From contracts and legal paperwork to patents and reports, doing business internationally requires accurate German and English document translation across a variety of formats. And with Germany holding its position as the largest economy in Europe, it is critical that any business documents translated from German to English are as precise as possible.
However, in many cases, simply submitting a translated document for official use isn’t the only step businesses need to take. Depending on the document itself, there are other German to English document translation services (or vice versa) which may be required to meet certain legal criteria for it to be valid abroad. Here, we’ll go through some of those processes, to help you find the right service for your business’s needs.
What document are you translating from German to English?
Depending on what you’re translating from German to English, and the reason behind submitting a translated document, you may require one of the following methods of formal verification:
Certified translations
Certified German to English translations provide official proof that a translated document is accurate. This certification can be given by either the translator or a certifying authority, and will also be signed off by the Global Voices project manager who is taking charge of your document. This is primarily used for legal reasons with contracts, and any other paperwork for official use.
Notarisation
Notarised translations are undertaken by official translators and are accompanied by an additional certificate from a notary to prove the document meets all legal requirements in the country where it is being submitted. The difference between this and certified translation is that a notary is not required to be a linguist themselves, so cannot verify the quality of the translation itself, just the document.
Apostille
An apostille is a form of certification for translations of key identification paperwork to be used internationally, such as birth or marriage certificates, or contracts. This verifies that the documents are legitimate but, again, do not provide any guarantees about the accuracy of the translation itself.
Patent filings
Whether you are intending to file a German patent in the UK, or vice versa, we can undertake the full process of international patent filing on your intellectual property. We offer comprehensive support at every part of the process, including translating your patents and legal documentation, and we work with a network of firms worldwide to match your idea with the right patent agency.
Benefits of using a professional translator for important documents
Submitting documents for business purposes abroad requires a level of accuracy which may go beyond those of any other translations. Every nuance of your corporate paperwork has to be rendered precisely in your target language, and even one seemingly small mistake — from a misplaced decimal place to an incorrectly positioned word within a sentence — can change the overall meaning of a text.
At Global Voices, our team of translators are not only expert linguists, but have experience within a range of industries, ensuring that all technical and sector-specific terminology is appropriately translated, whether from English into German or the other way around.
Confidence and confidentiality for your document translation
Taking a DIY approach, or running your critical business documents through a free German to English online translation service, offers no guarantee of accuracy and can actually jeopardise your company’s security, particularly where IP comes into play.
While the likes of Google Translate are useful for quick translation tasks, its algorithms do not understand the intricacies of a full legal document, and aren’t fit for purpose if you need to submit your translated text to courts. Furthermore, with these online or free services learning in real-time from the texts they translate, and storing their data in the cloud, there are risks — and indeed documented instances — of private information being easily accessible to hackers. If you are looking to bring your new business idea into a new international market, running a patent through an online translation tool could leave your IP open to theft or piracy before you’ve even established your business.
Contact Global Voices today to discuss how we can guarantee your business the utmost confidence and confidentiality with our German to English document translations.