Certification / Notarisation || Global Voices

Certification

Global Voices has a proven track record of successfully providing language solutions to leading organisations. This includes the certification of translated documents. We will arrange the translations of your originals and return them to you with any of the below listed type of certification. Thus, you will not need to worry about added legal issues to do with the validity of your translations.

There are a number of terms that mean different things in different countries, which can make the process of certification confusing. If you are going to use British documents overseas, for business or personal reasons, you will be asked to have your documents legalised before they can be accepted.

Certification / Notarisation

Certification is required when a translation is needed for official purposes.

In the UK, a translation can be certified / notarised in three ways. These are: Basic Certification, Sworn Certification and Legalisation also known as an Apostille. The type of certification required depends on the nature of the document and its usage. It is important to check with your legal representative which of the following certifications is most relevant for your purposes.

Types of documents that require certification usually include: pasports, medical documents, patents and other official or legal documents such as Power of Attorney, Wills, Affidavits, Declarations and Notarial Acts, Certificates of Incorporation and other documents issued by Companies House, exports and any UK court documentation for use and validity overseas.

Basic certification

Global Voices includes a certified letter signed on headed paper declaring that the translation has been done either from the original document or from a copy of the original document and that the translated text is true and complete.

This type of certification can also be provided with a suitably qualified translator certificate declaring that the translation has been done by a professional translator with specialist knowledge of the relevant field.

Our certified translations are accepted by all British government offices including the Home Office and the Passport Office.

Sworn Certification / Sworn Translation / Notarisation

This type of certification is mostly for official documents that have been requested by public authorities/government bodies, the translation needs to be certified / notarised by Affidavit. This is a declaration which is made in writing and on oath (sworn) in front of a solicitor/attorney or a public notary that the translation is, to the best of the translator's knowledge, complete and accurate. The translation and the original are marked with a Certified stamp.

Legalisation (Apostille)

This is required for documents to be presented to overseas authorities outside the UK (such as marriage or work applications). Legalisation is the same as the two above except that the signature of the Public Notary /Solicitor on the Sworn Certification has been checked (Apostilled) by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to be accepted by a foreign country (as part of the Hague Convention). The FCO normally takes up to 4 weeks to process postal Apostilles.

If you are going to use British documents overseas, for business or personal reasons, you’ll probably be asked to have your documents legalised before they can be accepted. The FCO stamp of authenticity gives the person you are dealing with complete confidence that it is the genuine article.

Europe/America

In Common law countries such as the UK, most of the USA, Ireland, and some of the former British colonies, the translator must have a formal qualification in translation.

In Europe, a translation can be certified by a sworn professional translator who has been duly authorised by the government of the country in question to translate and notarise a document. Any certified translation produced by a sworn translator is an official document in its own right.

In Civil law, countries such as Continental Europe and much of the rest of the world, the translator must have a formal qualification in translation and be registered in the relevant country or court as a sworn translator.

Global Voices has the capacity and a skill-set to provide sworn translations where needed for use in Common Law or Civil Law countries, in all the languages that we offer.

Further Information

Global Voices has a customer retention rate of 98%. Contact us today on 0845 130 1170 to learn more about our translation services or to get a free translation quote. Alternatively, please email us at: info@globalvoices.co.uk or use our online quote page.