With Brexit and trade deals between United Kingdom and other European countries now practically in order as well as the world-wide pandemic situation under a relative control in most countries around the globe, the economic outlook for the second part of 2021 looks somewhat more positive than the last 12 months or so have been.
With more and more countries opening their borders to UK travellers, it is predicted that an influx of personal documents will require to be officially translated and certified by UK as well as foreign authorities.
As many people, especially those without any previous experience in acquiring professional translations, find the translating process itself and the different types of certifications available somewhat confusing, we’ve prepared this article in order to explain these in more details and give our readers the information needed in order to successfully approach and complete the certified translation process.
What are the most frequently translated and certified documents?
Giving the UK’s diverse population and the fact that the United Kingdom is perhaps one of the most multilingual and multicultural places in the world, (with more than 300 different languages currently spoken in London alone!) it comes as no surprise that certified translations, both from and into English, are in extremely high demand.
There are several reasons why a person might be asked to officially translate and certify their documents – from educational, visa or job applications to more day-to-day activities such as renting a car or better understanding a legal contract. Generally speaking, if any of your formal documents are not presented in the official language of a country you intend to use them in, you will most likely be asked by the authorities, such as the Home Office or courts of law, to present their officially translated and certified versions.
Regrettably however, even if you are able to speak the two languages fluently, you will not be able to officially translate the documents yourself. Consequently, you must work with a registered linguist or a translation agency, which specialises in providing certified translation services, as doing this will allow you to demonstrate to the authorities in question that the translated version is a true and accurate representation of the original document, allowing you to proceed with your request.
When it comes to the different document types, which are regularly translated and certified in the United Kingdom, we can recognise that the range and variety of them spreads very extensively.
One of the most popular and ‘in-demand’ documents requiring official translation frequently are passports. In the United Kingdom, you may be requested by authorities such as the Home Office or Courts of Law to provide a certified translation of your passport for variety of reasons – from visa applications to confirming your identity or even applying for a mortgage.
Additionally, you might be asked to accurately convert your passport in slightly more day-to-day activities, for example, when trying to rent a house.
Another extremely popular document type to translate are formal certificates. From marriage, divorce to birth and death certificates or school diplomas – professional translation agencies work with such documents practically on the daily basis. Again, the reasons behind translating such materials are practically countless.
Last, but definitely not least – financial and legal documents. You may be asked to translate and certify this type of files for a variety of reasons – for example, when applying for a loan or a mortgage, the bank might request that you obtain an official translation of your foreign bank statements or work contracts. Additionally, financial or legal documents may need to be translated for visa or travel purposes.
…and languages?
Similarly to the different document types, there are language pairs which happen to be translated much more frequently than others.
In order to gain a little bit more insight into the industry, we have asked a representative of one of the leading and fastest growing London based translation agencies, Language Reach, to share their data with us.
From looking at the translations completed by the agency within the last 12 months, we can clearly see, that European languages such as Spanish, French, German, Polish and Italian are amongst the most frequently requested pairs with English. This pattern is somewhat accurate across all document types.
Other non-European languages which are most frequently translated include Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Arabic and Japanese.
What are the different types of certified translations in the UK?
Generally speaking, in the United Kingdom, we can recognise three main and widely recognised certified translation service types – a standard certification, a notarised certification and a translation with an Apostille. In most cases a standard certification provided by the translation agency is perfectly adequate for majority of legal uses, and as a result, widely accepted by official institutions. This type of certified translation comes with a stamped letter of authenticity issued by the language provider (translation company or a linguist) – stating that the converted documents are a true representation of their original. It also provides all of the necessary details about either the agency itself or a registered translator.
A notarised translation service, on the other hand, means that the notary public (or a solicitor) checks the linguist’s identity in person. By doing this, the translator who converted your documents takes a full, personal responsibility for the accuracy of the document and the solicitor confirms their identity.
Lastly, an apostille translations are typically required when presenting your documents abroad. This procedure is very similar to a notarisation, nonetheless, the apostille translation requires for your documents to be sent to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office for validation. This type of translation is valid for all countries abiding to the Hague Convention.
How long does it take to complete a certified translation?
According to the CIOL (chartered Institute of Linguist) a standard translation and certification of a universal document, such as a diploma, passport or a bank statement, should take anywhere between one and three days. If a more specific certification is required, for example, notarisation, this timeline might extend slightly. Nonetheless, a professional linguist or a translation agency should be able to officially translate and certify your documents within just a week. It is however, important to consider approaching the providers earlier in case of any unforeseen circumstances arising.
Ways to find a reliable provider
Finding a trustworthy language provider that can legally translate and certify your documents can be somewhat challenging, especially if you have never required this type of service before.
The most common approach to acquiring a certified translation service is working directly with a registered translation company, which specialises in converting documents into the language you require. It’s imperative however, to ensure that the provider is officially registered with one of the translation bodies in the United Kingdom, for example, the ATC (Association of Translation Companies). In order to become a member in such organisation, a translation agency must meet a number of rigorous criteria, and so this guarantees that your documents will be accurately and reliably translated.
Other ways of translating and certifying your documents involve working with a freelance linguist. Again, when approaching freelance translators, ensure that they are officially registered with a legal body, for example, the CIOL (Chartered Institute of Linguists), as only then they are able to legally translate and certify your documents.
As you can see, obtaining a certified translation service can be a challenging task. You must not only carefully determine, which particular certification type is necessary in your specific situation and the documents you wish to convert, but also find a trustworthy and reliable translations provider which specialises in converting materials similar to yours into the desired languages.