When to Hire a Certified Translator

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Written by Diego Achio

The CEO & Co-founder of Traduality. Diego loves visiting national parks, playing tennis, go-karts, and Italian food. He also has over 13 years of experience in the translation industry leading language operation teams.

January 6, 2024

Sometimes, a traditional translation just won’t cut it. Whether it’s for the DMV, immigration, or permission to study abroad, some documents require an extra step in the translation process to be considered valid. This is where certified translators come in.

What is a Certified Translator?

A certified translator is a professional translator who specializes in translating legal documents. Their services aren’t necessary for every kind of translation, just ones that require certification to be considered valid. Unlike traditional professional translators, the government authorizes a certified translator to be an impartial third party with professional translation experience.

What is a Certified Translation?

Certified translations are the certified translator’s specialty. In most cases, a certified translation involves two parts: the translated document and an attached affidavit stating that the translation is accurate and was performed by a third party. The certified translator also signs or stamps the affidavit, ensuring that the document is official.

Certified translations are the norm in countries like the United States, but other countries require similar yet different processes for government translations. Certified, notarized, and official translations are all essential for different world governments, so check out this article to learn their differences.

When do I Need a Certified Translation?

While any document can be certified, not every document needs certification. Certified translations are required for government processes like immigration, getting a driver’s license, or studying abroad. They aren’t for everyday consumer goods like books or video games. Government entities like USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) require a fully translated, certified English counterpart for all non-English documents. Usually, these documents include birth certificates, passports, criminal records, pay stubs, and academic records.

If you’re unsure whether or not a document needs a certified translation, call the government entity you’re working with. They’ll help you get precisely what you need.

 

Find Certified Translators Online

Do you need to find certified translators? Traduality has everything you need to succeed; create your first project today and find vetted translators, or book a meeting with us to learn more about your specific needs.  

Updated 2/21/2024. 

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