A first state authority (notary public) verifies the signature of the translator or translation agency representative based on their ID. This is called a notarisation. For greater clarity, we can also use the expression "authenticating the translator's signature."
Certified Translation
001 Translations will assist you with all your requests for official certified translations in the US or abroad. Your documents will be translated quickly at the most competitive rate by an expert translator. If necessary, we can take care of additional legal steps for your translation (notarization).
ORDER NOWHow will your documents be sworn (assermentés)?
001 Translations will stamp your document with its professional stamp and assign it a unique reference number.
001 Translations will stamp your document with its professional stamp and assign it a unique reference number. A Certified Translation is a translation accompanied by an official endorsement signed by the translator and the translation agency that attests to the accuracy and authenticity of the document. Certified Translations are mainly requested by public authorities and official institutions such as universities, town halls, consulates and embassies.
Validity of a Certified Translation in the US and abroad.
The steps to be taken depend on the country of destination and the body requesting the translation.
Certified translations are accepted in the US and other countries that use the common law legal system, such as the UK, Canada, and Australia. But a Certified Translation is not always enough. Sometimes the body receiving the document requires additional steps to legalise the Certified Translation, i.e., to make the Certified Translation legally valid internationally. Additionally, if you need to present an official document that was issued in Ireland in a foreign country that has a different legal system, the authorities involved may ask you for a Sworn Translation of the document. Sworn translations are performed by expert sworn translators who are accredited by that country's Court system.
The steps to be taken depend on the country of destination and the body requesting the translation. This is why we always advise our clients to check with the requesting body to find out what type of legalization they need:
- Certified Translation/Sworn Translation
- Legalizing the translator’s signature
- Apostille
Little guide to legalizations
How does it work?
There are 3 levels of legalization:
A second state authority (Court of Appeals or Ministry of Foreign Affairs) verifies the signature of the first level state authority. This is called an apostille or legalization
Note bene: In France, unlike most countries in the world, two level 2 authorities are in charge of legalizations.
The Court of Appeals is responsible for legalizing documents for countries that have signed the Hague Convention, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for legalizing documents for countries that have not signed the Hague Convention.
A third authority (the foreign consulate) verifies the signature of the level 2 legalization. Fortunately, this only applies in the case where the destination country is a non-Hague Convention country!
Signature legalization
Sometimes, the body requesting the translation requires the legalization of the translator's signature.
This formality is carried out with a notary public. It makes it possible to verify the identity of the translation's signatory. The notary public affixes a seal indicating that the identity of the signatory has been verified and that the translator's signature is authentic.
Apostille
Sometimes, the organization requesting the translation requires the State to guarantee the procedure for carrying out the translation.
In the US, the Office of the Secretary of State provides apostille service to U.S. citizens and foreign nationals on documents that will be used overseas. The Secretary of State will certify that your translation has been notarised and that the legal procedure has been respected. The official at the Secretary of State - called an apostille - with an identification number to your document.
This process first requires the translator to have their translation notarized by a U.S. Notary Public. Once notarized, the documents must be submitted to the Secretary of State in the state where the notarisation occurred.
These steps take time and are subject to each state's processing workload. In general, it takes 2 to 4 weeks to obtain the apostille.
The apostille is only valid for use in countries that are signatories to the Hague Convention.
If the country of destination for your documents is not a signatory of the Hague Convention, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in charge of the legalization process and you will probably have to go to the relevant consulate. It is your responsibility to check with the relevant authorities to find out what procedure to follow.
Independent certified translator or translation agency?
Consider the various elements of your application, such as:
- How urgent is my request?
- Is a certified translator able to guarantee that I will receive a Certified Translation of my documents on time?
- Are the price differences between the freelance translators and translation agencies I contacted very different?
Sworn translators in a given language may be in short supply and therefore unavailable when you need a document translated quickly or urgently. In addition, sworn translators (traducteurs assermentés) apply free fees and can therefore charge you higher rates than a translation agency which may have negotiated prices. Serious translation agencies, managed by professional translators themselves - which is of course the case for 001 Translations - have developed specific expertise in the field of certifying (assermenter) official documents.
A high price does not mean that the translation will be of better quality, but the difference can also be justified by the means used to ensure that the translated document will be delivered to you on time (e.g., registered mail, DHL, Fedex or Chronopost). Furthermore, because of their position as intermediaries, translation agencies are in contact with many sworn translators (traducteurs assermentés) in France and abroad. This can be very important if the translation has to be done expressly in 24 or 48 hours for example. In general, as for any official act, a much longer period of time is required for Sworn Translations.
What is an expert sworn translator (traducteur expert assermenté)?
Many authorities in the US will ask for a certified translation of your documents. But exactly what is a certified translation?
Any qualified translator can certify a translation in the US. An individual translator can certify their translations, as can an employee of a translation company. A translator may also certify someone else's translation—as long as the translator has fully reviewed the translation for accuracy and completeness and the translation will not be changed after being certified. That is why translation companies can certify translations provided by their employees or freelance translators.
At the swearing-in, the president of the tribunal reads the following oath: "You swear and promise to translate faithfully and conscientiously all documents and speeches that you may be called upon to interpret before a court, a public authority, a civil registrar of the department, or to draft an authentic deed before a notary or before a department official." The translator, standing with their right hand raised, answers: "I swear.”
In the United States, there is no federal licensing for certified translators. However, certified translations must include a signed statement affirming accuracy and completeness, which is accepted by USCIS, courts, universities, and government agencies. Many translators are members of the ATA (American Translators Association), one of the most respected credentials in the industry. 001 Translations works with ATA-certified professionals upon request, and all of our translations meet or exceed the official requirements in the U.S.
Official documents for Certified Translation
Any official document can be translated and certified by our translators
civil or criminal procedure documents, intended to be produced in a court of law, administrative documents and public status documents, bailiff's deeds, notarial deeds, but also academic documents, as for example:
- Identity card
- Residence card
- Adoption decree
- K-bis
- Contract
- Last will and testament
- Police report
- Notarial deeds
- Divorce decree
- Court decisions
- Birth certificate
- Marriage certificate
- Criminal record extract
- University degree
- Transcript
- High school (Baccalauréat) diploma
Clients may need certified translations for many reasons and our translators are authorised to officially translate any document written in a foreign language that must be presented in court or before the Irish administrative authorities. This is all the more valid for the translation of documents that enable the authorities to draw up official civil status documents (marriage certificates, residency permits, divorce decrees, claiming public benefits, child adoptions, birth certificates, ...). In some states, Certificates of Accuracy of Translation may be required for specific documents (driving licences), so be sure to check the translation requirements with the relevant authority.
What is the difference between a certified translation and a notarized translation?
Some end users of certified translations may request or require a translation to be notarized. This may cause some confusion as a translation cannot actually be notarised in the US.
Instead, a notary public can legally acknowledge, or notarise, the identity of the individual signing the certification statement. While the terminology is inaccurate, it is helpful to know that this is commonly used. 001 Translations is able to provide notarisations for your translations through our in-house notary publics. Some government entities that usually ask for notarised translations may also accept certified translations bearing the ATA-certified translator seal without notarisation. A requesting body may also ask for an affidavit of translation, particularly in cases where translations are used in Court.
For this type of document, the translator signs a document stating that they have sufficient knowledge of both languages and that the translation is true and accurate to the best of their abilities in front of a notary public. The notary public will then notarise the document, confirming the oath of authenticity.
001 Translations is able to provide affidavits of translations for all your translation projects. Make sure to check with the requesting entity whether you need your certified translation to be notarised. 001 Translations ensures that your translator has at least one university degree in foreign languages and that they have solid experience in translation.
