How to Translate an Official Document – Steps you Should Consider:

 Official document translation is also known as a translation of a certified translation, an official translation of documents, certifications such as birth, marriage certificates, contracts, patent documents are included. It is the legally valid translation and given by the decree of an authority, possess a stamp and accompanied by a certification or an official statement by a sworn translator. Each document’s translation may require an additional level of certification to be fit for purpose.

Since official translation depends upon the type of your project and not a one-size fit for all purposes, so you need a certified translator for this purpose. Official document translation services are usually required for international embassies, agencies, and other such legal purposes, which generally require different certifications while dealing with numerous translated material. If you need any official certification like affidavit, a notarial certificate, or a legalized translation with an Apostle, then you can get the services of any professional legal agency. They will provide you with trusted services with expertise and provide a guaranteed experience.

·        Purpose of Official Translation:

The official translation is actually the translation of a legal document that can be further used for various categories as there are several categories that translation falls under, which are the following.

• Green card applications.
• Employment-based VISAs
• Citizenship applications
• Marriage certifications
• Other types of VISAs

Many documents are used for study purposes and need translation, including school transcripts, grade translation, diplomas, recommendation letters, letters issued by the institution’s administration and many more.

·        Cultural Biasness in Translation:

Professional translators not only need to be well versed with ethics of translating a legal document but also they do need to be well-grounded by the cultural norms and differences between countries as international translations are cultural depended because in each culture phrases, customs, and language, in general, must be considered at the local level. Your translator needs to be familiar with those customs and subtle meanings.

You can understand this concept more clearly with an example. For instance, if someone writes a thank, you note with a business proposal in Japan then you should consider yourself fail as in Japanese business, it is considered unprofessional and rude. Therefore, a professional translator should be adopted to cultural differences.

·        Terminology cannot be translated:

To provide a successful business translation, a professional translator must understand the concept of acronyms to make it understandable to the foreign party as even it is difficult for a skilled and experienced translator who is also well familiar with the industry to translate concepts like RFPs or ERPs. The terminology of one language often does not always direct translated into another language. Hence, to explain terminology, a translator must need to understand it by himself because with less experience in this industry, you can make inevitable mistakes.

·        Purpose of Certification and Stamp on Official Document:

When the desired document is translated, a sworn translator put a stamp on the completed one and certified it with a statement & signature. Not all countries, but many of them require a stamp to proceed with the translation further as an official document.

Many professional translators also suggest that an apostille should be attached to the document by a sworn translator. Apostille a get from city administration courts, and these are usually in the particular language of the country, which can’t be translated.

·        How to Translate Official Document:

Many people want to know the procedure to translate an official document. You can get the translation services for one of these three things, which are the following:

• Translating a document, or
• Insert an official stamp to the translation, or
• Officially translating documents, often known as sworn translations, or certified translations.

To translate a document, you need to follow the following steps, but keep it in mind that every country requires different requirements for this procedure.

1.      Determine what exactly you need:

In the end, before getting your document in your hand if you don’t want to face any trouble, you just need to determine by yourself that what you need before start all over again or pay for it again. For instance, if the translation is needed for a ministry, you need to see the following:

• What format the authorities require for it
• What language variant do they want?

2.      Make Sure to Hire an Approved Translator:

Some countries have specified a few agencies for the translating of documents, and only these approved translators have the authority to carry out this sort of work. But if you hire some other services to translate your document, then you will be simply rejected. For instance, Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a list of approved professional translators, those who have taken the exam to secure a certain position. Hence, you don’t need to ask anyone else than them.

3.      Format of Delivery:

The delivery format might include many ways such as,

• Printed out on official paper
• The approved translator should sign all pages.
• The whole document should be sealed with the translator’s official seal, or
• Just the electronic version of the document is sufficient.

Most of the time, your client does not have a surety about the exact format the authorities needed, so it is up to the receiving body to ensure that the electronic version is enough or the agency requires any other format too from the aforementioned practices. As different organizations settled different operating systems and protocols. Few of them have some flexibility, but most of them are rigid toward the format they have launched.

4.      Ensure the Quality:

Official translation needed the assurance of the quality of the document, and only an approved, as well as the authorized translator, can provide you a certain quality as he has passed an exam and usually provide a guarantee for the receiving body.

Make sure to figure out the details about the rates or prices of your project to the project’s manager. Documents for translation will be mostly priced per word, but translators also consider the following factor while negotiating rates such as language, file format, technical nature, and project management.