date.
The rules for certified translations can vary greatly between countries. In the United States, for example, you do not need to be a certified translator in order to certify a translation. Any translator or employee of a translation company can complete this type of certification and is all that is required for most legal purposes. Some entities, however, have their own requirements for a certified translation. These can include a specific type of “certified translator” (e.g., certified by the American Translators Association, or “ATA”) or require certain verbiage to be included on the certification.
Other countries, however, have different requirements. For example, some countries have a list of government-approved or government-certified translators. Only translations completed by one of those translators will be accepted for legal or government purposes. Therefore, if you require a certified translation, it is always best to check the legal requirements in the location where the certified translation will be needed.
5 Reasons Why You Should Use a Certified Translation Service
Given the fact that a translator does not need to be “certified” to translate and certify a translation in the United States, there is good reason to want a trustable and reliable and certified translation service to provide the translation of your important legal documents. Some of these reasons include:
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Finding a Qualified Translator (and Editor) Can Be Difficult
Unless you know where to look, it can be difficult to find a qualified translator as well as an editor (Tip: Any foreign language translation should always be edited!). A certified translation service will have a database of a large number of qualified translators and editors to handle your translation, quickly and efficiently. Because of their experience, they know how to screen and vet skilled translators (and interpreters). This will save you a lot of time and headaches.
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Capability & Flexibility to Handle Unique Requests
As stated above, certain entities may have their own requirements for a certified translation. A certified translation service provider has the resources and flexibility to meet any of these requirements. This can include using a translator with a specific type of certification or qualification, or specific verbiage to include on the certification. Because translation service providers work with a large pool of linguists, they can meet almost any request, no matter how unique.
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Quality Control
To ensure the accuracy of your translation, it should always be edited and proofread. This involves two additional linguists in addition to the translator. A certified translation service can provide all three of these important steps. In the language industry, this is a standard process and is known as “TEP” (Translation/Editing/Proofreading). Therefore, your translation will be checked and re-checked before it comes back to you.
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Cost
While one might think that hiring an individual translator would cost less than a certified translation service, that is usually not the case. Keep in mind that not only do you need to hire a translator, but also an editor and proofreader. However, your translation service provider can offer all three of these steps, usually for one low, flat rate. Since they work in economies of scale (i.e., processing hundreds of translations each month), they often are able to offer better prices than individuals.
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Insurance
With a rigorous quality control process in place, it is highly unlikely that there will be any problems with your translation. However, in the most unlikely of scenarios in which there is a problem with your translation, a certified translation provider will have professional liability insurance. This is also often referred to as “Errors & Omissions” (E&O) insurance. Unfortunately, most independent contractor translators (the vast majority of professional translators are independent contractors) do not have this type of insurance coverage in case of a problem.
As you can see from above, there are many good reasons why you should use a certified translation service provider for your certified translation needs. Translation Source is a trusted provider of certified translations and also a corporate member of the American Translators Association (ATA) and the Association of Language Companies (ALC). We have been trusted by hundreds of businesses, government agencies, and individuals over the past decade to expertly handle all their certified translation needs.
If you would like to learn more about Translation Source’s certified legal translation services, please email us at info@translation-source.com or call us toll-free at (800) 413-7838.
